[Paleopsych] sociopaths in business

[Premise Checker]

How much does this cost, Gerry?

On 2005-11-16, Gerry Reinhart-Waller opined [message unchanged below]:

> Date: Wed, 16 Nov 2005 10:34:26 -0800
> From: Gerry Reinhart-Waller <waluk at earthlink.net>
> Reply-To: The new improved paleopsych list <paleopsych at paleopsych.org>
> To: The new improved paleopsych list <paleopsych at paleopsych.org>
> Subject: Re: [Paleopsych] sociopaths in business
> 
> For those interested in Dr. Robert Hare's psychopathic checklist might find 
> this link of interest:
> http://www.hare.org/pclr/index.html
>
> Regards,
> Gerry Reinhart-Waller
>
> Todd I. Stark wrote:
>
>> Frank posted this article a while back, it seems relevant to the current 
>> discussion since it offers a rationale for how and when psychopaths 
>> influence culture.
>> 
>> Todd
>> 
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> Evil lurks at the top? MD urges screening CEOs for psychopaths
>> http://www.canoe.ca/TorontoNews/ts.ts-08-29-0014.html
>> Thursday, August 29, 2002
>> 
>> By ALAN CAIRNS, TORONTO SUN
>> 
>> ST.JOHN'S,   Nfld.  --  A  leading  expert  on  psychopaths  said  the
>> heartbreak,  chaos  and  economic slump caused by corporate corruption
>> could be avoided if prospective CEOs were screened for psychopathy.
>> 
>> Saying  he was ill at ease with many of North America's top executives
>> who  are  currently under fire for misleading shareholders and milking
>> hundreds  of millions of dollars in company cash, Dr. Robert Hare said
>> corporate North America is likely rife with psychopaths.
>> 
>> Hare,  whose psychopathic checklist diagnostic tool is used around the
>> world,  said  ruthless psychopaths who have managed to hide their true
>> nature because of a privileged upbringing can commit their crimes with
>> impunity in the business world.
>> 
>> THEY FIT THE MOULD
>> 
>> While  he  stressed  that  many  thieves  and  fraud  artists  are not
>> psychopaths,  Hare  said  when executives take hundreds of millions of
>> other  people's  cash  "blatantly and with malicious forethought" they
>> fit the psychopathic mould.
>> 
>> "Many  people  will  lose  their  life  savings.  Some will have heart
>> attacks,  commit  suicide.  If  they are not psychopaths, they sure as
>> hell are not model citizens," he said.
>> 
>> Hare said psychopaths typically "eat up" interviewers and head hunters
>> who scrutinize CEO candidates.
>> 
>> "For your average psychopath, it's no problem at all."
>> 
>> He  said  screening  CEOs  and financiers who handle millions could be
>> easily done.
>> 
>> "You  would  check into his family background. He is what he is in all
>> domains -- a rule breaker. The rules don't apply."
>> 
>> Hare said companies are more at risk in today's tough economy.
>> 
>> "That's  when the psychopath moves in ... where there is chaos and the
>> rules  no  longer apply. Enter the psychopath ... saying: I've got the
>> solution."
>> 
>> Hare  gave the analogy of psychopaths who rise to power whenever there
>> is  chaos in political structures, noting African warlords, the former
>> Yugoslavia and Nazi Germany.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Steve Hovland wrote on 11/15/2005, 6:41 PM:
>> 
>> > I can't remember the name of the book, but some time
>> > ago some people wrote a book claiming that our child-
>> > rearing practices were creating an increased number
>> > of sociopaths- empathy impaired.  When I think about
>> > children killing children these days, I think they
>> > were right.
>> >
>> > So I think the supply has changed and the rules
>> > have chained as well.  Those of us who don't like
>> > Bush may want to reflect on the idea that he
>> > represents a composite portrait of the American
>> > psyche.
>> >
>> > Steve
>> >
>> >
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: paleopsych-bounces at paleopsych.org
>> > [mailto:paleopsych-bounces at paleopsych.org]On Behalf Of Michael
>> > Christopher
>> > Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2005 11:34 AM
>> > To: paleopsych at paleopsych.org
>> > Subject: [Paleopsych] sociopaths in business
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Frank says:
>> > >>But how did it come to pass that "greedy
>> > psychotics" took over the business world?<<
>> >
>> > --If it's true that sociopaths have had an advantage
>> > in any field, it would likely have been due to an
>> > ability to "play the game" better, to manipulate
>> > social networks more effectively than those who
>> > concentrated on ability or ethics. And strategies that
>> > get results tend to spread throughout a culture,
>> > regardless of whether those strategies are ecological
>> > or predatory. If it undermines long term stability,
>> > that's just the outcome of everyone's short term
>> > decisions.
>> >
>> > >>More seriously, what is there about the
>> > *current* rules of business that result in "greedy
>> > psychotics" taking over? Have the rules changed? Has
>> > the supply of "greedy psychotics" increased? If so,
>> > why?<<
>> >
>> > --It's possible that sociopaths eventually learn to
>> > exploit *any* social system, if everyone else falls
>> > asleep or is too busy focusing on personal advantage.
>> > Perhaps sociopaths exploit everyone else's minor
>> > flaws. It may not be the official rules that are the
>> > problem, but rather the unofficial culture, the web of
>> > personal connections and communication styles. As I
>> > said, I have no reason to believe the problem is
>> > confined to business, since I've seen groups with
>> > little power or money fall under the same spell.
>> >
>> > >>I urge you to always think about processes and
>> > the rules governing those processes.<<
>> >
>> > --Good advice. The faces change, but the underlying
>> > processes remain.
>> >
>> > Michael