In this engrossing journey into the lives of psychopaths and their infamously crafty behaviors, psychologist Kevin Dutton reveals that there is a scale of “madness” along which we all sit. Incorporating the latest advances in brain scanning and neuroscience, Dutton demonstrates that the brilliant neurosurgeon who lacks empathy has more in common with a Ted Bundy who kills for pleasure than we may wish to admit, and that a mugger in a dimly lit parking lot may well, in fact, have the same nerveless poise as a titan of industry.
Dutton argues that there are indeed “functional psychopaths” among us different from their murderous counterparts - who use their detached, unflinching, and charismatic personalities to succeed in mainstream society, and that shockingly, in some fields, the more “psychopathic” people are, the more likely they are to succeed. Dutton deconstructs this often misunderstood diagnosis through bold on-the-ground reporting and original scientific research as he mingles with the criminally insane in a high-security ward, shares a drink with one of the world’s most successful con artists, and undergoes transcranial magnetic stimulation to discover firsthand exactly how it feels to see through the eyes of a psychopath.
As Dutton develops his theory that we all possess psychopathic tendencies, he puts forward the argument that society as a whole is more psychopathic than ever: psychopaths tend to be fearless, confident, charming, ruthless, and focused - qualities that are tailor-made for success in the 21st century.
The Wisdom of Psychopaths is a riveting adventure that reveals that it’s our much-maligned dark side that often conceals the trump cards of success.

Kevin Dutton

Constable and Robinson

Penguin Random House

William Heinemann

Vintage Digital

Arrow Books

United Kingdom and Ireland, United Kingdom

London, 2013

Bei Psychopathen denkt man an Mörder, Selbstmordattentäter oder Vergewaltiger. Doch erstaunlicherweise können die besonderen Eigenschaften, die Psychopathen charakterisieren, sich durchaus positiv auswirken - zum Beispiel im Gerichtssaal, in der Wirtschaft oder im OP. A fascinating exploration into the mind of the psychopath - revealing what we can learn from it. Provocative and surprising.

Psychopath. No sooner is the word out than images of murderers, rapists, suicide bombers and gangsters flash across our minds. But unlike their box-office counterparts, not all psychopaths are violent, or even criminal. This title reveals a shocking truth: beneath the hype and the popular characterisation, psychopaths have something to teach us.

In this adventure into the world of psychopaths, Kevin Dutton reveals that there is a 'scale of madness' along which we all sit. He shows that there is a fine line separating a brilliant surgeon and a serial killer, illustrating the spectrum of psychopathy with some insightful and startling case studies

An analysis of what can be learned from psychopaths incorporates advances in brain scanning and neuroscience to illustrate the scale of mental health that impacts everyone, the role of functional psychopathic behaviors in success, and the misunderstandings that impact treatments

2023-06-28