Why do people choose psychopaths as leaders? Ask a Psychopath

We all know someone with psychopathy.
psychopathyis.org/
/ psychopathyis
But few know the truth about it. We’re helping change that… by helping you know the signs. Know about treatment options and resources. And know you’re not alone.
James Fallon is a professor of neuroscience at University of California at Irvine, and the author of the book The Psychopath Inside. He considers himself a "prosocial psychopath."
He joins us today on zoom to discuss what it is like to be psychopathic.

[@BecomeConsciousNow]

Sadly it's TRUE. A lot of Psychopaths are leaders because people admire their fearlessness. Fearlessness is like a heroic personality trait that makes people "safe" around these people. However, unfortunately what people forget is that Psychopaths don't feel guilt or shame like we do and they will "logically" do what is best for "them" without any consideration for other people. Which can cause absolute devastation for a lot of people and even death, which the Psychopath will feel "No" guilt for!!

[@nugget6635]

You seem to think that psychopaths are always egotistical or narcissists but that's not the case at all. But all psychopaths do follow what they think is more logical so for example a psychopath will definitely do whatever it takes to solve whatever problem they basically have a "ends justify the means" mentality. They really do think the end always justify the means.

[@tturing5698]

TRue here there might also be an issue of how highly things like highly developed skills that include understanding and fllowing legislation. In the US where these things are not highly valued, but where fearlessness and showmanship to "rally people with razzla dazzle" then psychopathic traits gets highly valued. And then well look at how the US budgets and the general disregard for legal stipulations are often ignored, and in part because also so many of them get broken and crossed everywhere. It seems like a selffulfilling prophecy. "Everything is a mess. People feel unsafe and unvalued. Ho do we solve it? Well we get someone who doesn't feel overwhelmed by the mess, someone who is bold and has showmanship" and the next thing that happens is Trump as president. It is simply a cause of this cycle going national

[@cloudsephiroth5382]

@@nugget6635 - You literally just repeated what Ryan H said. These people do whatever they do with zero regard for the well-being of others. That puts others in serious danger, always. Enough said.

[@glad777]

I am not really sure why guilt, empathy or shame are good things? They just seem like mental disorders to me. I do not really think they are real anyway except guilt maybe which leads to the others. I understand that people are conditioned into those things they just confuse me as I lack them. I really think empathy is made up, maybe a symptom go guilt? I am not really sure. Shame seems like it might be the same thing as empathy a symptom of guilt. I have Asperger's and I am somewhat psychopathic as well as I lack all of the above as well. I have only been diagnosed with Asperger's but not with psychopathy. I would always rather deal with psychopaths vs sociopaths who enjoy wreaking havoc and destruction.

[@followersofadolfhitler81]

​@@glad777 Just one question. Are you explosive?

[@emmanuelwood8702]

It's the fact that psychopathy looks like confidence to normal people.

[@CarterSams]

“It sounds like I’m not afraid of anything. I’m afraid of the boogeyman. You know, you’re always looking at what’s inside is what you’re…what you’re afraid of.” I’m hearing…the only thing I’m afraid of, is other people like me.

[@Spazticspaz]

u destroy a demon u must become 1 or be a hybrid...

[@MultiA3b]

Good explanation why the world is such a mess.

[@jonathankey1533]

This mad man mentality would be extremely useful in tribal times. I can see why it would evolve

[@Stellarainn]

Lol

[@divestedkonservativekarame4269]

I know all about this. Because my mom's a psychopath. And that people always try and put her as a leader of something. Because people are dumb. And when people are dumb they need to be led by someone who will lead them with a strong hand basically and most people need to be led. So that's just how that works.

[@KpxUrz5745]

Excellent comment. I especially like your conclusion that "people are dumb". So much of our social and political dysfunction is attributable to that fact.

[@No-xs1no]

They are insecure and want to live through someone "confident". My mother is also a psycho.

[@rhrh9128]

Because no one knows they are psychopaths. Good people assume there is a brave heart, not a cold stone, under those ribs, and wisdom in the mind, not charming lies spun to achieve power and dominance. Psychopaths rule because of everyone else's ignorance and naivete, and the lies told to justify the horrors perpetrated. We are all in shock, and denial and live a Stockholm syndrome.

[@hillarybillary21]

You forgot that most humans are pleasure seekers and lazy.

