Is Your Boss a Psychopath?
Dogers writes "Robert Hare, creator of the Psychopathy Checklist, has recently been applying his test 'Is your boss a psychopath' to businessmen and has found some disturbing results. From the article: 'Why wouldn't we want to screen them? We screen police officers, teachers. Why not people who are going to handle billions of dollars?'. Citing Enron and Worldcom management as an example, it seems a reasonable argument. The same source also has a quiz (magazine produced it seems) which allows you to test your own boss, too!"
Yes! Next question?
I'll turn into a supernova and burn up everything. Well I'll turn into a black little hole and you'll turn into string.
I think that this could be the very first Slashdot thread composed entirely of AC posts.
Minus this one of course.
Should we screen everyone then? On man's psycopath is aanother man's genius.
Although there are psychopaths out there- I had an internship where a boss of mine spend 10 minutes screaming at me for stapling something crooked.
And All I Ask is a Tall Ship And a Star to Steer Her By
So apparently I'm in the Be Very Afraid range. Remind me to never go into business for myself or I'll eventually kill the bastard.
Do not taunt Happy-Fun Ball
examples: Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Bill Clinton, George Bush.
OK, this must mean that about 95% of politicians are psychopaths:
- glib and superficially charming
- grandiose sense of self-worth
- pathological liar
- master manipulator
- lack of remorse or guilt
- shallow
- callous and lacking in empathy
- fail to accept responsibility for his own actions
Yep, that's a politician alright.
I think you just proved you are yourself a psychopath. ;)
"[3] Is he a pathological liar?
Has he reinvented his own past in a more positive light -- for example, claiming that he rose from a tough, poor background even though he really grew up middle class? Does he lie habitually even though he can easily be found out? When he's exposed, does he still act unconcerned because he thinks he can weasel out of it? Does he enjoy lying? Is he proud of his knack for deceit? Is it hard to tell whether he knows he's a liar or whether he deceives himself and believes his own bull?"
Your fired.
-Mauricio
Wer mit Ungeheuern kämpft, mag zusehn, dass er nicht dabei zum Ungeheuer wird. --Nietzsche
... you insensitive clod!
I'm self-employed, you insensetive clod!
On the other hand, it looks like I may fit the profile pretty well. Grandiose sense of my own self worth... check, check, check... I pity the poor fools who are working for me - fools who, also, are me.
You're fired for making a grammatical error that a 2nd grader would make.
-PMP-
[1] Is he glib and superficially charming?
Wow, just like the GTK library
"Is your employee a whining crybaby?"
For each question, score two points for "yes," one point for "somewhat" or "maybe," and zero points for "no."
1) Does he/she frequently post on geek websites, complaining about you being a psychopath?
2) Does your employee hate Microsoft, IBM, the Patent Office, and/or does he feel that somehow his future is threatened by them?
3) Does your employee believe SCO may have a case?
4) Is your employee constantly whining about management decisions like purchasing a Microsoft Exchange server or cisco routers?
5) Did your employee get overly agitated when you decided to pay SCO for their Linux Licenses?
6) Does he/she often speak in a language uncomprehensible to human beings? using words such as "packet" "protocol" or "xfree"
7) Does he/she look frustrated when you make bold management decisions, such as assigning half the company to a research project about sending electricity over fax machines?
8) Is your employee constantly whining about not having enough time or resources in order to achieve his goals?
1-4 | Our condolences. Your employee may be dead.
5-7 | Be cautious about not approaching him.
8-12 | Be afraid of approaching him.
13-16 | Be very afraid of approaching him.
For each question, score two points for "yes," one point for "somewhat" or "maybe," and zero points for "no."
[1] Is he glib and superficially charming?
[2] Does he have a grandiose sense of self-worth?
[3] Is he a pathological liar?
[4] Is he a con artist or master manipulator?
[5] When he harms other people, does he feel a lack of remorse or guilt?
[6] Does he have a shallow affect?
[7] Is he callous and lacking in empathy?
[8] Does he fail to accept responsibility for his own actions?
1-4 | Be frustrated
5-7 | Be cautious
8-12 | Be afraid
13-16 | Be very afraid
--
make install -not war
Is he glib and superficially charming? - Is he a people-person?
Does he have a grandiose sense of self-worth? - Does he add value to the company?
Is he a pathological liar? - Does he keep the investors informed
Is he a con artist or master manipulator? - Does he attract new business?
When he harms other people, does he feel a lack of remorse or guilt? - Does he have what it takes to thrive in a competitive enviroment?
Does he have a shallow affect? - Does he let his emotions control his business decisions?
Is he callous and lacking in empathy? - Is he able to place the interests of the company first?
Does he fail to accept responsibility for his own actions? - My personal favorite - Is he able to look at the 'Big Picture'
Yes, tis true. We are the future!
That just gave me an idea for a business, "Psychopaths On Call." We can have them stay at home with a pager, and companies can hire them by the hour for those tough, decisions of questionable ethics...
I think I'll call my attorney about the legalities of this one.
oh wait...
"Teleporting Rodents with D-Cell Battery Displacement" theory -- IgnoramusMaximus (692000)
Oh lord. I'm usually part of the grammar police myself. I guess I could say that I was imitating Mauricio by using "your" instead of "you're" on purpose. In fact, that's what I'm going to go with.
Wer mit Ungeheuern kämpft, mag zusehn, dass er nicht dabei zum Ungeheuer wird. --Nietzsche
Are you kidding? For those kinds of jobs, being a psychopath is practically a prerequisite.
Technoli
I'll see your half dozen communist dictators and raise you 100 US Senators. I'll hold onto my President card just in case you have any thing else to play.
"All great wisdom is contained in .signature files"
I for one welcome our new corporate psychopath overlords.
An easy test for you: if someone goes around murdering people in a grizzly, macabre fashion then they are probably psychopaths.
Hmm... darn.
What if I don't use the grizzly? Are brown bears acceptable, or should I just go with the crazed attack weasles instead?
--
NotAPsychopathNoReallyImNot
Yes, indeed, he's a psychopath.
There was this great line from the first Red Dwarf novel. I can't find the exact text online, this is how I remember it. It takes place before the 3 million year sleep, right after Lister comes on board and Rimmer is addressing him and the rest of his shift.
Lister: I'd like to be transferred to another shift, sir.
Rimmer: Why?
Lister: With all due respect, sir, I think you're mentally unbalanced.
Rimmer: There's always one in every group, isn't there. One idiot, one loser, one psychpath.
Lister: Yes sir, but he isn't usually in charge.
Technoli
Your on probation Mister.
-PMP-
Wow, you must not date much.
"The advanced societies of the future will be driven by competing systems of psychopathology." -JG Ballard
People sleep better at night not knowing how sausages or law are made. -Paraphrased from Bismark.
I'll never make that mistake again, reading the experts' opinions. - Feynman