How to spot a psychopath at work

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3579402.stm

by ivenkys • 16 years ago

13 10 16 years ago

news.bbc.co.uk

Tichy• 16 years ago

Doesn't say how.

The previous article I am speaking of (can't recall) spoke of how psychopaths can be totally emotionless when you describe their crimes to them. They cannot put themselves in the shoes of their victims. One way of getting them to confess was actually running down their achievements, comparing them to a well-known serial killer.

In some cases, this ploy succeeded and the suspect admitted to several murders that the police did not know of , or had not linked to the suspect. The need for attention, or to show off was so great.

The above post seems to refer to sub-clinical psychopaths. Its something we should _not_ be trying to judge - perhaps - we could land up judging normal people as psychopaths, since such methods of judgment _could_be_ error-prone, subjective and may not apply to people from different cultures or upbringing.

uiythgfb• 16 years ago

I am a psychopath and the drumming down of my achievements would not work on me. I don't hurt others to show off, I do it for my own satisfaction.

You're probably thinking of low-functioning sociopaths, the ones who commit serial murders and get caught. Those people probably do need to show off.

My style is more to post an ad on Craigslist looking for prostitutes, find the real names of the women who respond, and then twirl them around my finger as I threaten to tell their family and friends (and then tell them anyways).

Posting on websites like this is about as much as I need to show off.

crazydiamond2• 16 years ago

It really doesn't say much -- very successful .. manipulative .. no emotion .. the last 2 are quite subjective, quite common too.

There was an article on this topic some time back. Much more elaborate. Someone had done many years of study and came out with the conclusion that there are a large number of psychopaths. Even at home we could have relatives who are "sub-clinical psychopaths". He devised a test, but iirc, he advised others not to follow it, or to take its results seriously. However, it seems people have been using it while recruiting.

j_baker2• 16 years ago

That's the nature of the human mind. Everything is highly subjective. Until somebody invents an objective way to diagnose someone as being mentally ill it's what we have to work with.

arethuza• 16 years ago

I can recommend "The Sociopath Next Door":

http://www.amazon.com/Sociopath-Next-Door-Martha-Stout/dp/07...

pohl• 16 years ago

The audio book version is well done, too.

j_baker2• 16 years ago

Narcissistic and takes credit from other people. Sounds like the arch-typical PHB to me.

mamute• 16 years ago

I once got a new manager and found that he is a psycho. So I loose my job and other managers started loosing her jobs because of his manipulation. This story did not ended yet.

known• 16 years ago

The core of a sociopath—no empathy, no conscience and desiring only power, control and sex.

http://www.lovefraud.com/blog/2010/05/10/what-sociopaths-wan...

How to spot a psychopath at work

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