Are you a Psychopath (Trust me it may be good for you)

The word psychopath conjures a very fixed set of images in our head.  A  criminal mastermind, who gives in to his basic animal instincts with scant regard to morality and convention? The very mention of the word invokes strong and extreme reactions from everyone. The media and movies have ensured that this word has achieved much notoriety, but have you ever wondered,  what is a Psychopath, how does he think, what is his neural network and is there anything we can learn from this type of individual?

Kevin Dutton in his book “The wisdom of Psychopaths “tries to answer some of these very questions and gives us a sneak peek in minds of criminally insane and slow-pulsed overachievers. At the outset let me say a word about the headline, personally, the moment I heard about the book, I had to read it. The dichotomy of the name itself was enough to attract me to find out more. Though at times technical, there are enough lessons for all of us to reflect and think about.

They might sting us but they also can save our lives, either way, they have something to teach us. One of the first concepts that we are introduced to is something called the vulnerability radar as if the psychopath can correctly identify and detect the vulnerability in the other person. They know what they want with absolute clarity, is it a good power to have; I leave it to your judgement.

The ability to regulate your emotions so that they do not come in way of your work is another trait. A neurosurgeon, for example, is cheating death above the snowline of your brain he cannot afford to feel compassionate for his patient. He has to go about his business in the most dispassionate way.

The most striking aspect that differentiates the psychopaths from the general population is the approach towards risk. People are pathologically risk-averse; however, for a psychopath, it is not so. If there is a reward to be achieved In the end he will go for it. This not only gives them a competitive edge but most of the time they are predisposed to make better decisions even financial decisions. In fact, the author goes on to say that the trading floor is one of the best places to find such psychopaths.

A heightened sense of risk will cause higher levels of anxiety and cause us to hyperventilate, but., for the psychopath it is not so. He is most relaxed in times of danger. In fact, a psychopath will have lower than normal pulse rate in risky and dangerous situations. The analogy of a cobra describes these individuals. They will attack with focus and ferociously at the same time they are in complete control of their emotions. Here we see a cold meditative focus where one reaches a different level of consciousness and becomes one with the task at hand.

We are not talking about classical textbook courage, where we feel fear but stand our ground. This is a basic difference in biology and brain circuitry where the individual does not feel fear at all.

Our personality is made up of many components, most of the experts agree that the basic colours that make the canvas of our personality are called the big five factors. 

The presence of each of these traits in some degree or other goes on to define what kind of person you are. I would strongly recommend that you do an online self-assessment to see what kind of person you are. Psychopaths score high on conscientiousness and low on neuroticism. This translates into high levels of competence and low levels of anxiety. I am sure that you can think of many situations where these might be useful.

As you will see that many of these qualities are of immense value if you are in a high octane job, be it military, business, or the world of high finance. A low-risk aversion and lack of guilt will give you a good career in crime, business or maybe both. In fact, the author goes on to say that wherever in an organisation you have your status define your control over people or material gain you will find a psychopath.

In the edges of our society, some professions entail making difficult decisions. You will be questioned by your belief systems and your sense of right and wrong. Be it a battlefield or a boardroom you will have to make a choice between two evils. How will you react? As humans, we are programmed to groupthink and follow convention. Here is where a psychopath stands out as an uncontrolled minority. He will have no qualms about making difficult decisions. He will not step off the pedal and keep his nerve no matter what. He will win too, most of the time. He will also make better decisions especially when stakes are high and some benefit is involved. Risk-takers, rule breakers and heart breakers all rolled in one that is a psychopath for you.

However, studies have shown that only optimum levels of psychopathic traits are desirable. Those having moderate levels of such traits have been found to excel in their chosen profession including crime. This brings us to the concept of a functional psychopath who uses his powers in a particular context only accompanied by good decision-making skills. The functional psychopath is wise enough to use his traits when the situation demands, unlike the pure psychopath who just cannot switch off.

We are summarised by the qualities that the author has been able to find in common with high performers in the business, finance and also a crime. He has given them as seven deadly wins. They are ruthlessness, charm, focus, mental toughness, fearlessness mindfulness and action. Ruthlessly, remorselessly and relentlessly they will go about their business. The line between a hero and a villain seems to blur as both have the same neural office in your head. It is finally your choice of how you use these gifts. Something like a fire if used properly it can give you warmth, out of control it will burn your house down.

 

Lastly, we are introduced to the concept of super sanity where psychopaths and saints are in more than one ways similar. Many of the psychopathic attributes are in the stoic thinkers. Like living in an altered state of awareness, fearlessness, and being heroic. These qualities make you give your best they help you bounce back after every failure. Fearlessness and focus are elements in both psychopathy and spiritual acumen. We need to find the ability to make ourselves go in an altered state of flow or the zone where your past and future evaporate. All that remains is present which is attention devouring and consumes our mind body and soul. A performance trance-like state, where there are effortless action and reaction. The hero along with the psychopath resides inside all of us to some extent. At some point in life, you will face situations where the hero inside you will be called upon. Will, you be afraid of what others think? Will you be able to put your neck online? Are you going to make the decision to let him out?

 

These particular skill sets are like a double-edged sword to be used with great skill, used with an ethical frame of mind you stand to gain at many situations that life throws on you. Let us become the warrior from the victim without turning into a villain.

If you; dear reader find the qualities of a psychopath inside you, Then I would hope that you put these into good use. Using them contextually, to excel in your chosen field and to be the hero we all need sometimes. On the other hand, if you feel that these qualities do not resonate with who you are, then maybe adding a few strands of psychopathic traits in the fabric of life will surely go a long way in you achieving success and being better than who you are.