Psychopathic CEOs Are Rife In Silicon Valley, Experts Say (theguardian.com)

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Psychopathic CEOs Are Rife In Silicon Valley, Experts Say (theguardian.com)

Posted by BeauHD on Thursday March 16, 2017 @01:40AM from the American-Psycho dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: There is a high proportion of psychopathic CEOs in Silicon Valley, enabled by protective investors and weak human resources departments, according to a panel of experts at SXSW festival. Although the term "psychopath" typically has negative connotations, some of the attributes associated with the disorder can be advantageous in a business setting. "A true psychopath is someone that has a blend of emotional, interpersonal, lifestyle and behavioral deficits but an uncanny ability to mask them. They come across as very charming, very gregarious. But underneath there's a profound lack of remorse, callousness and a lack of empathy," said forensic and clinical psychologist Michael Woodworth, who has worked with psychopathic murderers in high security prisons, on Tuesday. According to recent studies there's a high prevalence of psychopathy among high-level executives in a corporate environment: 4-8% compared with 1% in the general population. This makes sense, according to Silicon Valley venture capitalist Bryan Stolle because "it's an irrational act to start a company." "You have to have a tremendous amount of ego [and] self-deception to embark on that journey," he said. "You have to make sacrifices and give up things, including sometimes a marriage, family and friends. And you have to convince other people. So they are mostly very charismatic, charming and make you suspend the disbelief that something can't be done." However, the positive attributes are accompanied by manipulation. "One of the main things that makes them extremely difficult to organizations is their willingness to manipulate through deception," said Jeff Hancock, a Stanford social scientist who studies psychopathy. "Psychopaths will handpick people they can use as lackeys or supporters, such as someone in HR they can have in their wheelhouse," said Woodworth.

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Business by PopeRatzo · 2017-03-16 01:42 · Score: 5, Insightful

Although the term "psychopath" typically has negative connotations, some of the attributes associated with the disorder can be advantageous in a business setting.
What does this tell us about our economic system?

--
You are welcome on my lawn.
1. Re: Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 01:50 · Score: 0
  
  If they're experts, why don't they know the difference between a psychopath and a sociopath?
2. Re:Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 01:57 · Score: 1
  
  It tells me that corporations are psychopathic/sociopathic entities.
  "Corporations are people, my friend" -- Mitt Romney
  Since corporations are people AND corporations are acknowledged to be psychopathic/sociopathic AND we drug/monitor/lock-up people with those issues for the protection of society at large, this tells me that we need MUCH, MUCH, MUCH more regulation on corporations than what we have right now.
  Otherwise what is the point of science at all?
3. Re:Business by Ol+Olsoc · 2017-03-16 02:09 · Score: 1
  
  Although the term "psychopath" typically has negative connotations, some of the attributes associated with the disorder can be advantageous in a business setting.
  What does this tell us about our economic system?
  Well, it's not like the US has a monopoly on psychos. We got's us some darn good ones though.
  
  --
  The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
4. Re:Business by meta-monkey · 2017-03-16 02:12 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  What does this tell us about our economic system?
  That it's a damn good idea to keep government and economics as separate as possible. If you put the government in charge of the economy, then the same psychopaths have control of both government and industry. Right now we at least have the possibility of competition between the economic psychos and the government psychos, so we can get them fighting each other instead of us.
  
  --
  We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
5. Re: Business by fazig · 2017-03-16 02:25 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  According to DSM-IV definitions there's no difference between the two, officially the term sociopath has become obsolete some time ago.
  Both are terms that are perhaps not diagnosed but often used to describe a particular anti-social personality disorder.
  Some psychologists or psychiatrists want to distinguish the two by attributing psychopathy to a biochemical imbalance in the brain some people are born with. Which is backed up by some data acquired through fMRI. While sociopathy is believed to be caused by interaction between humans or more specifically the lack thereof. Severe neglect and abuse are believed to cause this kind of anti-social personality disorder which in its symptoms is the same as psychopathy.
  
  But again, according to the DSM-IV definitions that distinction is not made to begin with.
6. Re:Business by asylumx · 2017-03-16 02:31 · Score: 1
  
  If you put the government in charge of the economy...
  The vice-versa doesn't seem too great, either.
  
