Can You Guess Which Profession Has the Most Psychopaths?

iVillage ^ | October 31, 2013 | Kiki Van Son

[rightwingintelligentsia]

We’re all a teensy bit mad, but how many true psychopaths do we have among us? Apparently, more than you think.

“Psychopathy is a personality disorder that has been variously described as characterized by shallow emotions (in particular reduced fear), stress tolerance, lacking empathy, coldheartedness, lacking guilt, egocentricity, superficial character, manipulativeness, irresponsibility, impulsivity, and antisocial behaviors such as parasitic lifestyle and criminality,” explains Eric Barker, in The Week.

Now, think about all the people who might fit that description. Then, compare it to the list psychologist Kevin Dutton compiled in The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies, and Serial Killers Can Teach Us About Success. Here are the 10 most likely professions for psychopaths and the 10 least likely.

[elcid1970]

It may have been “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” but I’m not sure.

Wherever an old cowhand was mentoring a new arrival to the frontier.

[BunnySlippers]

Two of the strangest people I know are psychiatrists. I keep wondering if they got into the field to figure out what is wrong with them.

[Conan the Librarian]

““Psychopathy is a personality disorder that has been variously described as characterized by shallow emotions (in particular reduced fear), stress tolerance, lacking empathy, coldheartedness, lacking guilt, egocentricity, superficial character, manipulativeness, irresponsibility, impulsivity, and antisocial behaviors such as parasitic lifestyle and criminality,”

Sounds like my daughter. Seriously!

[pallmallman]

My first guess is politicians.

[MrB]

Describes addicts to a ‘t’ as well.

[rightwingextremist1776]

Bumped into more than a few nut jobs in my years.....it becomes a self defense mechanism.

[Gay State Conservative]

Lawyers....politicians....union leaders...college faculty....government paycheck recipients.

[Gay State Conservative]

Ooops...forgot “community organizers”.

[Gay State Conservative]

Saints,spies and serial killers eh? First of all there are two kinds of spies...those that work for democratic,free,civilized nations (US,Canada,Britain,etc,etc) and those that work for dangerous,oppressive nations (Russia and China,among *many* others).One group is decent,honorable and respectable,the others are psychopaths.

Another issue....lumping saints in with serial killers? Apart from the ability to walk upright what,of note,could those two groups *possibly* have in common? I say...absolutely nothing.

[Bigg Red]

Okay, thanks. Not much of a movie person — and I haven’t seen “Liberty Valance” — but every time I hear that quote I am curious.

Coincidentally, the husband just bought some deep discount DVDs recently. One of them is a compendium of old John Wayne movies. Haven’t watched them yet, and I don’t really know what is on them.