Psychotherapist: In Every Major Company There Would Be At Least One Psychopath

[DeSwiss]

Warning over workplace psychopaths

Mercury
By Jade Bilowol
June 14, 2007 01:34pm

Workplace psychopaths are common in major businesses and are ruining the lives of their colleagues, an expert has warned. And they are often rewarded for their ruthless behaviour because they appear smart and creative but are really manipulative bullies who steal ideas, according to Sydney-based psychotherapist and author John Clarke. Dr Clarke, who has penned two books about workplace psychopaths and will speak at the state government-sponsored Queensland Safety Show in Brisbane next week, today said up to three per cent of the Australian population was psychopathic. "I would say that in every major company there would be at least one," Dr Clarke said.

"Psychopaths are very comfortable in successful corporations because they are actually rewarded for their behaviour. In business you are encouraged to make money for the company and if you appear to be doing whatever it takes to make money, you are often promoted. They are seen as rising employees who are full of energy and creativity." But behind the facade, such workers were "ego-centric, grandiose, pathological liars with a lack of conscience, remorse and guilt", Dr Clarke said. "I think the workplace psychopath is actually more dangerous than the violent criminal psychopath, because the workplace psycho is smart, charismatic, charming and much less likely to get caught," he said.

Dr Clarke said victims were miserable, suffered depression, anxiety and panic attacks and feared going to work. "Psychopaths isolate their victims through cutting them out of the lines of communication and then destroy them," he said. "I know of several situations where employees have committed suicide because these people felt there was no other alternative. You are at work, you think about it, then you go home and think about it and question if it's something to do with you. You think about all the different scenarios until work is all you think about and at this stage it's destroying your life."

Dr Clarke said employees could protect themselves through education, communication or ultimately leaving their workplace. "If you know what they do, you are less likely to be sucked in and communication in the workplace makes you feel less isolated," he said. "But you need to evaluate your situation and, if you can't change it, you need to evaluate the costs for your mental health versus finding a new position elsewhere."

http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story/0,22884,21904033-5005940,00.html

*** - This guy would have a field day in the White House....

[Hissyspit]

1. And a dozen sociopaths? n/t

[EFerrari]

5. I just realized I don't know the difference. How are you distinguishing

between the two? (How can I be this old and know so little, lol.)

[DeSwiss]

8. Here's the definition....

...from Wiki:

"The difference between sociopathy and psychopathy, according to Hare, may "reflect the user's views on the origins and determinates of the disorder."(35) Most sociologists, criminologists and even some psychologists believe the disorder is caused by social conflicts, and thus prefer the term 'sociopath.' Those who believe as Hare does, that a combination of psychological, biological, genetic and environmental factors all contribute to the disorder are more likely to use the term 'psychopath'.

link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopathy#Sociopathy

[EFerrari]

14. Thank you. I still don't quite get the difference because

interacting with only one other person is already in the realm of "society".

Is the distinction more closely the target of anti-social behavior, i.e., a psychopath targets a person where a sociopath targets a group? I'm not sure that's even true but am just trying to figure this out.

[DeSwiss]

15. From what I can gather....

...the distinction between the two is a question of causation.

Those who refer to people with this mental disorder as "psychopaths," subscribed to the idea that its cause(s) lie mainly with a combination of psychological, biological, genetic and environmental factors.

While those who refer to people with this mental disorder as "sociopaths," subscribed to the idea that it is caused primarily by social conflicts.

:)

[EFerrari]

19. That's pretty mooshy, isn't it?

Thanks, DeSwiss. :)

[DeSwiss]

23. Well, personally....

...I'm inclined toward the biological/genetic explanation. I say this because of the cases where psychopaths like http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/notorious/dahmer/index.html">Jeffrey Dahmer (and some others), who were raised in what most would consider "normal" families with sibs who seemed to have turned out okay.

[EFerrari]

25. I tend to agree. My ex had most of these issues and they didn't

come from interaction but from the brain he brought to interaction with others.

[RaleighNCDUer]

22. IOW, two descriptions of the same disorder. No? nt

[DeSwiss]

24. I think its more a matter of who is doing the describing....

As the Wiki piece indicates, it is sociologists, criminologists and some psychologists who believe the disorder is caused by social conflicts.

That leaves psychotherapists and psychiatrists in the other camp I would say....

:shrug:

[DeSwiss]

9. Dupe post--- delete

[Alexander]

2. I'm convinced I encountered a few psychopaths on the ASU campus...

And not of the Cho variety, either. More like the type described above - charming, funny and popular, only too eager to screw others over.

[ananda]

7. the bad seed

In the literature, psychopaths are often depicted as beautiful and charming.

It's their amorality and lack of conscience that gives them away... but
sometimes they can hide it beneath a veneer.