[@dontarguewithidiots7459]

well put. normies like me who would LOOOOVE to live without fear assume there is bravery under there

[@chrism4762]

He seems to (purposely) act as if he honestly doesn't consider the well being of others when his therapist or psychologist explains that he is exerting psychopathy. Very suddle and elusive. Most people would over look it when their guys kicked in because of being overwhelmed by the charm and the intensity/speed of the interaction. Kind of like a sensory overload and disbelief.😅

[@momoanders6036]

He said in the interview he's very transparent with his diagnose ... did you even listen or are you just here to make yourself feel morally superior?

[@kaleihaokamekona7894]

This guy has mastered the art of word salad. He manipulates and mind-f*€ks anyone and everyone he speaks to.

[@George-he4ug]

That's how you know he's one

[@emmy-kz1pj]

Yeah I know. He looks so straight forward but what comes out of his mouth is anything but. I couldn't be friends with this guy; you'd always be looking for the intention with everything he said. The psychopath lawyer lady speaks completely differently.

[@emmy-kz1pj]

If his friends already know his a psychopath and accept it, then he can afford to speak his mind much more than he does

[@No-xs1no]

​@@emmy-kz1pjbut she contradicts herself, like they usually do.

[@rustydemz7919]

They make the best CEO's...they don't give a shit about other humans.

[@theboujeelife9837]

Not all! Dan Price def has empathy for his employees!

[@1970joedub]

Lawyers, surgeons, CEOs are examples of some of the careers the psychopaths are drawn to.

[@Evil_Morty2000]

@@1970joedub also cops

[@TomeRodrigo]

And we don't give a shit about them.

[@HiddenWen]

In the case of surgeons, a necessary evil. Sometimes, only a cold-blooded person can perform the operations needed to save lives. Everything else? It's just for their benefit.@@1970joedub

[@bristolcorvid8894]

Rambling, self-involved nonsense. A perfect word salad out of this man. Patrick Teahan, Jay Reid Dr. Les Carter, and Dr. Ramani all offer free, professional, and well thought-out commentary.

[@Spazticspaz]

He is a professor of neuroscience, he is not offering anything other than his personal experience as a psychopath.

[@user-px8fx3jt6s]

There is a big difference between being genial and confident in social situations, and constructive leadership. The fact that someone is friendly and intelligent does not mean that that person is ethical and cares about other people or the common good. People pay too much attention to appearance and not to the content of what people say. Personal charm is deceptive in psychopaths, it is a tool to convince you to do something that is in their interest only. When you listen to what they actually say it does not have the conviction of a person who truly cares about other people. Often it takes a little while to see that a psychopath's actions do not reflect their presentation and notice their manipulation. In many situations a lot of damage can be done quickly by a psychopath.

[@deeplover3359]

my friend is a psychopath but he’s like a criminal type he’s always tryna rob someone n shit like that

[@majorcoats7777]

If you're still friends with him then you are a fool. Cut your losses if you haven't already.

[@xxxcxxx2253]

I'm wondering what the ASPD spectrum really looks like, assuming there is a spectrum. One of the chief aspects of Psycopathy is lack of remorse. However, what are you labeled as when you exhibit dark triad traits yet CAN feel empathy and DO feel fear? Everytime I learn of these conditions it is so black and white. However, humans are not. There has to be a whole group of people missing from studies that can feel empathy. People that can feel fear but for the sake of self preservation. "Safe" thrill seekers if you must. "Dark Empath" is pretty new, I'm glad it is finally being talked about.

[@heresjohnny602]

ASPD and psychopathy aren't synonymous. Your confusing them as one of the same.

[@teesense5502]

I’ve noticed that people like putting things into buckets. So if you meet a certain person on a certain day if they feel a particular way, you can get “misclassified”. Misclassified by a person who probably ISN’T an expert in that area, which can hurt or cause misunderstandings/confusion. Knowledge is power, and the more you know… you know.

[@nugget6635]

The Dark Empath is basically someone who can empathize however even though it's possible the Dark Emapth still despises people. The Dark Empath is an empath that despises others EVEN THOUGH he understands the feelings of others. In other words the Dark Empath does know how people feel but kind of hates people anyway. Contrary to popular belief many Dark Empaths were proven to have affective empathy as well however they still despised such feelings because they despised the same feelings within themselves. Therefore self-despise = despising others through empathy = Dark Empath.

[@donato286]

I know what you mean about black and white. It certainly seemed that way to me when I first started learning about personalities and personality disorders, but I've come to learn that mental health professionals don't interpret it that way. I've since come to observe the world through the framework of intersectionality. Each descriptive word we use to describe ourselves and others is a spectrum visually represented as a set (Venn diagram). When you overlap various sets that describe you, they intersect (hence the name of the framework) to a lesser or a greater degree, and you are defined by where the overlap is. In that way, you get a variety that goes to show, even in the case of psychopaths, that apart from some obviously similar patterns (descriptive sets that they may share), they all are not the same persons because of other different sets that may be attributable to each one of them individually.

