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    The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies, and Serial Killers Can Teach Us About Success
    The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies, and Serial Killers Can Teach Us About Success
    The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies, and Serial Killers Can Teach Us About Success
    Audiobook8 hours

    The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies, and Serial Killers Can Teach Us About Success

    Written by Kevin Dutton

    Narrated by Erik Bergmann

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    In this engrossing journey into the lives of psychopaths and their infamously crafty behaviors, the renowned psychologist Kevin Dutton reveals that there is a scale of "madness" along which we all sit. Incorporating the latest advances in brain scanning and neuroscience, Dutton demonstrates that the brilliant neurosurgeon who lacks empathy has more in common with a Ted Bundy who kills for pleasure than we may wish to admit, and that a mugger in a dimly lit parking lot may well, in fact, have the same nerveless poise as a titan of industry.

    Dutton argues that there are indeed "functional psychopaths" among us—different from their murderous counterparts—who use their detached, unflinching, and charismatic personalities to succeed in mainstream society, and that shockingly, in some fields, the more "psychopathic" people are, the more likely they are to succeed. Dutton deconstructs this often misunderstood diagnosis through bold on-the-ground reporting and original scientific research as he mingles with the criminally insane in a high-security ward, shares a drink with one of the world's most successful con artists, and undergoes transcranial magnetic stimulation to discover firsthand exactly how it feels to see through the eyes of a psychopath.

    As Dutton develops his theory that we all possess psychopathic tendencies, he puts forward the argument that society as a whole is more psychopathic than ever: after all, psychopaths tend to be fearless, confident, charming, ruthless, and focused—qualities that are tailor-made for success in the twenty-first century. Provocative at every turn, The Wisdom of Psychopaths is a riveting adventure that reveals that it's our much-maligned dark side that often conceals the trump cards of success.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Audio
    Release dateOct 23, 2012
    ISBN9781427231819
    Author

    Kevin Dutton

    Dr Kevin Dutton is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society and a research psychologist at the University of Oxford. He regularly publishes in leading international scientific journals and speaks at conferences around the world. He is the author of Flipnosis and The Wisdom of Psychopaths, for which he was awarded a Best American Science and Nature Writing prize. His work has been translated into over twenty languages, and his writing and research have been featured in Scientific American, New Scientist, The Guardian, The Times, Psychology Today, The New York Times, The Wall St Journal, and The Washington Post, among other publications.

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    Reviews for The Wisdom of Psychopaths