  Right now we at least have the possibility of competition between the economic psychos and the government psychos
  That seems to be less and less true each passing day, though!
7. Re:Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 02:34 · Score: 0
  
  What does this tell us about our economic system?
  What do they mean - "in silicon valley?" Are they suggesting that's not the case elsewhere?
8. Re:Business by PopeRatzo · 2017-03-16 02:42 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Well, it's not like the US has a monopoly on psychos. We got's us some darn good ones though.
  We've got the best psychos. Classy, beautiful psychos, believe me. Not loser psychos like they've got in Europe, which by the way has terrible ratings.
  
  --
  You are welcome on my lawn.
9. Re:Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 02:42 · Score: 1
  
  That it's a damn good idea to keep government and economics as separate as possible.
  
  Nah, the lesson here is that it's IMPOSSIBLE to keep government and economics as separate as possible, and that trying to keep them away is not a sustainable solution.
  I'm not claiming I know a better solution. I'm just saying we need to find a better solution.
  
  Right now we at least have the possibility of competition between the economic psychos and the government psychos
  It's a very very low possibility, given the world runs on free market capitalism. Free market capitalism is a system that encourages people finding mutually beneficial cooperation instead of competition. This applies even for psychopaths. Instead of wasting their time competing, psychopaths are more likely to find common ground and form mutually beneficial deals with each other.
  Both government psychos and business psychos share one obvious thing in common: the desire to screw the little people for all they're worth. They can cooperate along those lines, which is what usually happens.
  
  we can get them fighting each other instead of us
  First, no, we cannot. Psychos are psychos because they don't care about you. You can't "get" them to do anything iif they don't care about you.
  Second, even if psychos fight each other, that does not mean it's better for us. Sith Lords fight each other. Doesn't mean they're both bad news. In fact, the Sith Rule of Two takes advantage of the greed and lust for power of the Sith (the psychos) to make them stronger with each generation, so that even just two Sith Lords can plunge the entire galaxy into chaos. Whoever wins, we lose.
10. Re:Business by bill_mcgonigle · 2017-03-16 02:47 · Score: 1
  
  If you put the government in charge of the economy...
  The vice-versa doesn't seem too great, either.
  Do you prefer the psychopaths with dysfunctional boardrooms or the psychopaths with large arsenals of weaponry?
  Apportion power appropriately to your risk analysis.
  
  --
  My God, it's Full of Source!
  OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
11. Re:Business by NicknameUnavailable · 2017-03-16 02:53 · Score: 1
  
  Nah, the lesson here is that it's IMPOSSIBLE to keep government and economics as separate as possible, and that trying to keep them away is not a sustainable solution.
  This isn't true, at all. The government has one asset: it holds a monopoly on violence. All things the government does or can do stem from that one basic fact. Having the government do anything else is bad because they will mix the assets they have to achieve objectives. Some things are more "benign", at least in modern conception, like taking people's homes by force or shooting/jailing/etc them for not paying taxes, the bulk of which antithetically go to providing other people with food and housing. Then there are bigger issues, like the fact we are coming up fast on the transition from a scarcity-based economy to a post-scarcity economy thanks to extreme automation - the place controlling who lives and dies is not the place I want deciding what to do with all the extra people who are no longer needed to drive the economy.
12. Re:Business by bill_mcgonigle · 2017-03-16 02:56 · Score: 1
  
  Nah, the lesson here is that it's IMPOSSIBLE to keep government and economics as separate as possible, and that trying to keep them away is not a sustainable solution.
  You're right - when you allow a government, they stick their 'fingers' into business, every time, guaranteed. And when you give the psychopaths "government" power, you get 300 million dead in just a hundred years.
  I'm not claiming I know a better solution. I'm just saying we need to find a better solution.
  If 300 million dead isn't going to teach humanity that government is the most deadly creation humans have ever divised, I'm not sure that anything can. Masses of ignorant people will still claim that we need a government system to keep us safe from "the anarchists" (who are meanwhile busy selling shoes and cryptocurrencies) and that we just need to "vote harder" until the killing stops. They apparently took both history and mathematics in a government school.
  I still think Bill Gates is a dick, but I'd put up with his crappy business practices over Stalin's any day. Nobody is going to vote to allow Bill Gates to have nukes. Because without the blinder of politics they realize that would be an incredibly stupid move.
  
