The Psychopath In the Office Next Door

By
Steve Williamson, VP Digital Marketing and Content, eRep, Inc.
Posted
Monday, February 3, 2025
Tags
#Employment
#Hiring
#Psychology
#Editorials
The Psychopath In the Office Next Door

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We often think psychopaths are nothing but serial killers. This is only partially true. The reality is, depending on your occupation, the nearest psychopath might be sitting in the office next door.

What is a psychopath?

Many people conflate psychopathy with sociopathy, often without realizing these are different personality disorders with their own suite of traits and characteristics.

In general, psychopathy is a personalty disorder that is characterized by impaired or absent empathy and remorse, coupled with a lack of inhibition and a strong ego and a drive to get what they want. The psychopath deftly masks their more damaging traits with superficial charm and an apparent immunity to stress.

(Sociopathy, perhaps more accurately called antisocial personality disorder, is characterized by more violent and radical changes in behavior, including a disregard for the rights and well-being of others along with zero effort to charm others as seen in the psychopath.)

How common is psychopathy?

Researchers estimate that approximately 1% of the population are psychopaths.

These individuals are not evenly distributed across all segments of society, however. Studies have shown that anywhere from 3-6% of senior level business leaders are psychopaths, for instance.

A common misconception about psychopaths is that they are all killers, serial or otherwise. This is not true, but it depends on how you look at it.

Not every psychopath is a killer, but many killers are psychopaths.

Broadly speaking, serial killers are more likely to be psychopaths while spree killers are more likely to be sociopaths.

What's interesting is that in terms of raw numbers, you're more likely to find a psychopath in the business world than in a jail cell. In fact, it's been said that the business world "is like a well-fertilized garden where psychopaths naturally take root and grow the tallest."

It has been estimated that 75% of psychopaths are male and only 25% are female.

Which occupations have the most psychopaths?

According to researchers, the ten careers with the highest proportion of psychopaths are (some of these may surprise you):

  1. CEO
  2. Lawyer
  3. Media (TV/radio)
  4. Salesperson
  5. Surgeon
  6. Journalist
  7. Police officer
  8. Clergy
  9. Chef
  10. Civil servant

If you work with or for a psychopath, how can you tell? There is actually a spectrum of traits that determine the level of psychopathy in an individual. Here is a list of behaviors and behavior patterns that psychopaths often have. The more behaviors exhibited by that individual, the more likely they fit into a psychopath's profile.

  • Public humiliation of others (high propensity of having temper tantrums or ridiculing work performance)
  • Malicious spreading of lies (intentionally deceitful)
  • Remorseless, devoid of guilt
  • Frequently lie to push one's own point
  • Exaggerated bodily expressions (yawning, sneezing, etc.) as a means of gaining attention
  • Rapidly shift between emotions so as to manipulate people or cause high anxiety
  • Intentionally isolate others from organizational resources
  • Quick to blame others for mistakes or for incomplete work even though they themselves are guilty
  • Encourage co-workers to torment, alienate, harass, and/or humiliate other peers
  • Take credit for others' accomplishments
  • Steal and/or sabotage other peoples' work
  • Refuse to take responsibility for misjudgments or errors
  • Respond inappropriately to stimuli, such as with a high-pitched and forced laugh
  • Threaten any perceived enemy with discipline and/or job loss in order to taint their employee file
  • Set unrealistic and unachievable job expectations to set subordinates up for failure
  • Refuse or are reluctant to attend meetings with more than one person in attendance
  • Refuse to provide adequate training or instructions to a singled-out victim
  • Invade the personal space and privacy of others
  • Have multiple sexual encounters with other employees
  • Develop new ideas without real follow-through
  • Very self-centered and extremely egotistical (often conversation revolves around them)
  • Often "borrow" money or items without any intentions of giving it back
  • Will do whatever it takes to close the deal (no regard for ethics or legality)

Are you hiring psychopaths?

The wording of job descriptions and job listings plays a big part in the kind of candidates that apply. Studies have shown that the way a job advertisement is phrased can dissuade whole sectors of otherwise qualified candidates from applying. The most common form of this is gender bias, but other wording can push away qualified minority candidates.

Could your job listings be inadvertently drawing the attention of psychopaths?

Do you include lines in your employment listings such as, "The ideal candidate will do everything it takes to succeed in their role"?

To job listings like that, the psychopathic candidate readily says, "Yes, I will!"

It has also been shown that psychopaths have an edge during job interviews. They are master manipulators and emulate the behavior and emotions of others to further their own desires. At the corporate level, psychopaths make distinctly positive impressions for this reason.

One possible "tell" of psychopaths in business is they are highly charming to those who can help them, while being dismissive or even mean to those who can do them no good such as peers or subordinates.

One of the biggest contributing factors to why psychopaths are so adept at winning over hiring organizations, especially during interviews, is their willingness and skill at lying.

It's easy to hire someone who always seems to say exactly the right thing.

Another reason why psychopaths tend to do well as job candidates is they shift their behavior, words and actions to make first impressions that keep paying [their] dividends. (Their true nature eventually shows through, especially to peers or subordinates, however.)

What if you work with a psychopath?

Psychopaths, because of the reasons stated previously, can actually be high achievers. Just like any candidate, they may be highly qualified and well suited to their role. Their ego can drive them to achieve great things, they just won't reach their success in humble silence. In some occupations, psychopathy can actually make someone a bit more suited to it than their non-psychopathic peers.

The downside of working with psychopaths is the increased risk they will figuratively step on others to get what they want. Their charm likely won't be genuine and it will often be highly situational. Hopefully they are not in a role that requires genuine empathy for others because the psychopath can only fake it.

Finally, be aware that psychopaths don't waste any energy or time lifting up those around them — unless it helps them achieve their own goals. Their leadership style can change and even be highly transactional. They won't scratch your back unless you scratch theirs first.

It is important to note that many psychopaths are completely unaware of their condition.

Can psychopathy be cured?

No. There currently are no qualified treatments for psychopathy, which is a personality disorder, not a mental illness. Some treatment methods can be effective at addressing particular behaviors, but the underlying traits of the disorder will remain.

See also...

Psychopathy in the workplace (Wikipedia)


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Steve Williamson

Steve Williamson

Innovator/Banker - VP Digital Marketing and Content, eRep, Inc.

Steve has a career in project management, software development and technical team leadership spanning three decades. He is the author of a series of fantasy novels called The Taesian Chronicles (ruckerworks.com), and when he isn't writing, he enjoys cycling, old-school table-top role-playing games, and buzzing around the virtual skies in his home-built flight simulator.

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