\n<\/p>\n
C<\/span>oming face to face with a probable psychopath was enough to make Dr Leanne ten Brinke rethink her career choices. Early in her 20s, while studying forensic psychology in Halifax, in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, Ten Brinke was volunteering at a parole office, which would hold weekly group meetings for released sex offenders. \u201cMost of the men showed contrition,\u201d says Ten Brinke. \u201cThey really seemed to recognise the damage that they had done.\u201d Except for one. The treatment programme seemed \u201clike a game to him\u201d, she says. One week, in a discussion about the impact their crimes had on victims, this rapist stared at Ten Brinke and, smiling slightly, started to say how much his victim looked like her, \u201cand how I was \u2018his type\u2019. Clearly he was trying to scare me, and he did.\u201d<\/p>\n It put her off a career working with convicted criminals, but she remained fascinated with \u201cdark personalities\u201d \u2013 psychopathy, mainly, but also narcissism, machiavellianism (manipulating and exploiting others) and sadism. From politics to business to the media, it wasn\u2019t as if there was a shortage of people to study. There were selfish, callous, impulsive and manipulative people everywhere, often presenting as gregarious and charming. \u201cIt started to occur to me that these traits aren\u2019t just confined to an underworld. These traits appear in all aspects of our lives,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Now associate professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia, Canada, Ten Brinke says these people could be in our families, or living next door. They\u2019re the trolls online. They\u2019re at work, at school, leading our institutions and our countries.<\/p>\n Instead of being specific conditions that one either has or hasn\u2019t, psychopathy and other personality disorders are now thought to exist on a continuum, says Ten Brinke. It is estimated that 1% of the general population have clinical levels of psychopathy (scoring highly on the PCL-R, the psychopathy checklist assessment commonly used for diagnosis). Other studies have suggested that up to 18% have \u201celevated\u201d levels \u2013 what we may call \u201cdark territory\u201d, as Ten Brinke puts it in her new book, Poisonous People: How to Resist Them and Improve Your Life. Within the prison population, the instance of clinical psychopathy is about 20%. However, these dark personalities \u2013 who are potentially the most dangerous and likely to reoffend \u2013 are particularly good at convincing parole boards to release them, probably because they can be so persuasive.<\/p>\n Although the vast majority of people do not have clinical levels of psychopathy, people with elevated dark traits cause an outsize harm to society, whether that\u2019s in the criminal or political arena, or in the corporations they run. \u201cThe research suggests that nature and nurture both play a role,\u201d Ten Brinke says. \u201cThat\u2019s promising in the sense that we know that affecting the environment can change people\u2019s outcomes.\u201d This is particularly true for children with \u201ccallous unemotional\u201d traits and persistent aggressive behaviour. This can be measured, says Ten Brinke, \u201cas early as two or three years old, and getting these kids into treatment as early as possible is important because there we can see changes to traits over time\u201d.<\/p>\n With adults, treatment can only really change behaviour, not personality. \u201cThe best research that we have on treatment for adults is coming out of criminal justice settings \u2013 these are people who have shown very high clinical levels of these traits, and have committed some crime, often violent in nature. The goal of those treatment programmes is usually to reduce the likelihood of recidivism, and especially violent recidivism, and the research shows that it can work. Individuals, even with high levels of psychopathy, who stay in treatment show lower levels of reoffence over time.\u201d<\/p>\n double quotation markEverything had to revolve around this CEO \u2013 no one else could get any praise<\/p>\n Ten Brinke <\/strong>watched a documentary on psychopathy one day at school and was hooked. \u201cI was just so intrigued by someone who had such a different experience of the world than I do.\u201d She was fascinated by criminals. Her doctoral thesis was on whether it was possible, by watching the public appeals of parents whose children had gone missing, to detect those who had, in reality, killed them. By the end of her PhD, however, Ten Brinke was getting tired of murder. She went on to study business, \u201cwhere my interest really broadened, to study dark personality traits across different contexts\u201d.<\/p>\n There is, she says, a small but reasonable chance that your boss is a psychopath, given that people with dark personality traits are over-represented in senior management. \u201cWe certainly know that dark personalities are really interested in power and status,\u201d says Ten Brinke. \u201cThey also tend to come across as quite charismatic and extremely confident, and we tend to confuse confidence for competence. Also, they\u2019re probably just putting themselves forward for these positions more than the average person.\u201d<\/p>\n In her consulting work, Ten Brinke was brought in by a financial advisory company to help assess which hedge fund managers it should trust with its money. \u201cI was particularly looking for signs that they might be lying, which certainly the company would want to know before handing over millions of dollars. But we were also looking at the personality traits of these individuals.