[@tomaszsosnowski9279]

An empath is just a neurotic narcissistic...

[@KaptifLaDistillerie]

You're so wholesome and full of kindness for a psychopath, which is not what 99% of people (the ones that are not psychopaths) would expect. I recognized myself a lot in what you said and I've been questioning myself to know if I am indeed a psychopath, how can I tell ?

[@luna-mo3ol]

To tell if you're a Psychopath, do you feel any emotion at all? Because I feel like that's usually a tell tale sign, because Psychopaths feel no emotion or empathy.

[@emmy-kz1pj]

Look up the diagnostic criteria in the latest DSM book and ask a psychologist or psychiatrist if unsure

[@majorcoats7777]

​@@luna-mo3olthey do feel emotions, just not the private ones. They feel public emotions like shame, because they are narcissists.

[@luna-mo3ol]

@@majorcoats7777 I know. I really meant emotions like empathy, sadness, joy etc.

[@aaroningl]

Clown picture bottom left of the camera...

[@JoshxIZ]

😮

[@divestedkonservativekarame4269]

Not all psychopaths are extroverts. Like some are introverts. But they can be introverted. And basically when they're extroverted they are basically a mask. So their true self is an introvert. But they're fake self is basically like the side they show others basically.

[@chillywilly4126]

Because they don’t know that they are psychopaths and don’t understand psychopathy. If they did, they would never choose them as leaders.

[@divestedkonservativekarame4269]

As an outsider personally to me that this is I think what kind of has made me feel a little bit like you know lack I guess respect for certain types of people. I mean just think of it and spend most of your life with people holding a certain person up as their personal leader or someone they look up to. And that person be pissing on them all day. Like calling them all kinds of names saying they're inferior types of people and all the stuff. It makes you you that person that specifically the dumbest person ever. But I don't feel that they're the dumbest because I mean there's a lot of people who are dumb.

[@emmy-kz1pj]

There's a lot of other personality traits which are precious other than intelligence. For instance good values and a kind heart. Most people would much rather be friends with someone who is caring. Just considering people as dumb is just reducing people to their level of intellect only. I think it's either a bad habit or certain types of people who tend to want to categorise people in this way

[@KpxUrz5745]

I've seen a number of his videos. I find him thoroughly likable, and I do not find his comments unreasonable or abnormal. So, really, because I haven't heard any real life examples of any of his errant behaviors, I am still waiting to be shown why he is deemed a psychopath.

[@luna-mo3ol]

Because he's essentially masking. Internally, he does not actually care about how he acts or talks, he just does it to appear likeable because he understands that's the social standard. That's the thing, psychopaths can appear very very normal because they're good at adapting. That doesn't mean they genuinely mean or feel what they're saying.

[@blem1.1]

You expect a psychopath to be truthful? What is the essence of this interview ?

[@petemccutchen3266]

Visually this would be a better video if he had closed the door over his left shoulder.

[@serendptyhere5023]

I don't mind the door but I hate the music

[@amyapplegate4356]

Terrible audio. Can the music.

[@false_fruits2999]

Psycho comes from a latin root meaning mind. Pathos refers to suffering. Rather than judging these individuals. Try to empathize with the part of human existence they themselves miss out on.

[@viviennepastor3188]

Sorry I can’t stand them. I can pick them a mile off. I just stay as far away from them as possible or get a new job.

[@emmy-kz1pj]

How can you pick them?

[@Shoreliners.1090]

Psychopaths see the world in 2D. They don't have the capacity of 3D like normal people.. hence why they make really dumb decisions and revert to crime.. end up in jail. They seem so entitled in their 2D vision.. they just fail to comprehend the rest of the world is seeing life with empathy (3D).

[@cristinachaliandroi1369]

Cause they genuinely dont care Simple

[@snitsnot]

Vlad the impaler...

[@divestedkonservativekarame4269]

That doesn't really sound like true psychopathy to me. Usually Psychopaths will manipulate other people. They don't expect to be manipulated themselves. Like that's one of their biggest pet peeves. At least in my experience.

[@ronswansonsdog2833]

Oh my god stop. It’s one long rambling sentence for five minutes.

[@deeplover3359]

my friend is a psychopath but he’s like a criminal type he’s always tryna rob someone n shit like that

[@laitarianplayz8080]

Same

[@kwamemeloy1070]

🤣