  --
  My God, it's Full of Source!
  OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
13. Re:Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 02:58 · Score: 0
  
  That it is pretty good. Do you prefer the economic systems from the likes of Joseph Stalin, Pol Pot or Mao? Do any of the former strike you as charming and gregarious but lacking in empathy?
14. Re:Business by meta-monkey · 2017-03-16 03:06 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  First, no, we cannot. Psychos are psychos because they don't care about you. You can't "get" them to do anything iif they don't care about you.
  godzilla-let-them-fight-quote.jpg. I didn't say get the psychopaths to care about us and help us. I said give them a different target: other psychopaths.
  The Founders understood this. This is why we have 3 separate but co-equal branches of government. They knew psychos would go into government (monopoly on violence, WAY better than money), so make the psychos in the legislature fight the psychos in the executive branch fight the psychos in the judicial branch and hopefully mostly ignore the little people on the ground. The problem is now the psychos on Wall Street have bought all the psychos in Washington D.C..
  
  --
  We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
15. Re:Business by avandesande · 2017-03-16 03:08 · Score: 1
  
  It doesn't mean anything. Having a certain number of people with Psychopathy in the general population is overall advantageous to the human race. I know it's hard to believe that but it's true.
  
  --
  love is just extroverted narcissism
16. Re: Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 03:13 · Score: 0
  
  There are definite differences between a sociopath and psychopath. If you've evern known one of each - you'd know this.
  Perfect examples from modern television -
  PSYCHOPATH - Dexter Morgan. He works for Miami Metro PD by day, helping them catch criminals as a blood splatter analyst. By night, though, he hunts the criminals he couldn't catch in the day, kidnaps them, cuts them up, and drops them in the ocean. Then he rinses and repeats the next day. Oh did I mention his sister is a very good cop...and she doesn't know Dexter has been killing since they were kids. Dexter wants you to like him. He wants to try and be normal. He's very good at pretending. He's had girlfriends he's loved, and would kill for, but he wouldn't kill them....unless they fit his mold of "immoral criminals to be killed"
  SOCIOPATH - The Joker. He is so impulsive and chaotic he could NEVER fool the police by getting a job working with them. He just wants to watch the world burn. If he tried to pretend to be nice, half way through the conversation you'd wind up dead for saying the wrong thing. Yes he loves Harley, but - the only thoughts in his head after dropping her out of a helicopter - he'd blame someone else if he killed her. He'd target the bat. He'd act as if his actions of letting go of her, wasn't what led to her death...and he'd have no second thoughts about it.
  Please don't further confuse people, by drawing in classifications made by people that are studying the mind, cannot cure these issues, and change the definition for them "frequently. "
17. Re: Business by fazig · 2017-03-16 03:16 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Please don't further confuse people, by drawing in classifications made by people that are studying the mind, cannot cure these issues, and change the definition for them "frequently. "
  Makes sense. Don't confuse people by using scientific definitions that everyone can look up themselves. Better use the arbitrary ones from anonymous random internet person who bases their definition on comic books and television.
18. Re:Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 03:19 · Score: 0
  
  Bill, you're an insane old man with dementia. This also explains your child-like enthusiasms about space; you think you can just fly away on a rocket to escape the imaginary bogeyman.
  Also, "divised"??? That would be "devised". Let's just say I have a hard time taking things seriously when they're not even spelled properly.
19. Re:Business by SCVonSteroids · 2017-03-16 03:19 · Score: 1
  
  It tells us that nobody stands up to tyrants anymore. I mean who can blame them, when you're up against present day technology. I really hate being pessimistic about life but this is one of those things that the more you think about it, the more you realize that we're pretty fucked. All of us.
  
  --
  I tend to rant.
20. Re:Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 03:22 · Score: 0
  
  I said give them a different target: other psychopaths.
  And I'm saying that strategy doesn't work. You can TRY to give them another target, but they are just as likely - if not more likely - to team up on you.
  