\u201d Several stuck out. At one investor conference, Ten Brinke watched in fascination as one CEO demeaned colleagues and potential clients \u2013 which can be a sign of a dark personality. \u201cEverything had to revolve around him, all attention on him, no one else could get any praise.\u201d He would constantly interrupt people. \u201cWhat was so interesting is that the audience was actually really into that. His behaviour seemed to validate perceptions of what kind of personality would succeed in this role, even though our research suggests that these traits actually lead to decreased returns.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s the same reason we think extreme confidence makes for good leaders \u2013 again, our willingness to conflate confidence with competence. A \u201cstrongman\u201d type tends to think of themselves as a great leader, and they tell the rest of us that they are. \u201cWe tend to believe them because we have a truth bias. Research suggests that we tend to just believe the things we are told, unless we\u2019re given some very specific reason to be suspicious.\u201d There is also what Ten Brinke describes as a \u201cdark spiral\u201d. At times of uncertainty and conflict, \u201cwe look for a \u2018strong\u2019 leader. Then, in position, they can create more chaos, more instability, which actually makes us more likely to vote, again, for someone with these traits. We can end up going round and round.\u201d<\/p>\n In her book, Ten Brinke acknowledges that she has no idea how Donald Trump would score on the PCL-R checklist, but she suggests he has elevated traits, giving the example of his tens of thousands of lies , lack of empathy (such as when he mocked a disabled reporter), impulsiveness and deviation from social norms. However, in one of her studies of more than 100 US senators, dark personality traits had a negative impact on their influence. What worked in getting bills passed was cooperation, \u201cpeople who are more humble, who are courageous but are also willing to see the other side and admit if they make mistakes, admit if they change their mind\u201d. Recognising and valuing these traits may help us choose leaders differently.<\/p>\n <\/span>\u2018We know that dark personalities are really interested in power and status\u2019 \u2026 Leanne ten Brinke in British Columbia, Canada. <\/span> Photograph: Tim Dunk\/The Guardian<\/p>\n Recognising dark personalities can help us make more informed choices in many areas of life, says Ten Brinke. \u201cIt can be either a \u2018detect and avoid\u2019 or a \u2018detect and manage\u2019 type of situation, depending on the circumstances.\u201d Research has found that job adverts that look for people who are \u201cresults-oriented\u201d or who \u201cthink outside the box\u201d attract more narcissists than adverts whose language highlights a desire for team players. The same could be said for dating profiles. How can someone avoid attracting a dark personality, or identify one from their profile? \u201cThey might use euphemisms to put a positive spin on some of these traits,\u201d says Ten Brinke. \u201c\u2018Thrill-seeking\u2019 might indicate some impulsivity.\u201d Power can be attractive, but \u201cyou might want to be discerning about whether that is achieved by earning people\u2019s respect or by putting people in a fearful, submissive position\u201d.<\/p>\n I<\/span>t\u2019s important to remember that someone\u2019s personality is a pattern, she says \u2013 \u201cfirst impressions will only get you so far\u201d \u2013 but there are broad behaviours to watch out for. \u201cIf someone interrupts often, but gets really angry if they are interrupted; if they ignore and push personal and professional boundaries.\u201d They can be charismatic, and charming. In romantic relationships, \u201clove bombing\u201d at the start is often a feature. \u201cI think that\u2019s a good case for taking things relatively slowly. You need time and context to get a real sense of someone.\u201d<\/p>\n People with dark personalities can be skilled at deception, but we tend to be quite bad at detecting this, says Ten Brinke. Contrary to many people\u2019s beliefs, you can\u2019t reliably detect a lie by reading body language. \u201cI think we really want it to work,\u201d she says. \u201cBut we consistently find that those cues are pretty weak.\u201d Instead, you need to pay attention to verbal cues, such as inconsistencies, but this is tiring and probably not something you want to be running in the background in every interaction. \u201cBut in some situations where I\u2019m like, OK, this is a person who has a personality that is likely to manipulate, I might pay more attention to the words they\u2019re saying. Ask good questions, ask follow-up questions.\u201d<\/p>\n Those who lean towards narcissism can display \u201cclassic things such as showing off and talking about themselves a lot. They are always the expert on every topic of conversation.\u201d Someone with psychopathic traits may be impulsive. \u201cWe also see emotional differences in the sense that they might be weirdly calm, showing no emotion.\u201d Or their emotions might flare up but be short-lived, particularly in the case of anger. We can all experience moments of schadenfreude at others\u2019 misfortune, but if someone routinely puts others down or seems to take pleasure in someone else\u2019s failure or pain, \u201cthose can be important red flags. You start to gain evidence for a lack of compassion or empathy for others.\u201d Does Ten Brinke deploy this in her day-to-day life? It\u2019s more that she clocks behaviour and files it away, she says.