    4/5

    124 ratings15 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I have a great interest in neuroscience, specifically the psychology of the brain and the title of this book grabbed me from the beginning. First, though, this book is not about serial killers. Yes, there are a few mentioned throughout and the book ends with a small section on them but this book is about people who are not criminals. People who possess the same qualities as psychopaths and thus, can be labelled psychopaths, but are functional within society. It then goes on to discuss how these people operate in society and the professions they succeed at. While the book does mention serial killers, and saints and spies, (as in the title) it mostly concentrates on the business, government and medical fields; talking to and taking case examples from CEOs, stock market traders, MI5 agents, lawyers and surgeons. Dutton's writing style flows nicely and the book is not difficult to read but I would not call it an easy read as it is clinical in presentation and deals with statistics and test results. It is a book for the lay person but one who knows something about the topic to begin with. I found the information very interesting and would say it has broadened my knowledge of the subject. There is some discussion of cognitive behavioural therapy that I found enlightening and answered my questions on why a couple of my therapists/psychiatrists gave up in frustration trying to use it on me. LOL I've always been able to tell they're going that route and tell them no to bother using CBT on me. Btw, I'm not psychotic in any shape or form! A good read that I'll be keeping in my collection.
    • 3/5
      I was excited to read this book and it wasn't that great. It contained very good information about psychopaths, however, there was so much bias. The author's fascination with and, somehow, romantisizing of the psychopaths was quite unsettling. It also felt dragged as the same points were discussed over and over again. The narrator was great though.
    • 5/5
      Loved that it challenges simplistic thinking. For example, that a psychopath is "emotionless." One study asked people if they had ever been assaulted. Then had them just walk by. The psychopaths could pick out the victims just from them walking by. To me that shows a heightened emotional sense. In other ways, they seem cold to people. Even if you haven't "known" that many psychopaths, you can get a picture (a psychological picture) of what this head is like and how it comes across to people. There are also many ways it can slide or overlap into other disorders. These terms are just frameworks or tools, after all, for thinking and organizing. These are just some of the things I was thinking about while listening to this.
    • 4/5
      Great knowledge and insights it was definitely one of my favorites on psychology.
    • 5/5
      Very cool! Got a little bored through the middle but then it really picks up and get to some very insightful points!
    • 3/5
      Some interesting information but sloppily organized and written. One of the traits psychopaths have an abundance of is focus so its a shame the author isn't one.
    • 4/5
      An interesting look into the psychopath as a functioning member of society.
    • 1/5
      The author begins his book by explaining that his own father was a psychopath. On what evidence? It seems that while he was driven to succeed, he was undeterred by failure, and his spirits never sank. If this seems like unsupported reasoning to you, you may find the rest of the book irritating as well. The author consistently uses the two techniques illustrated by his introduction: label anyone who strongly exhibits any trait among the many associated with sociopathic personality disorder as a "psychopath"; and burden every page with sensationalism until it groans. So the early sections of the book explain to us that many surgeons, who are masters of cold precision at the operating table, are psychopaths. Special Forces members, who love danger and seem fearless, are psychopaths. Anyone who succeeds at the difficult and often merciless decisions associated with growing a business is probably a psychopath.How much more interesting this book would have been if the author had identified himself as a psychopath. I don't know whether he is, although I suspect he could be fit into his own loose definition. Unfortunately, he chooses to present himself as one of the inferior majority, doomed to approaching life with all the usual fears and hesitations. The section where he visits Broadmoor Prison, where universally acknowledged psychopaths are housed, should have been one of the strongest parts of the book, providing a little insight into the mindsets of the most remorseless killers. Instead, the visit is milked for every drop of amateur dramatics, as he describes himself quaking with fear as he gazes into the predator's steely eyes, and so on ad nauseum. It's as clumsy and shallow as a high-schooler's field trip report.If you can wade through all the crap (the ability to do so being a psychopathic trait), there is value to be had here, particularly in the research studies cited, which you are of course free to Google and learn more about, if your curiosity hasn't been dampened by the predictable and repetitive claims that "what they found was astounding." The raw material that remains visible suggests what a good book about this subject might have been like.
    • 4/5
      I'm really too exhausted to do this review justice but I want to write something down while it's still fresh. This was an interesting twist to something that most know little about (myself included) but think do. I'm glad I read Jon Ronson's The Psychopath test first. Because that was the primer I needed about psychopathy to more satisfactorily delve into Kevin Dutton's notions.

      Most of the text flowed nicely and was organized well. I rather enjoyed most of the author's interactions with psychopaths; criminal and otherwise. And I was extremely interested when Dutton was able to transform into a psychopath (if only for a few minutes).