  The problem is now the psychos on Wall Street have bought all the psychos in Washington D.C..
  So what I said. Instead of targeting each other, the psychos teamed up.
21. Re:Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 03:35 · Score: 0
  
  The Founders understood this. This is why we have 3 separate but co-equal branches of government. They knew psychos would go into government (monopoly on violence (...)
  Excuse me, but in the time of the Founders there was no notion of psychopathy. It is a 20th century concept. I think you're wrong.
22. Re:Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 03:39 · Score: 0
  
  Do you suppose science will ever be used to decide less regulations are needed?
23. Re:Business by Marxist+Hacker+42 · 2017-03-16 03:40 · Score: 1
  
  I'm just amazed that TFA identified the Silicon Valley as a hot spot for this. In my experience, MOST C-level executives are psychopaths. It's part of the basic job description.
  
  --
  SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
24. Re:Business by meta-monkey · 2017-03-16 03:42 · Score: 1
  
  They might have called them "tyrants" or "complete fucking assholes" rather than diagnosing them with a mental disorder, but it's the same concept. It's not like people just discovered some people really, really, really don't give a shit about anyone else. I think that's been well understood through all of human history.
  
  --
  We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
25. Re:Business by Hognoxious · 2017-03-16 04:09 · Score: 1
  
  I don't know if the US has more or if it has better ones. But it's certainly better at getting them into positions where they can make a difference.
  
  --
  Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
26. Re:Business by dryeo · 2017-03-16 04:13 · Score: 1
  
  Sure, science says the war on drugs is a useless set of regulations, same with regulations on things like what consenting adults do in their bedroom, gay marriage, and various other religious driven regulations. These are the regulations that the anti-regulation people are usually in favour of.
  
  --
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
27. Re: Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 04:27 · Score: 0
  
  Wrong. Sociopath and psychopath are synonyms.
28. Re: Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 04:34 · Score: 0
  
  Yeah, wow, I needed some time to figure out how to reply to that pile of nonsense up there... Wow wow wow, some people are so deranged they can't even see how dysfunctional their thought process has become.
29. Re:Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 04:39 · Score: 0
  
  TRUMP
  TRU-Manic-Psycopath
  The US' top CEO gov. prez.
30. Re:Business by vel-ex-tech · 2017-03-16 04:41 · Score: 1
  
  You left out Venezuela, dipshit.
  Repeat after me:
  OMG Socialism! Stalin! Mao! Pol Pot! Venezuela!
31. Re:Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 04:41 · Score: 0
  
  ^ This.
32. Re:Business by rmandevi · 2017-03-16 04:47 · Score: 1
  
  The worst part is, most publicly traded corporations are effectively psychopathic, as enforced by law.
  Look up Dodge vs. Ford Motor Company. In short, the company has but one moral: to satisfy the shareholders. And unless you have a very special group of them, they want profits. Thus, a publicly traded corporation has the one moral of "make more profit" and any other morality goes by the wayside.
  And if corporations are people, then they are giants in terms of what they can do. So we live in a world full of psychopathic giants that are naturally immune to criminal law.
  There's got to be a David Lynch film in here somewhere.
  
  --
  People who live in glass houses shouldn't walk and text.
33. Re:Business by sjames · 2017-03-16 04:52 · Score: 1
  
  Unfortunately, the business psychos are only held in check by government. They don't go full on destructive because it's just too expensive when they have to fight government to do it. The greatest profit is in lobbying government to be weaker and taking maximum advantage. Should government go away at no cost to them, we would see their full-on destructive tendencies. With no governmenty, how long do you think it would take for Larry Ellison to have nukes?
34. Re: Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 04:57 · Score: 1
  
  scientific definitions .
  The DSM is no more scientific than an encyclical from the Vatican.
35. Re:Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 04:57 · Score: 0
  
  what does this tell us about our economic system?
  SPECTACULAR shortsightedness with this question. Try this one:
  What does this tell us about our SOCIETY and who is leading us?
  And yet you still freak out about antivaccers and holocaust deniers and any number of less 'grievous' thought offenders
36. Re:Business by rocker_wannabe · 2017-03-16 04:58 · Score: 1
  
  Duh! Corporations are chartered for greed so it automatically eliminates anyone with compassion from running it. The real problem is that most people don't want to admit that we are all part of the problem. The people that work for the corporations, buy from the corporations or invest in the corporations covers a wide swath of the general public. Where we work and how we spend our money either reinforces or reduces the problem. If people just throw up their hands and say "I don't have a choice" then things will continue in the same direction. Only when more people decide to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem will anything change.
  
