Oo, have you also chosen the career path of a psychopath? Maybe it's time to rethink.
Each of us has already found ourselves at the point where we called our colleague or colleague "crazy", "impossible"! But does your job actually attract true psychopaths? In the book The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies, and Serial Killers Can Teach Us About Successwith the author Kevin Dutton explains that they exist jobs that can attract true psychopaths – and also the jobs for which they are least likely to do so.
It's important to note that a psychopath isn't necessarily the type of person who kills (although you may feel that way at times in the office). In fact, psychopaths only - and usually - emotions and empathy are lacking or the ability to identify with others. Dutton says that “many psychopathic characteristics are actually more common in corporate executives than in so-called disturbed criminals—characteristics such as superficial charm, self-centeredness, persuasiveness, lack of empathy, independence, and focus.”
"Functional Psychopaths," as Dutton calls them, "they use their independent, uncompromising and charismatic personality to succeed in society." In other words, psychopaths often live like normal people with a few traits that make them different.
So which jobs are most attractive to psychopaths? Scroll down to see the top 10 career choices of psychopaths, ranked in ascending order of popularity.
10. Civil servant
According to Dutton, being a public servant is the tenth most popular career choice for psychopaths. In fact, in 2014 UK government officials were considering recruiting psychopaths with the intention of maintaining order, as they were supposed to be "very good in crisis situations", "they have no feelings for others, no moral code and are usually very intelligent and logical".
9. The cook
Most psychopaths don't want to harm others, so don't worry if the cooks have access to open flames and knives. Psychopaths thrive in chaos where other people can give up, which may be one reason they do so well in a hectic environment like the kitchen.
8. Cleric
In the paper for Psychology Today FBI veteran Joe Navarro explained some of the reasons why psychopaths may start careers as clerics. Among them is the fact that religious organizations can provide people with the means to exploit others, while at the same time giving legitimacy to such actions. It is also easy to make acquaintances in this profession, which can give manipulative people an advantage in accessing sensitive information.
7. Policeman
Psychopaths don't necessarily have ulterior motives. One of their characteristics is that they can be calm even under the worst stress. Police officers have a very intense and dangerous job, so the ability to keep calm in a crisis situation is welcome. This could be why law enforcement is a popular career choice for psychopaths.
6. Journalist
Dutton lists some traits of psychopaths as charm, focus, ruthlessness and action - all useful in journalism, especially when you have tight deadlines and need to get answers as quickly as possible.
5. The surgeon
A study published in the journal The Bulletin of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, wanted to find out if surgeons really are psychopaths. The results showed that consultants in teaching hospitals scored higher on the psychopathic personality scale than consultants in district general hospitals, who still scored higher than the general population. The possible reasons given by the authors in their discussion are that it is "immunity to stress is the main personality trait of doctors", as surgeons have to make quick and difficult decisions every day.
4. Seller
A psychopath who works in sales, probably exhibits traits such as shameless self-promotion, stealing other people's contacts, a relentless desire to make as much money as possible, and an inability to work as a team. Depending on how your organization operates, this could be your worst nightmare or a dream candidate.
3. Media person on television or radio
Some psychopaths also exhibit narcissism, which is undoubtedly beneficial in a job that requires a lot of public attention. This profession could also be popular among psychopaths because, as a TV presenter or radio personality, you need to remain calm under pressure.
2. A lawyer
Author ME Thomas, a self-proclaimed sociopath, in the book Confessions of a Sociopath: A Life Spent Hiding In Plain Sight, claims that her sociopath traits helped her become a better lawyer. In a post on Psychology Today attorney Ruth Lee Johnson says that while psychopathic traits like confidence, coolness, and charm come in handy for lawyers, these traits alone aren't enough.
1. Director
Psychopaths have something called “resistance to chaos”. This doesn't just mean they stay calm under stress - sometimes they create stress for everyone else by making themselves look good when everyone around them is struggling. Some psychopaths can use this method to climb the career ladder all the way to the top. Others are not necessarily so manipulative and reach the top with their skills alone.
But for those of you who want to avoid psychopaths at all costs, here it is a list of professions that psychopaths choose the least often.
1. Caregiver
2. Nurse
3. Therapist
4. Craftsman
5. Beautician / stylist
6. Charity worker
7. Teacher
8. Creative artist
9. The doctor
10. Accountant