      What I could have done without is the pseudo-science and seeming esteem for religiosity (particularly with Christianity and Buddhism). The author even used the term "saint" several time as the antithesis of psychopathy. But in actuality, many saints were not nice people and some could have well been psychopaths. The author even made this point by providing a general (and rather positive) synopsis of the so-called Saint Paul; claiming he was likely a highly functional psychopath. That very notion muddies the waters of his oft-used "saint vs. psychopath" dichotomy.
    • 5/5
      Strange how one reading one little 220-page book about psychology and the human brain can make all the other philosophy books and great novels in my library seem redundant. This is a fantastic book, entertaining, useful, thought provoking and thought revoking.
    • 3/5
      Ken Dutton’s “The Wisdom of Psychopaths” has a lot going for it, and just about as much going the other way. Touching first on the latter, be warned that anyone traumatized by a psychopath will find this book a tough read for that reason alone, as Dutton avoids as much as he can overtly (much less negatively) judging the psychopaths who populate his book. Accordingly, if you’re looking for a book defining psychopaths as only vile, this isn’t the read for you. Further, Dutton’s writing style can grate. What he and his editors seemingly consider wry or clever often clunks rather badly, particularly when he stumbles (many times) transitioning from fairly dry academic data to an attempted lighter touch in interpreting that data for his lay readers.None of the foregoing detracts from the book’s fascinating glimpses inside the cold machine that is a psychopath’s mind. Via the afore-mentioned data analysis as well as personal interviews in a variety of places where psychopaths hide in plain sight, Dutton considers the (d)evolution of the psychopath from prehistory to present-day. The interviews are the most enlightening of the book’s features. The problem with the interviews, of course, is it’s unknowable whether the inscrutable subjects of Dutton’s scrutiny are telling truth or spinning lie; but then again that’s part of the matter’s intrigue, and the purported "wisdom" referenced in the title.Everyone knows at least one psychopath. If you think you don’t, that’s only because the psychopath you know lurks behind an appealing façade of charm, stalking the opportune moment to reveal his true, dark colors at the time and place of his choosing. Dutton’s book provides valuable clues to watch out for should the psychopath near you start to lift his mask. After all, you cannot fight what you cannot see.
    • 4/5
      bookshelves: published-2012, sciences, winter-20132014, fraudio, nonfiction, tbr-busting-2014, psychology, philosophy, cambridgeshire, casual-violence, doo-lallyRead from January 05 to February 02, 2014Runs 8hrs 19minsFrom the description: In this engrossing journey into the lives of psychopaths and their infamously crafty behaviors, the renowned psychologist Kevin Dutton reveals that there is a scale of “madness” along which we all sit. Incorporating the latest advances in brain scanning and neuroscience, Dutton demonstrates that the brilliant neurosurgeon who lacks empathy has more in common with a Ted Bundy who kills for pleasure than we may wish to admit, and that a mugger in a dimly lit parking lot may well, in fact, have the same nerveless poise as a titan of industry.Dutton argues that there are indeed “functional psychopaths” among us—different from their murderous counterparts—who use their detached, unflinching, and charismatic personalities to succeed in mainstream society, and that shockingly, in some fields, the more “psychopathic” people are, the more likely they are to succeed. Dutton deconstructs this often misunderstood diagnosis through bold on-the-ground reporting and original scientific research as he mingles with the criminally insane in a high-security ward, shares a drink with one of the world’s most successful con artists, and undergoes transcranial magnetic stimulation to discover firsthand exactly how it feels to see through the eyes of a psychopath.As Dutton develops his theory that we all possess psychopathic tendencies, he puts forward the argument that society as a whole is more psychopathic than ever: after all, psychopaths tend to be fearless, confident, charming, ruthless, and focused—qualities that are tailor-made for success in the twenty-first century. Provocative at every turn, The Wisdom of Psychopaths is a riveting adventure that reveals that it’s our much-maligned dark side that often conceals the trump cards of success.KEVIN DUTTON is a research psychologist at the University of Cambridge. His writing and research have been featured in Scientific American Mind, New Scientist, The Guardian, Psychology Today, USA Today, and more. He lives in Cambridge, England."A little psychopathy is like personality with a tan"John Wayne Gacy. Nothing abnormal found in his brain BUT a dead brain is very different to a live one.The Museum of Serial Killers, Florence, ItalyTed BundyRobert MaudsleyWhen asked how they singled out victims, the answer made by a significantly high number of killers was that they could tell by the walk, or other subtle body language who was 'bad'. Dutton then took some students to the airport to study people coming through luggage/body check.The reverse side of that coin was when asked by ordinary people which, in a line up, was a killer they said things like 'my skin crawled'.Intuition, then, and there are two types of empathy.Robert D. Hare received his Ph.D. in experimental psychology at University of Western Ontario (1963). He is professor emeritus of the University of British Columbia where his studies center on psychopathology and psychophysiology."A personality disorder is not just for Christmas, although, admittedly, it does bring out the best in them."So we are not talking about tantrums or people who generally piss you off here.Phil Spectre before the 'incident': "Better to have a gun and not need it, than to need it and not have it."Gary Mark GilmoreSt Paul - manipulator!Most of the Wham Bam Bang is front-loaded, however there are some magnificent show-stoppers throughout, the St Paul was quite the justification to my personal viewpoint, YAY. Overall, my ears were as if the eyes of the bunny in the headlights in this short (but long for an essay: 8hr 19 mins) work.3.5* upped.Crossposted:WordpressBooklikesLeafMarkLibrarythingaNobii
