Professions that attract the most psychopaths

[RKP5637]

Interesting and IMO what one would expect ... at least in my experience.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/business/worklife/the-ten-jobs-that-attract-psychopaths-and-why/story-fn7j1dox-1226512127799

IF you work in a law firm, media company or police station take a look around. Slowly.

You could easily be working in the company of a psychopath, according to a new book, because psychopaths tend to gravitate towards and thrive in professions that offer power and require cutthroat decision making.

The book The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies, and Serial Killers Can Teach Us About Success has outlined the ten jobs psychopaths are most likely, and least likely, to be found in.

While most people think of psychopaths as serial killers and rapists - because most serial killers ARE psychopaths - not all psychopaths are murderous.

In the workplace, psychopaths are characterised by their attempts to try to undermine and “mentally destroy” their co-workers to feed their need for a sense of power and domination over other human beings.

Top jobs for psychopaths:

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

On the other hand, psychopaths are likely to steer clear of professions that require empathy, human interaction and feelings.

Least likely professions for psychopaths:

1. Care aide
2. Nurse
3. Therapist
4. Craftsperson
5. Beautician/Stylist
6. Charity worker
7. Teacher
8. Creative artist
9. Doctor
10. Accountant

[lalalu]

1. I believe I saw the author on The Daily Show.

He was right on the mark. He was also correct that many sociopaths/psycopaths are in professions that get the most praise and respect. They are also the ones that humans tend to admire personally in their own lives.

I have noticed over the years that some of the worst people amongst workers, families, and friends are sociopaths underneath. It is amazing to watch how they can charm and manipulate people so easily. The fact is people willingly fall prey to them because of their own weakness, greed, and vanity. They can play people like a fiddle.

[RKP5637]

2. Yep, I see this particularly in politicians and religious leaders, they often

attract flocks that follow them blindly, right or wrong. In my corporate life I've seen the tough guy admired, the CEO/director that "can make the hard decisions." ... destroying people lives, employees, customers, it did not seem to matter. I used to wonder how one could be so callous ... now in retrospect I see them not as strong wise leaders, but rather as sociopaths/psychopaths that have manipulated themselves into these power-trip controlling positions ... and sadly, a deranged capitalistic system highly rewards these sociopaths/psychopaths.

[lalalu]

5. Well said

[PATRICK]

3. So

positions by nature authoritative are refuges for abuse. Positions open only to service are bad fits. Some logic would dictate either screening(they do and not always effectively) or eliminating or changing the authoritative model/rationale wherein these weeds flourish. One element is emotional. People who are looked up to with a gut emotional warmth that is sickeningly misplaced. McCain and Ron Paul used to have fans on DU. Some CEO's commanded some fandom. So you can see how easy it is to be abused. The very rating of "respect" doled out in society is too off the beam to control the bad apples. In some cases the whole barrel is pretty moldy.

[RKP5637]

6. I've always felt politicians seeking high office should go through, somehow, a

screening with a public psychological profile as a result. Political positions IMO are ripe for attracting psychopaths/sociopaths. ... it's often the ultimate power-trip IMO. As you aptly pointed out, "The very rating of 'respect' doled out in society is too off the beam to control the bad apples. In some cases the whole barrel is pretty moldy." I think we see that well represented in the GOP, for example, one begets another until "the whole barrel is pretty moldy."

[PATRICK]

25. That happens in clergy

when suddenly a whole pal system somehow encourages a regular outbreak of abusers. Cheating the screening is endemic to already corrupted power. Where is an independent check when the "fish rots from the head"?

What is truly incredible about Christian clergy is how pointed and direct are the sayings of the Founder on the subject of the "servants of all", but the love of the position and the "life" whether the priesthood of Isis or of Jesus has a universal identification all its own. Most dedicated priesthoods have notorious records of abuse from Tibetan monks on down to pagan temples. Power, money, position equals corrupting influence that is simply not recognized much less talked about or policed. Sin is the small stuff you don't sweat for these successful, superior people who have lost much of the central purpose of the job.

[RKP5637]

28. Yes, I think that is a common thread endemic to the human psyche ... that

"Power, money, position equals corrupting influence ...." be it CEO's, Clergy, Politicians or other positions that allow massive influence and control over the flocks.

And what I've observed is there are not a small number of people that seem to like being controlled and browbeaten. Much of it is probably generational inheritance and conditioning for these behaviors.

And, as you aptly said, "Sin is the small stuff you don't sweat for these successful, superior people who have lost much of the central purpose of the job." ... for example, TV Evangelists that operate tax free as massive corporations lavishing themselves with wealth and the temples they build for themselves.

[marions ghost]

9. "looked up to with a gut emotional warmth sickeningly misplaced"

I have seen it and know it....yes they work their "fans."

It takes a lot of insight about people NOT to be taken in by these types.

We have been abused and manipulated by them at a national level. Maybe more people are seeing the psychopathy now...it is very clear once you see it. Nice people become victims.

