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Psychopaths are secretive, cunning and they often seem completely normal on the outside — that’s why sometimes it’s impossible to spot them out. But most of the time, these kinds of people have only one thing in common: their career. Kevin Dutton, a British psychologist and writer, has been studying psychopathy for many years. Based on his research and thorough analysis, he wrote the book, The Wisdom of Psychopaths where he explored 10 professions that these types of people choose most of the time.
Bright Side wants to share this list with you and explain why these professions attract people with such an unusual psyche.
10. Civil servant
© House of Cards / Netflix
According to the psychologist, a civil servant is in 10th place on the list of jobs that psychopaths tend to choose. This is because such people want power and control which is easy to get as a civil servant. There have been cases when the government hired these kinds of people on purpose to deal with certain problems. For example, in 2014 Great Britain hired psychopaths to maintain order during the crisis because such people don’t have feelings for others and don’t have a moral code. They are smart and logical. This means that they will do their jobs exactly as they should.
9. Chef
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The job of a chef is also popular — and not because they have easy access to knives and fire. Psychopaths are extremely stress-resistant and they thrive in chaos. This is why they work very well in difficult conditions such as a busy kitchen. Chef Gordon Ramsay once said that chefs are insane. They are elegant, delicate, obsessed with themselves, they often work 100 hours per week and create an intense atmosphere on purpose. A busy kitchen is absolutely insane.
8. Clergy person
© Broken / BBC One
It seems that a job in religion is supposed to attract people with good qualities like kindness and helpfulness. But it’s not always like this. FBI veteran, Joe Navarro, explained why some psychopaths choose to work in religion. One of the main reasons is that religious organizations can make their actions and other people’s actions legal. It’s also very easy to get information for blackmailing and manipulating people in religion.
7. Police officer
© The Shawshank Redemption / Columbia Pictures
When it comes to this profession, a lot is said in the profiles of police officers. Policemen who take part in raids or those who work in dangerous areas are more likely to be psychopaths. This is because psychopaths know how to remain calm in dangerous or stressful situations. You can even say that they get pleasure in being near bad situations. Statistics show that 40% of families of policemen suffer from domestic violence. It happens 2 times more often than in a regular family.
6. Journalist
© Nightcrawler / Bold Films
Character traits like charm, insolence, and cruelty are very good in a journalist. And it’s more than enough to see your name under a new article every day to turn even the most modest of people into egomaniacs. This is a very stressful job especially when you need to supply a huge amount of good material in a short time. It requires you to be competitive and to strive to be the best. This is a perfect working environment for a psychopath.
5. Surgeon
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Psychoanalyst Carl Sword told us about a conversation with an anonymous neurosurgeon who said, “I don’t have compassion for those who I operate on. During surgery, I need to remain cold-blooded and work like a machine with a scalpel.” One of the studies conducted by Royal College of Physicians showed that surgeons are more inclined to psychopathy than other doctors. Researchers have an idea why this is so. The reason for this may be that surgeons — more often than any other doctors — have to make fast and difficult decisions that may contradict the moral code. They have to remain calm in even the most intense situations. This is why it is one of the most difficult jobs in the world.
4. Salesperson
© The Wolf of Wall Street / Paramount Pictures
In the book, Working With Monsters: How to Identify and Protect Yourself from the Workplace Psychopath, the author says that a psychopath in a team can lead to a substantial increase in sales. Thanks to being confident, charming and having the ability to manipulate, psychopaths are the best salespeople. They love competition and they easily beat their rivals. For some employers, this is exactly what they want. A study conducted in 2001 showed that a person who oftentimes gets named “Employee of the Month” demonstrates more narcissism and cognitive empathy. But in a long-term perspective, such people lose the trust of clients.
3. Media
© Action News / DreamWorks
Working in the media is in 3rd place among the most popular jobs that psychopaths choose. This type of career is popular because working as a TV or a radio announcer requires being calm in front of an audience. Having qualities like narcissism and charm is useful in this profession and helps to advance them in their career at a fast pace.
2. Lawyer
© The Lincoln Lawyer / Lionsgate
If you saw the film, Devil’s Advocate, you know that working as a lawyer is a really stressful job that requires a huge amount of charm, public speaking skills, and the ability to make morally sound choices. A lot of people believe the stereotype that all lawyers are liars without any moral code, and are obsessed with making money. According to a psychologist, a successful lawyer should be able to lie and hide their emotions, and not pay attention to their conscience. In an interview, a successful psychopath lawyer said, “Deep inside me there’s a serial killer lurking somewhere.”
1. CEO
© Wall Street / 20th Century Fox
Psychopaths feel great when they are under stress. They often create chaos that allows them to look better in the eyes of others and beat their rivals. Many psychopaths use this method to climb the career ladder. Some studies show that 4% of CEOs of big companies are real psychopaths and 20% of them show a stronger inclination. That’s why CEO is the most desired career for a psychopath.
The psychologist also revealed the professions that are the least popular among psychopaths:
These are jobs that are all about connecting with and caring for other people and are less stressful. The psychologist says that of course, it doesn’t mean that the jobs we mentioned before are only for psychopaths. These ratings are made based on the qualities of psychopaths, such as confidence, fearlessness, a lack of sentiment, and charm. These traits are associated with the success of these certain jobs.
Which of these professions amazed you the most and why? Tell us what you think in the comment section below!
Preview photo credit hellskitchen