In the case of Bush, he gets lots of help. The entire media culture is
psychopathic, as most corporations are.

[liberal N proud]

3. Since I can put several people in the company I work for in that category

Does that mean there are some of you out there who have none?

It seems to be psycho overload here.

[NastyRiffraff]

4. I know who it was in my former company!

"ego-centric, grandiose, pathological liars with a lack of conscience, remorse and guilt" describes him perfectly. As well as "smart, charismatic, charming and much less likely to get caught"

[Jonathan50]

6. Absolutely

They even have a special title.

They are called "CEOs"

[ananda]

10. Remember East of Eden?

Cathy/Kate was a psychopath, and Steinbeck's depiction of her character
is one of the great tour de forces in all of literature.

Sue

[devilgrrl]

11. Sounds like the people that run my company.

eom

[ThomCat]

12. I've known two of those people.

Once you've encountered one, you'll be alert to other people like that. x(

[yardwork]

13. I think that one just left my office

He came across as bright, witty, charming, and kind - but he had a dark side, and eventually many of us realized that he was constantly talking behind people's backs, trying to make them look bad and take credit for their work. He left for another position with much higher pay and prestige. Many of us were glad to see him go.

[jollyreaper2112]

17. Testosterone, Inc.

Listening to this in the car, audio book. CEO is exactly right. That book profiles the CEO's of GE, Tyco, Sunbeam, and some entertainment company, a Pearlman guy. So that's Jack Welch, Kowslowksi, and Chainsaw Al Dunlap. They saw a Greek hero rises high on his abilities and is undone by a fatal flaw. In the cases of these guys they're rising high on their flaws before being undone by them. They were ruthless, relentless, always pushing for more more more. It got them to the top chair in the organization but at that point imperial overreach did them in. These guys are also gamblers. We don't read about the ones who had a few good rolls but flamed out in middle management, we only hear about the ones who are on a lucky streak up to the top, then bomb bigtime.

If you are healthy, balanced, and content in life, you are not going to rise as high and move as far as these monsters. It's the same reason why the people with the right qualifications for president never run.

[opihimoimoi]

16. Look up the Malignant Narcissant, The Abuser, and The Bully

Tim Feilds of UK(passed away), described the above...

The Serial Bully hides his/her true self with lies/deception/etc....they pick on targets and like a cancer...makes the work place/home/group HELL...this is what they do...this is all they do....

And, there is no known therapy....of serious consequence that is...

Often they have a Negative Personality hidden with Charm/Charisma...American Society is filled with these types...anywhere from 3 to 5 %....

We have a president who has NPD...narcissant personality disorder...the signs he displays confirms this...

Google this subject and you can, if not already, be informed of this serious subject matter....Opi

Come, we go drink....

[LizW]

18. I've worked for one in the past

And I know one right now. I don't work for this one, thank goodness, but he has gotten two friends of mine fired in the last year.

The description is very accurate. They pick a victim and focus on that person until he/she destroys the person.

I've learned that there is a key to look for. Be very careful about going to work for a person who has had several marriages that ended in divorce or the death of the spouse.

It is scary, but the article is correct that these people are more common than you would think. I'm not yet 50, and I've known three of them in my lifetime.

[Javaman]

20. Being the facilities manager at my job...

I'm always have an eye out for the person with the most potential for going postal. Much like the atomic clock, we had our postal clock here about 1 minute to midnight a few times. I'm happy to report that I would place the clock now at roughly half past 11. Whew!

[Az]

21. Of course its a natural fit. Corporations are designed as sociopaths

Concern about social consequences only brought to bear as a measure of how it will effect the bottom line. Costs of dealing with lawsuits for killing people due to shoddy designs are figured into the end cost. If the cost of the lawsuits overcome the profit from sales that is the only consideration that can be figured into whether to proceed or not. And of course all evidence of researching the actual statistics must be destroyed so ignorance can be claimed.

[DeSwiss]

26. In the past...

...I worked in government for many years and I would have to say that this is one place where the passive/aggressive tendencies of a psychopath is also very prevalent. Particularly since being a government official gives one power and authority over "ordinary" citizens.

From my experiences, just as in the private sector, most often these individuals are promoted, often using the ideas of subordinates as their own to get those promotions. And they often seek to either control their sources of innovation and insight, or to get rid of them. Usually such people back down when challenged, as the whole idea is to use their cunning and manipulative abilities to "win."

Using whispering campaigns and influencing or actually completing one's performance evaluations (particularly in subjective areas of performance) is another trick they use to intimidate. Such subjective area examples might include: Neatness, Thoroughness, Resourcefulness, Initiative, and Fairness. (All of these examples are taken directly from the evaluation forms I received when I work in government.)