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this book very much. After reading it, I am convinced that close to 25% of my friends are psychopaths. ;) None of my friends on Goodreads, of course. Soooo...thank goodness all of my friends on Goodreads are "saints". It helps bring balance to my life. ;) I like that this book contains scenarios & questions for you to present to someone you might think is a sociopath. I definitely picked up a question or two to ask potential boyfriends.Asking how they would react to the 2 different train scenarios described in this book are now my go to questions.Their response to the second scenario is not only showing you who they are, it's them telling you who they are. As Maya Angelou says, "The first time someone shows you who they are...believe them."This book contains the most comprehensive list of characteristics/traits of sociopaths I've ever read including the following:They lack of empathy, guilt & remorse. They're glib, pathological, manipulative, charming, & nomadic. They feed off of a person's hope that next time things will be different or that they will do the right thing in the future. They use your hope to manipulate you into giving them second, third, fourth, fifth chances. They seek out "rescuers" & overly loyal people.They often abuse drugs and/or alcohol.They constantly lie & exaggerate.They cheat in relationships, in fact that's often how they find their next mark when they begin to sense they are losing control over you.They make lots of promises but rarely is there positive action towards keeping the promise. Promises are just cons to get what they want at that moment and they don't care if they let you down later. They're not good at holding a job, often seeking out public assistance or conning someone for money and/or shelter. They have no direction & no personal initiative to make positive changes in their life.If caught in a lie, they will try to manipulate out of it first, and then blame others. It is always someone else's fault. No matter what it is, how clearly it is the predator's fault, they cannot take the blame; unless it is part of the manipulation that goes: admit/apologize/pity play/forgiven/make up.They seem driven by convenience, access to sex, and financial interest, or using partner or kids as tools to manipulate others. There are frequent cycles of chaos, calm, chaos, calm, in relationships.They manipulate and pit people against each other by creating chaos and pointing fingers at those who bring up the problem. Their goal is to get everyone so confused and upset no one can even remember the predator is the root of the problem.This book points out a few scenarios in which it's good to have sociopaths around. For example,life or death situations that require quick decisions be made without emotions that would impact the decisions. One example is surgeons having to make life saving decisions during surgeries. It's easier to make the decision quicker if the surgeon is not emotionally affected by knowing the patient will die if the wrong decision is made. This book & other books I've read on the subject all agree that sociopaths can not be cured. Like my daddy always says "You can't fix broken people, you're just gonna cut yourself on their shattered pieces."
    • 4/5
      I've long been intrigued by the human mind and what shapes our personalities and decision-making and, as such, found this a compelling read. Kevin Dutton's research approach is far from the typical morbid fascination in the violent crimes of psychopaths. Instead, we look at what makes the psychopathic mind different from the average person's, and how some of those differences make them quite successful in certain careers.Dutton's writing style is easy to fall into. While I wouldn't call this light reading (I can't imagine anything on this topic that would be), it doesn't read like a text book. The research is well explained without being overly detailed.Dutton stresses that not all psychopaths are evil or murderers. We spend a lot of time looking at "functional" psychopaths who are nonviolent and quite successful. My one problem here is that, while we're treated to all the reasons they can be beneficial to society, Dutton doesn't examine the disastrous effects these "functional" psychopaths can have on families or even work environments. This book brings up the entire concept of free will, which is perhaps a side effect of the exploration. While only touched on lightly here, after reading this it's impossible not to question how many of our decisions are truly free will, and how many are simply a product of our genetic makeup.
    • 4/5
      Totally different take on psychopathy: essentially that a little bit can be highly adaptive (and something we can all learn from), and that the people we think of when we think of 'psychopaths' just have way too much of a good thing. Kinda scary to think of the emotional skills that I learned in my 20's (ways to reduce anxiety and gain some confidence) are essentially psychopathic, though. Occasionally, though, the writing feels like he's reaching for a 'hipper' tone, which doesn't quite work.