The wisdom of psychopaths

We all have psychopathic tendencies. And perhaps the secret to success lies in our darkest side.

The society we live in is more psychopathic than ever. After all, this behavior is characterized by an absence of fear, extreme confidence, charm, detachment, and focus—qualities that perfectly fit the 21st-century ideal of triumph. In The Wisdom of Psychopaths , renowned psychologist Kevin Dutton delves into the lives and behavior of individuals who have been labeled this way. According to the author, there are "functional psychopaths" among us who—unlike murderers—use their aloof, sharp, and charismatic personalities to succeed. In certain areas, surprisingly, the more "psychopathic" the individual, the greater their chances of success.

During the research process for this book, Dutton contacted inmates in the maximum security ward of a custodial hospital, interviewed one of the world's most successful con artists, and underwent transcranial magnetic stimulation to discover firsthand what it's like to see the world through the eyes of a psychopath.

By analyzing the latest advances in neuroscience and neuroimaging, the author demonstrates that a brilliant neurosurgeon with little empathy has more in common with someone who kills for pleasure than we would like to admit.

This book is the result of the meticulous work of Kevin Dutton, who, through bold interviews and unpublished scientific research, seeks to deconstruct the often misunderstood diagnosis of psychopathy. The wisdom of psychopaths reveals that perhaps the secret to success lies in our darkest side, on a scale of "madness" on which we all have a place.