<\/p>\n It\u2019s unrealistic, she adds, to avoid everyone with dark personality traits. Instead, for those with lower levels of psychopathy and other negative traits, you can usually manage them. \u201cWe\u2019re not changing someone\u2019s personality, but we can approach our interactions with a harm-reduction mindset. One is having clear boundaries.\u201d Having rules \u2013 and writing them down or saying them out loud \u2013 makes it harder for the person to break or test them, whether this is in a family or work setting. One study asked people showing various levels of psychopathy to distribute money between themselves and another person; those who were given no rules or instruction were more likely to keep the money. \u201cUnderstand their motivations, and understand that it\u2019s probably not the same as yours.\u201d<\/p>\n double quotation markI think we often forget about the power of rewarding people. Especially people with these personalities<\/p>\n Rewards can be key. \u201cI think we often forget about the power of rewarding people. Especially with these personalities, we think, \u2018Oh, they\u2019re a bad person \u2013 you should never reward them.\u2019 But if they do something good \u2013 if you see them acting fairly, kindly, being honest \u2013 provide some reward that they care about. We know that people, especially with psychopathic personalities, are very reward-motivated. Punishment really doesn\u2019t hit them very hard. So you can help to shape their behaviour by rewarding when they do something good.\u201d In a work setting, if you are the manager of a dark personality, this reward may be a pay rise or a new title. But she would not recommend giving anyone displaying these traits a management position. \u201cWe know that people with these traits tend to bully their subordinates.\u201d<\/p>\n When broaching a tricky conversation, finding something in common, however small, can get it off to a better start. \u201cIt can decrease the likelihood that they\u2019ll respond aggressively whenever you give them some negative feedback. This is particularly true for people with narcissistic traits, who tend to be very sensitive to any criticism, rejection or failure.\u201d If negotiating, it can be useful to do it in writing, such as over email or text \u2013 in person, you\u2019re more likely to be dazzled by the charm and confidence of a dark personality.<\/p>\n It can be useful to frame requests in the form of a question, rather than a statement, says Ten Brinke. \u201cFor example, \u2018What do you think of picking the kids up from school on Wednesday?\u2019 instead of, \u2018You need to pick the kids up.\u2019 It\u2019s just a little thing, but it can help to avoid shutting down the conversation before it even starts.\u201d Of course, if you are having to carefully manage these kinds of interactions with a partner, you may question if it\u2019s a relationship you want to be in. Ten Brinke points out that the moment of leaving a potentially abusive relationship with someone with dark personality traits can be incredibly dangerous and you should seek support from specialist agencies.<\/p>\n When I took the assessment Ten Brinke includes in her book, aimed at detecting low levels of dark traits, I was alarmed to find I scored higher than I\u2019d like. If someone is worried they\u2019re a psychopath, what should they do? That worry is a good sign, she says. The usual problem for people with psychopathy is that \u201cit can be quite difficult to motivate them to want to change\u201d.<\/p>\n We can all turn our dark personality traits down, she says. Ten Brinke points to a study where people took \u201cagreeableness challenges\u201d over four months, such as showing gratitude to someone they interacted with during the day. \u201cPeople who actively worked on these skills, to consider other people\u2019s perspectives and to show compassion, reported lower dark traits at the end of that four-month period.\u201d It was self-reported, she says, \u201cso I don\u2019t know if people around them also felt the same way about these behavioural improvements, but research shows that our personalities are not chiselled in stone. They can shift.\u201d It may be wise to look at ourselves \u2013 the world does not need more people with psychopathic and narcissistic traits. \u201cI do think that recognising that we can all become a little bit less manipulative, a little bit more caring, and that all of these things will add up across people and across time, is a hopeful message.\u201d<\/p>\n Poisonous People, by Leanne ten Brinke, is published by Simon & Schuster UK (\u00a322). To support the Guardian, order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Coming face to face with a probable psychopath was enough to make Dr Leanne ten Brinke rethink her career choices. Early in her 20s, while studying forensic psychology in Halifax, in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, Ten Brinke was volunteering at a parole office, which would hold weekly group meetings for released sex offenders.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":46314,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[57],"tags":[19457,12116,3322,3540,337,23686,5799,891],"class_list":{"0":"post-46313","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-education","8":"tag-charismatic","9":"tag-confident","10":"tag-extremely","11":"tag-handle","12":"tag-life","13":"tag-psychopath","14":"tag-recognise","15":"tag-style"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46313","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=46313"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46313\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/46314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=46313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=46313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=46313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}