A mysterious manuscript led journalist Jon Ronson into the heart of the “madness industry,” where he talked to some of the top psychologists and neurologists who study psychopaths.
Ronson’s investigation introduced him to a researcher with an interesting idea: that murderous criminals and corporate executives share many of the same psychological traits.
The main difference is that psychopathic criminals are labeled as emotionally disturbed, whereas corporate psychopaths are praised as good leaders. For example, consider how the impulsivity of a serial killer might, in a corporate setting, look like quick analysis. Or how lack of remorse can be valuable in a competitive corporate environment.
To be sure, serial-killer psychopaths ruin families. But Ronson began to wonder about the existence of these corporate psychopaths, who make up as much as 4 percent of the corporate work world.
Do you think you’ve worked with someone who was a psychopath? Find out more about the traits to look for in our Instaread on The Psychopath Test.
