The Wisdom of Psychopaths: Lessons in life from Saints, Spies and Serial Killers by Dr Kevin Dutton
| The Wisdom of Psychopaths: Lessons in life from Saints, Spies and Serial Killers by Dr Kevin Dutton | |
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| Category: Popular Science | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: A look at the good and bad sides of psychopathy. It's accessible science which is an easier read than you might expect. Recommended. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 320 | Date: January 2021 |
| Publisher: Arrow | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-0099551065 | |
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'Donald Trump outscores Hitler on psychopathic traits' claims Oxford University researcher.
Until the events of 6 January 2021 that might have surprised, even shocked many readers: now they're probably convinced that they knew it all along. The statement has lost a little of its shock value but it does help us to understand more about the nature of psychopathy. It's too easy to associate psychopathy with the Yorkshire Ripper, Jeffrey Dahmer, Saddam Hussein or Robert Maudsley, the real-life Hannibal Lecter, but the truth is that having psychopathic traits can sometimes be a good thing.
I came to this book because I've long had a suspicion that one of my parents was a psychopath. I wanted to explore the possibility - and I wondered if I could find a way of forgiving. The core psychopathic traits were all there: fearlessness, ruthlessness, coolness under pressure, self-confidence and emotional detachment. There was also a grandiose sense of self-worth, the ability to persuade, a superficial charm which fooled many people, a complete lack of remorse and a startling ability to manipulate even when you knew what to look out for, along with a parasitic lifestyle, need for constant stimulation, impulsivity and a failure to accept responsibility for actions. It was a strange childhood.
We've long thought of psychopaths as being wholly undomesticated and socially feral but many psychopaths are hiding in plain sight and are people you might well admire. If you're looking for a brain surgeon, you're probably better looking for one with psychopathic tendencies than your average nice guy who might have some mental engagement with you. You need someone who only cares about what he's doing and who is utterly cool under pressure. (Think about Homer Simpson's Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand.) You'll find the traits in many professions: think about CEOs, lawyers, salespeople, journalist and police officers. Some of your favourite chefs might well come within the definition too.
If you're looking for a book about great psychopaths we've managed to imprison, this isn't the book for you: the negative side is covered but there's also a lot about the positive side of psychopathy. The anecdotes are interesting and enlightening: there's a fascinating story about Armstrong and Aldrin on the moon which I certainly wasn't aware of. I love some of the phrases Dutton uses: there's a police officer who's built more on the lines of a Greek restaurant than a Greek god. Some of it is laugh-out-loud funny. It's accessible science with a smile on its face. There was also some sporting advice which my golfer husband gathered in.
I've one or two minor quibbles - but they are minor. Dutton directs us to the website www.wisdomofpsychopaths.co.uk - but I can't find a site of that name. And those phrases which I love do sometimes tip over into language which was just a bit too flowery for my taste. Yes - I said I was being picky. It was a good book and I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
And did I come to a conclusion about my parent. Yes, I did. Did I find it in me to forgive? That's still work-in-progress.
You might also enjoy The Locked Ward by Dennis O'Donnell.
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