A job guide for psychopaths
It’s time to discuss psychopathy again! 
The modern name is “antisocial personality disorder.”
Sometimes, the OLD ways are the best! 😉
The frequency of psychopaths in the general population is about 1%, “…making it unlikely that you are working with one or a group of psychopaths,” according to SFGate.com. However, given the number of people that each of us has met or known in our lives, we each probably have met SOME!
And I know where….
The psychologist Kevin Dutton has written about jobs that are likely to attract psychopaths, in his book, The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies, and Serial Killers Can Teach Us About Success. The follow jobs, according to Dutton’s research, are MOST likely to attract psychpaths:
1. Chief Executive Officer
2. Lawyer
3. Media (Television/Radio)
4. Salesperson
5. Surgeon
6. Journalist
7. Police officer
8. Clergy person
9. Chef
10. Civil servant
The Huffington Post blogger, Eric Barker, notes that these professions “…”require an ability to make objective, clinical decisions divorced from feelings.” Thus traits that define psychpaths are ALSO traits that can make people successful in the workplace.
Psychopathy is an often misdiagnosed mental disorder that is characterized by amoral or antisocial behavior, lack of ability to make emotional bonds and extremely egocentric, according to the Journal of Abnormal Psychology.
While there are plenty of negatives, The Smithsonian Magazine points out psychopaths typically have some useful traits for the modern world and for the business world.
“Psychopaths don’t procrastinate,” the magazine reported. “Psychopaths tend to focus on the positive. Psychopaths don’t take things personally; they don’t beat themselves up if things go wrong, even if they’re to blame. And they’re pretty cool under pressure.”
A story in Time Magazine described a 2010 study of 203 corporate professions who were selected for management training. The study, which was conducted by psychologist and executive coach, Paul Babiak, found that one in 25 bosses may be psychopaths (i.e., there is a FOUR-FOLD enrichment for psychopaths in management, as compared with the general population, by the “unnatural selection” that occurs in corporations.
The Guardian reported Babiak’s survey suggests “psychopaths are actually poor managerial performers but are adept at climbing the corporate ladder because they can cover up their weaknesses by subtly charming superiors and subordinates.”
That is what I have observed, as well. But “sucking up” to “superiors” is the time-dishonored method of getting ahead in corporations…! 😉
Dutton found the LOWEST frequency of psychopaths in the following professions (please note that, generally, the PAY SCALE is MUCH lower!):
1. Care aide
2. Nurse
3. Therapist
4. Craftsperson
5. Beautician or stylist
6. Charity worker
7. Teacher
8. Creative artist
9. Doctor
10. Accountant
-Bill at
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