Are you a full-blown psychopath or moderate?

The word psychopath inevitably brings Hollywood villains to mind. Like Hannibal Lecter. Or spectacular serial killers. But psychopathic traits lie on a spectrum that ranges from weak to strong, and we’re all somewhere on that scale. Most people score around 10 percent and admit it, you’d cheat if you thought you’d get away with it, wouldn’t you?

Above 75 percent and you’re probably already in jail. And we all know people who score something in the middle. The bullying boss. The guy who’s forever taking advantage of his friends.

You’ve probably met some actual psychopaths without realising it, because they look quite normal and can be charming. But they lack empathy and lie or manipulate without feeling guilt, remorse or regret.

Like the hard-working businessman who seems quite normal. Except for endless marital infidelities, callousness, wild drinking and risk-taking.

But alongside their lack of regard for others, psychopaths also tend to be bold. Socially dominant, emotionally resilient, and comfortable taking risks. Fearlessly interacting with other people, highly assertive, not easily intimidated, even dominant. Bold people readily use soft influence tactics, leadership and team skills, and are never passive managers. They also find it easy to schmooze with people and then go on to use them.

And so mid-level psychopaths excel in leadership positions. Because the world values people who can perform under pressure and make difficult decisions. They’ll tend to be egocentric, remorseless and lack self-doubt or self-blame. While also being charming, poised and calm.

You might call them ‘successful psychopaths’ and a lot of them become managers and politicians

Even the way that executive job adverts describe their ideal candidate actively attracts people with psychopathic traits.

That’s because many of the characteristics seen in successful psychopaths, such as charm, cool decisiveness, and a powerful sense of self-worth, are seen as leadership skills. So successful psychopaths get actively selected for corporate and political positions.

Modern social trends also have a big effect. Like you can’t get away with anything in a small village, so antisocial behaviours are rare.

It’s much easier for psychopaths to succeed in a big city. Transparency and accountability keep them in check, while secrecy and impunity do the reverse. Hence the behaviour of Wall Street bankers and politicians, who lack accountability and live in a secret world of their own.

The chance to make a vast fortune is another powerful reason to behave selfishly. Extreme wealth not only damages society because it corrupts but also because it isolates. The rich and powerful really don’t care what the rest of us think.
However, the fact remains that possessing mid-level psychopathic traits leads to success. And the same traits can also make people into heroes. So first responders tend to score highly on psychopath tests, including fearless dominance and boldness.
Psychopaths are always portrayed as evil villains, but if you have the same traits in moderation, you’re very likely to become a successful leader. Or even a hero.