  --
  "Meaningless!, Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless!"
37. Re: Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 05:13 · Score: 0
  
  That may well be, but getting definitions from Batman is not the answer.
38. Re:Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 05:14 · Score: 0
  
  BINGO! Someone is starting to get it.
39. Re: Business by sysrammer · 2017-03-16 05:24 · Score: 1
  
  I vote we replace the DSM with the OP's descriptions. They make so much sense and are easy to remember as everyone knows who Dexter and Joker are.
  
  --
  His ignorance covered the whole earth like a blanket, and there was hardly a hole in it anywhere. - Mark Twain
40. Re: Business by sysrammer · 2017-03-16 05:25 · Score: 1
  
  That may well be, but getting definitions from Batman is not the answer.
  Correct. Alfred is the one who came up with the answers.
  
  --
  His ignorance covered the whole earth like a blanket, and there was hardly a hole in it anywhere. - Mark Twain
41. Re:Business by sysrammer · 2017-03-16 05:27 · Score: 1
  
  I can guess who's lawn you're not welcome on.
  
  --
  His ignorance covered the whole earth like a blanket, and there was hardly a hole in it anywhere. - Mark Twain
42. Re: Business by AutodidactLabrat · 2017-03-16 05:30 · Score: 2
  
  Wrong
  The technology of statistics as an evaluation mechanism for spectrum disorders is well understood and rigorous.
43. Re:Business by AutodidactLabrat · 2017-03-16 05:31 · Score: 1
  
  Oh, seriously, that was the nail in the coffin!
44. Re: Business by ewibble · 2017-03-16 05:38 · Score: 1
  
  It really depends what you read, you are right the first thing you get when google the difference between sociopath and psychopath is the are synonyms, however if you click on the link it actually goes on to describe differences like psychopath is genetic and sociopath is nurture. Psychopath is dangerous, sociopath is crazy.
  from http://www.medicaldaily.com/wh... the top link
  
  Psychologists tend to break down the two groups by certain factors, and they have a lot in common. Both tend to be charming, despite being unable to empathize normally with others. They offer convincing systems of fear and disgust, but tend to lack both. Here’s the crux, though: Psychopaths cross the line. Sociopaths may hole up in their houses and remove themselves from society, while a psychopath is busy in his basement rigging shackles to his furnace.
  If you go a little further (the 3rd link down) you can find from psychology today https://www.psychologytoday.co... which I assume is a reasonably authoritative source, you get a description more like the Joker/Dexter argument, minus the pop culture references. By this definition you would expect CEOs to be psychopaths, not sociopaths.
  I am no physiologist so I have no idea which source is more authoritative but my guess is there is probably disagreement in the community.
45. Re:Business by slew · 2017-03-16 05:57 · Score: 1
  
  Nah, the lesson here is that it's IMPOSSIBLE to keep government and economics as separate as possible, and that trying to keep them away is not a sustainable solution.
  This isn't true, at all. The government has one asset: it holds a monopoly on violence. All things the government does or can do stem from that one basic fact. Having the government do anything else is bad because they will mix the assets they have to achieve objectives. Some things are more "benign", at least in modern conception, like taking people's homes by force or shooting/jailing/etc them for not paying taxes, the bulk of which antithetically go to providing other people with food and housing. Then there are bigger issues, like the fact we are coming up fast on the transition from a scarcity-based economy to a post-scarcity economy thanks to extreme automation - the place controlling who lives and dies is not the place I want deciding what to do with all the extra people who are no longer needed to drive the economy.
  That's cute, you think the economy doesn't control the government. It does so on so many levels it is hard to understand how impossible it would be to separate. For example...
  * The need for donor money to pay for election campaigns.
  * The military industrial complex
  * The Fed
  * GDP growth rate correlation to election results (basically one of Nate Silver's hypothesis)
  As to your point, there is no need for the government to decide who lives and dies, when people are no longer needed to drive the economy, they can simply *create* economic activity by spending more on the military (or other "homeland" protection) scheme. Just because the military can kill people (directly via drones, or indirectly by selling arms into parties in active conflict zones), doesn't mean that the military has to. They don't have to follow typical economic rules.
46. Re: Business by thinkwaitfast · 2017-03-16 06:04 · Score: 1
  
