I asked a question about whether there was any relationship between psychopoathic or sociopathic tendencies and leadership roles – government or business.
I asked because I’ve known people in extremely high places that seemingly have no conscience and no limit to what they will do to get their way. Traits I see include:
- I’m-more-obsessively-relentless-than-anyone
- just-how-far-will-I-go-to-win
- you-have-to-lose-for-me-to-win
- small-ppl-think-micro-big-ppl-think-macro
- if-I’m-thinking-of-you, I’m-not-thinking-about-my-success
- I-count-every-penny-cuz-it’s-my-penny
Interestingly, many are former-athletes focused 24/7 on a) making money & b) ‘winning’.
So I asked. Boy, did I get an earful.
- A study found one in five CEOs are psychopaths https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/psychopaths-ceos-study-statistics-one-in-five-psychopathic-traits-a7251251.html
- CEO is the number one career; also civil servants, clergy, media, sales people, surgeons, cops and special forces https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyclay/2013/01/05/the-top-10-jobs-that-attract-psychopaths/?sh=4662e6e4d80d
These folks represent only 1% of the gene pool… and they are hugely disproportionately in prison and the upper class. - “Well-designed governments encourage good behavior and bar against the potential for evil. They treat 100% — not 2% or 10% or 80% — of elected officials as potential psychopaths. Elections are made open and verifiable. Bribery is forbidden. Powers are checked and balanced. Abuses are exposed and punished. Secrecy is curtailed and openness required. War powers are placed in a legislature or the public, or war abolished. …” https://davidswanson.org/can-we-really-blame-sociopaths/
kurtsh
Kurt's Thoughts 