If you’ve been in the workplace for any extended period of time, chances are you’ve encountered a psychopath at some point in your career. Contrary to popular belief, not all psychopaths are serial killers or axe murderers. In fact, only a small majority of psychopaths are actually violent at all. Instead, you’ll find that psychopaths will almost always be superficially charming, yet can prove to be self-serving and callous on closer inspection. Thanks to the specific set of traits that defines psychopathy, they’re far more likely to be drawn to certain careers than to others.
What Is A Psychopath?
While ‘psychopath’ has become a catch-all term for murderers and the criminally insane in modern terminology, it actually has a very specific definition in the field of psychology. It is officially designated as ‘psychopathic personality’, though can also be called psychopathy or sociopathy — the latter of which is more often used correctly.
It’s estimated that a meagre one per cent of the population legitimately qualifies as a psychopath, though that number increases to 25 per cent among prison populations, perhaps unsurprising. What is more surprising is the fact that psychopaths may also be over represented in certain careers. Depending on where you work, you may be more likely to encounter psychopaths in your workplace — you may even be one yourself, like one neuroscientist who discovered his own psychopathic brain patterns at the age of 58.
Following is a list of the occupations where psychopaths will be most common and most rare, respectively,
Where you’ll find them:
1. CEO
2. Lawyer
3. Media (TV/Radio)
4. Salesperson
5. Surgeon
6. Journalist
7. Police Officer
8. Clergy
9. Chef
10. Civil Servant
You may notice there are certain similarities between all of the most psychopath-heavy careers, mainly the fact that they offer power — especially over other people — and will reward people for making objective, unemotional decisions. Not only would psychopaths find themselves drawn to these careers — they would likely thrive in them, and even find themselves being rewarded for their psychopathic behaviour. One study suggests that upper management positions may be made up of up to three per cent psychopaths, who are not nearly as high as the incidence of incarcerated psychopaths, but it’s still more than the one percent that makes up the total population.
Where You Won’t:
1. Care Aide
2. Nurse
3. Therapist
4. Craftsperson
5. Beautician/Stylist
6. Charity Worker
7. Teacher
8. Creative Artist
9. Doctor
10. Accountant
In contrast to the first list, these jobs are largely those that require empathy and compassion involve a lot of person-to-person contact and, more often than not, don’t offer the person much power. A psychopath in one of these positions would not do very well at all, or even enjoy the work — so if these are the kinds of people that you work with, then you’re more likely to be safe from workplace psychopaths.
Most of these positions are unsurprising, although there are some interesting parallels between the two lists — the difference between a surgeon and a doctor, or a salesperson and an accountant.
As it turns out, a minor deviation in your career path might suggest just how psychopathic — or not — you might be. Article by Hayley Williams
Warren Myers
Your Recruitment Consultant
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