[RKP5637]

23. Yep, I think a lot has happen since about 2000 to wake up the national awareness that there

is a lot of psychopathy in politics and religion. I think many people are now looking a bit more deeply into the BS thrown at them by some politicians and some religious leaders. Many people that are really quite nice end up with their minds warped by these types, because they are too accepting of false and controlling information ... basically brainwashing.

[The Straight Story]

4. #1 should be GOP politician ;) (nt)

[rucky]

7. Where's banker?

[RKP5637]

11. My thought too! It seems some on Wall Street and the banking/financial sectors would

fit in quite well.

[kelliekat44]

8. I know a few doctors (medical) who fit better in the first list.

[RKP5637]

10. It was interesting to see surgeons on the list. When I was in the

hospital recently some of the staff were telling me some of the surgeons are very strange. My referring dr. also specifically wanted me to see only one surgeon ... and this surgeon was a nice guy and a top surgeon. ... but apparently some surgeons are a strange breed.

[MindPilot]

12. Although it is kind of a broad brush, this is very interesting.

It ties in really well with personal observation. First one that caught my eye was "Salesperson"; after a couple of decades working at a car dealer, I never saw a sales manager who didn't fit the dictionary definition of "arrogant prick".

Also jumping right out is the "Chef" on one list and "Crafts-person" on the other. I immediately thought of the stark contrast between Chef Gordon Ramsey and Craftsman Mike Holmes. The only time anyone ever cries on Mike's show is when they thank him.

"Judge" should be right after CEO. And I'm kind of surprised that military is not on the list. I was a military kid and I served myself; there are a lot of folks that fit the definition, particularly in the higher enlisted ranks and lower O-levels.

I think it probably has more to do with environment than the actual chosen profession. For example if you ever attended Catholic school, you know that it is entirely possible to have a psychopathic teacher.

Gotta get that book...workplace personalities, and how those personalities dovetail with talents and vocations is fascinating to me.

[RKP5637]

13. In my younger years I was pretty naive, I guess. In my corporate life I thought most people

had a common thread of wanting to do what was best for the whole. However in later years, I finally realized there are some with very questionable motives/agendas that work in corporations at high levels (and many other levels.) Most of my experience is in corporate life, but I can certainly see where similar would be going on in the military. They both operate under a chain of command, etc. with power/control seekers.

[MindPilot]

14. Yes, it took me a long time after I entered the workforce to realize that wasn't true.

That it wasn't me; some people are just abusive assholes. They enjoy being abusive assholes and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. And just because someone was older than me did not automatically make them smarter.

Looking back though I can enjoy a certain amount of schadenfreude. From my 9th grade bully who ultimately drank himself to death before he made 30 to the service manager who was completely incapable of not screaming insults and went out with throat cancer, many of these people turn out to be their own worst enemy.

[RKP5637]

18. Yep, I guess maybe/hopefully there is some kind of karma in life that

what goes around comes back around.

[cali]

15. This just looks largely like bullshit to me.

Sure, I can see it in Police and though not mentioned, prison guards, but it's ridiculous to put sales people there. I'd love to see the guy's evidence.

[MindPilot]

17. Cali, I don't think it's about the college student folding jeans at the GAP.

These salespeople are the Madison Ave types, brokers, etc., not the retail people you have face to face contact with at the mall.

[baldguy]

26. MindPilot is correct: Don't think of Buffy hawking clothes at The GAP.

Think of Herb Tarlick. Or Willy Loman's brother Ben. Think of the characters in Glengarry Glen Ross. I've been dealing with people like this my whole professional life - and yes, sales is full of psychopaths.

[Romulox]

16. Doctors are sometimes psychopaths. Also, accountants?

[RKP5637]

20. They were the least likely on the list. n/t

[MindPilot]

21. I would say once an accountant becomes an "auditor"

then the PPI (Psychopathic Potential Index) goes way up.

[Romulox]

24. The big accounting firms are a huge ponzi scheme/scam. They work their accountants

like slaves, while the partners wine/dine/schmooze.

By the time they're running audits, the poor accountants are broken of spirit from working 90+ hours through tax season. That's what I observed.

[UTUSN]

19. R#6 & K for, yip they left off politicians. & the "clergy" is dead-ON.

The local radio Fundamentalist minister, who has been jerking his mouth for years calling Libs and naming OBAMA satan's seeds is now running commercials about how he really hates to OFFEND people ------- BUT ---------- he just HAS to because he’s doing the Lord’s work and the Lord tells him what to do. That Lord sure has a split personality, going around CREATING everybody and then setting half of his creations to slaughter the other half.

[RKP5637]

22. Yep, god works in mysterious ways so they say. They always have a line of

bullshit to cover their asses.

[jberryhill]

27. Not at all surprised by lawyers

I've run into more people in this profession who are in need of a rubber room than I would have ever imagined.