  Suppose they don't?
47. Re:Business by thinkwaitfast · 2017-03-16 06:11 · Score: 2
  
  I wonder how many are in Hollywood? I have a friend since grade school who was a "Hollywood insider" for a few years before quitting in disgust and in his opinion, they all were.
48. Re:Business by gweihir · 2017-03-16 06:18 · Score: 1
  
  It tells us that it is a "scum swims to the top"-system. These fail long-term and make a lot of people miserable short-term without any real need or gain. It also tells us that the human race has still not figured out how to build societies well, except for small communities (which have their own issues).
  
  --
  Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
49. Re:Business by thinkwaitfast · 2017-03-16 06:21 · Score: 1
  
  psychopathy is a 20th century word for the 18th century word tyrant.
50. Re: Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 06:46 · Score: 0
  
  Old news! What does DSM-V say though?
51. Re:Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 06:46 · Score: 0
  
  Well then, tell us. Who is lawn?
  Hooked on phonics is not your friend.
52. Re: Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 06:49 · Score: 0
  
  Please point to the gene for psychopathy.
53. Re:Business by CrimsonAvenger · 2017-03-16 06:56 · Score: 1
  
  I can guess who's lawn you're not welcome on.
  Who is lawn? Odd question, that.
  Or did you mean "whose lawn"? Never mind....
  
  --
  
  "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
54. Re:Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 07:15 · Score: 0
  
  That it (our economic system) takes advantage of psychopaths and makes them create things that people need/want? Psychopaths exist, and I'd rather there be a system that puts them to use rather than whatever else they'd end up doing. Now our financial system... well that's another story.
55. Re: Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 07:18 · Score: 0
  
  Are you retarded? There needn't be a gene. You don't even science, do you?
56. Re: Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 07:27 · Score: 0
  
  But again, according to the DSM-IV definitions that distinction is not made to begin with.
  Psychopathy and sociopathy are markedly different. Psychopaths are emotionally blank and calm whereas sociopaths can be stressed and will lash out physically or fly into narcissistic rages. There's not much point in the DSM distinguishing between the two since both conditions are untreatable. In the real world, having some knowledge of the behavioural differences and associated tells may save your life and almost certainly will save you from having to deal with their retarded nonsense.
57. Re: Business by Hussman32 · 2017-03-16 07:55 · Score: 1
  
  'Rigorous' is a word that cannot be applied in psychology. I'm not saying that there isn't value to the testing, but in the end the workings of the mind are far more complex than any categorization/grouping technique, no matter how fine the spectrum is developed.
  100 years from now, psychologists will wonder how their predecessors used SSRIs without really knowing what they do, just like the way we look at lobotomies now.
  
  --
  "Who are you?" "No one of consequence." "I must know." "Get used to disappointment."
58. Re:Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 08:08 · Score: 0
  
  Nope. Gub'mnts create money to enable taxation ... part of the value people create their Gub'mnt takes away. Returns? YMMV. OTOH without an easily exchangable standin for value ( =money ) trade or banking worth-the-name/effort cannot be imagined. No I do not want your carrots and peas no matter how you lust after my grand-daughter.
59. Re: Business by AutodidactLabrat · 2017-03-16 08:14 · Score: 1
  
  I only said the tool, statistical analysis for purposes of linking symptoms with known disorder is rigorous.
  as for being "Far More Complex", we have no idea how the feedback mechanism for even one loaded dendrite column (the analog portion assigning relative merit to previous decision points)works
60. Re:Business by Hognoxious · 2017-03-16 08:52 · Score: 1
  
  I can't say. Grammar might decide that fewer are, though.
  
  --
  Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
61. Re: Business by Hognoxious · 2017-03-16 08:58 · Score: 1
  
  I am no physiologist
  
  What a pity. I take it you're not a philanthropist, a philosopher or a Phoenician either?
  
  --
  Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
62. Re: Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 09:01 · Score: 0
  
  ... officially, the term sociopath has become obsolete ...
  
