Wisdom of Psychopaths summary

Introduction

Wisdom of Psychopaths by Kevin Dutton What's in it for me? Learn from successful psychopaths. The word psychopath generally conjures up images of axe-murderers, the Joker or other serial killers whose brutality can keep an entire country on tenterhooks until they're caught and put away behind bars for good. When we think about psychopaths, we find ourselves asking questions like: What could be going on in the head of such a monster?

Where does their brutality come from? And how can they not feel a drop of remorse or shame for their crimes? The same recklessness and egoism that characterize psychopaths can also be seen among people who will never become murderers. It seems plausible to many of us that ruthless executives or greedy bankers could share certain characteristics with psychopaths.

They help themselves to what they want even if it harms others. They're not conscious of their misconduct and can sleep well at night. The idea that even charismatic leaders such as John F. Kennedy or Bill Clinton have many things in common with psychopathic murderers is, however, new for most people.

Psychopaths do appear to have several characteristics like fearlessness or craftiness that are advantageous for those who want to achieve power and prestige in our chaotic, fast-paced world. That's why several features of psychopaths can be seen even more frequently among successful politicians and executives than among convicted criminals. The Wisdom of Psychopaths addresses the fascinating question of precisely which characteristics they are, why they could be so useful, and what each of us can learn for our own advancement. In the first three chapters, you'll discover what psychopaths are like and how they differ from the rest of us.

Psychopaths are often charming and intelligent and know no fears.

Psychopaths are often charming and intelligent and know no fears. We generally associate the term psychopath with violent criminals whom we hope have all been arrested and locked up for good. But the fact is that 1% to 2% of the population could be labeled as psychopaths and by no means all of them are imprisoned or would even deserve to be. So, what is it, exactly, that makes someone a psychopath?

On the surface, psychopaths are extremely engaging most of the time. They're often very charming, good speakers and entertaining to others, all of which distracts from what's going on inside them and covers up their evil side. Given their manner, it's no surprise that so many psychopaths end up occupying high positions, becoming tenured professors, executives, surgeons and mayors. But what does the inner life of a psychopath look like?

Many of them are extremely intelligent, though they display a marked reduction in emotions like fear, shame and guilt. They are mentally agile and shrewd, yet deficient in emotional impulses. Researchers have found that psychopaths' brains exhibit abnormalities in the areas that determine emotions, which explains their reduced fear response. In situations where normal people would worry, for example, because they left the gas stove on, psychopaths stay cool and composed.

That can turn out to be an advantage because fear, as an emotion, has lost a great deal of its former significance. When people still had to fear being eaten by saber-toothed tigers, responding to dangers with intense fear was a question of life or death. Today, in a time when saber-toothed tigers aren't at the top of the list of threats and most of our fears are unjustified, the ability to not experience the paralyzing emotion of fear can mean success. Psychopaths rarely hesitate, for example, to take a risk.

If they want to do something, they simply do it without being afraid of failure, which can ultimately lead to time in prison or to powerful financial and political positions.