Do you know the story of a respected neuroscientist who discovered he was a psychopath? James Fallon has been studying brain scans, looking for signs of psychopathy and other brain dysfunctions. As he was going through the pile on his desk, one of the checks struck him as pathological. Unfortunately, the examination belonged to him.
How could a dedicated neuroscientist be a psychopath? Fallon insists he “didn’t kill anyone or rape anyone.” After further research, the diagnosis made sense. While he was growing up, many teachers and priests always believed that something had happened to him. Fortunately for us, Fallon is a perfect example of a high-functioning psychopath.
9 Signs of a high-functioning psychopath
High-functioning psychopaths display psychopathic characteristics. However, they lack violent tendencies. If you look at psychopathy as a spectrum, some people display a few psychopathic traits, and others tick all the boxes.
Evidence suggests that it may be beneficial to have some psychopathic traits. Many CEOs, world leaders, and billionaire entrepreneurs show some positive signs of psychopathy.
So, can you spot a high-functioning psychopath using the following traits?
- You are very skilled at manipulation
Psychopaths are manipulative, but high-functioning psychopaths like Fallon are devious, cunning, and have more than a little charm. You often won’t realize what you agreed to, or how a psychopath manipulated you.
You feel good about what you are being asked to do. You may have been so pleased to think that you are the only person qualified to do the job. Or you may have been emotionally blackmailed or guilt-ridden. Whatever the situation, you feel obligated, and the manipulator gets out of doing the job.
- You are devious and evade responsibility
Psychopaths don’t like to be wrong, but highly competent people will do anything to keep their reputation. Their narcissism is too fragile to accept criticism or blame. They can’t be wrong. gotta be you. High-functioning psychopaths should be the best. They are winners, they look down on everyone else.
- You understand empathy but have no feelings
It might surprise you to learn that Fallon does a lot of charity work. I imagine one of the reasons is the admiration and fame it brings. To be seen as a charitable act feeds his ego and raises his status. But does he care about the causes he supports?
Perhaps this is an example of how Fallon is unconsciously trying to fit in with society. He knows what it’s like to be and about societal expectations, but he also knows not to feel what other people are experiencing.
“Do you tell people you love them, or do you give them money? Since I’m connected the second way, telling the people I care about means nothing.” James Fallon
- Your confidence borders on arrogance
Some might think that Fallon would stay quiet after his psychopathic tendencies were discovered. This is not in his DNA. He certainly isn’t shy about telling anyone about his philanthropic work either. Fallon’s philanthropy is impressive. finds homeless families and finances an extravagant Christmas for them; He takes turns at soup kitchens and even donates 10% of his salary to charity.
So why would someone with low empathy go to all this trouble? For Fallon, it’s not so much about helping people.
“I want to win… I took it as a challenge. That’s what drives me.” James Fallon
- You must win at all costs
Speaking of winning, all psychopaths are competitive, but a psychopath has to win every time. Fallon admits he needs to win, not just with his charitable endeavors, but with his family members:
“I’m a loathsome competitor. I won’t let my grandkids win matches. I’m kind of an idiot.” James Fallon
- You cling to revenge
Most of us get angry, accept apologies, forgive, and forget. Psychopaths, especially high-functioners, maintain this anger for months and even years.
“I show no anger at all… I could sit on it for a year or two or three or five. But I will understand you. And I always do. And they don’t know where it comes from. They can’t relate it to the event, and it comes out of nowhere.” James Fallon
Fallon and other high-functioning psychopaths are not physically violent. They are aggressive in the way they argue. They may use deceptive tactics to undermine you or put you in a bad light.
- You blame others for your failures
In psychology, there is something called the control center. This is where we attribute our successes and failures to internal or external factors. For example, if I had an in-house position, I would say I missed out on a promotion because I didn’t have the skills for the job. People with outside status might say they lost it because their boss didn’t like them.
High-functioning psychopaths blame others for their misfortunes.
- Power and control motivate you
Studies show that people in high-powered jobs are more likely to have psychopathic traits such as low empathy, lack of remorse, apathy, manipulation, and superficial charm. Estimates range from 4% to 12% of CEOs have positive psychopathic traits.
Leaders must be inspiring and have the charisma to motivate others. They know how to make people like them. They also have to make tough decisions without feeling bad about themselves. They are usually risk-takers and are happy to lie to get what they want.
Karen Landay holds a Ph.D. Candidate in Business Administration at the University of Alabama, studying psychopathy and leadership.
“They are usually very charming on the surface, they are bold and fearless. They don’t care that they hurt you. They will do what they have to do.” Karen Landay
- You change your behavior to fit in with society
There are some social rules that we all abide by. Pushing boundaries is a risky endeavor. You risk letting people know how different you are.
For example, showing little emotion for things we all find annoying, or waiting decades for revenge for a petty misdemeanor. Showing your true self means people will look at you differently. You are not one of us, you are someone to be feared and avoided. To fit in, you have to subjugate your personality to some extent.