  Traditionally it was:
  Psychopath: The world owes me.
  Narcissist: Everyone look at me.
  Sociopath: I don't care about you.
  Narcissism is an obvious subset of psychopathy and less obvious, so is sociopathy. But sociopathy has very different expectations and goals even though the behaviour is similar to psychopathy.
  It's natural that people concerned with money will choose those with the "give me, give me, give me" mindset to lead them. They also need leverage (laws, civil courts, golden parachutes) to ensure the head psychopath shares his ill-gotten gains with his co-conspirators.
63. Re:Business by Hognoxious · 2017-03-16 09:14 · Score: 1
  
  Unfortunately, the business psychos are only held in check by government. They don't go full on destructive because it's just too expensive when they have to fight government to do it.
  
  If they got rid of government they'd just become the new government. I doubt they'd be better than what they replaced.
  
  how long do you think it would take for Larry Ellison to have nukes?
  I heard from a reliable source that he alr€@,,*&j
  no carrier.
  
  --
  Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
64. Re:Business by sysrammer · 2017-03-16 09:19 · Score: 1
  
  oh dammit.
  
  --
  His ignorance covered the whole earth like a blanket, and there was hardly a hole in it anywhere. - Mark Twain
65. Re:Business by sysrammer · 2017-03-16 09:28 · Score: 1
  
  We tend to call resource allocation "Politics".
  We tend to call allocation execution "Government".
  --sr
  And yes, I do have a mouse in my pocket.
  
  --
  His ignorance covered the whole earth like a blanket, and there was hardly a hole in it anywhere. - Mark Twain
66. Re:Business by sysrammer · 2017-03-16 09:30 · Score: 1
  
  Ha! qft "The Founders understood this. This is why we have 3 separate but co-equal branches of government. " "They knew psychos would go into government " "The problem is now the psychos on Wall Street have bought all the psychos in Washington D.C.."
  
  --
  His ignorance covered the whole earth like a blanket, and there was hardly a hole in it anywhere. - Mark Twain
67. Re:Business by sysrammer · 2017-03-16 09:31 · Score: 1
  
  Found the pPath!
  
  --
  His ignorance covered the whole earth like a blanket, and there was hardly a hole in it anywhere. - Mark Twain
68. Re:Business by sysrammer · 2017-03-16 09:33 · Score: 1
  
  "the more you think about it, the more you realize that we're pretty fucked. All of us."
  And from a read of history, all the time.
  
  --
  His ignorance covered the whole earth like a blanket, and there was hardly a hole in it anywhere. - Mark Twain
69. Re: Business by fazig · 2017-03-16 09:34 · Score: 1
  
  Indeed, it depends on what you read. I did mention the nature vs. nurture in the first post I made.
  When it comes to the Joker/Dexter argument: I've seen the Joker been described as a prototypical psychopath in a book from Carolyn Kaufman (Psy.D.). She also writes about psychopathy being an antisocial personality disorder hallmarked by sadism, which makes psychopaths very dangerous. She doesn't write much about sociopathy though.
  According to what I read, the parents of people who are later diagnosed with severe APD - psychopathy - usually learned from an early age that their child was behaving 'different'. It suggest biological reasons and through neural imaging it has been established that the brains of these people appear to work differently. Although there is empirical evidence that some mental conditions like schizoid personality disorder or schizophrenia can be hereditary, I haven't read much about psychopathy in this regard.
  
  I completely agree that the term "psychopathic" was used correctly in the article according to the above definitions. The FBI appears to agree as well (and also offers some information on the topic): https://leb.fbi.gov/2012/novem...
70. Re: Business by sysrammer · 2017-03-16 09:36 · Score: 1
  
  Nonsense! They are as universally well-known as, say, sysrammer and thinkwaitfast.
  
  --
  His ignorance covered the whole earth like a blanket, and there was hardly a hole in it anywhere. - Mark Twain
71. Re:Business by sheramil · 2017-03-16 13:47 · Score: 1
  
  I'm just amazed that TFA identified the Silicon Valley as a hot spot for this. In my experience, MOST C-level executives are psychopaths. It's part of the basic job description.
  Has anyone failed a job interview because they DID pass the Voight-Kampff test?
72. Re: Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 13:53 · Score: 0
  
  Did he look at politicians?
  Say for example, the President?
73. Re:Business by MrKaos · 2017-03-16 16:01 · Score: 1
  
  I think you'll find that Pol Pot was western educated.
  
  --
  My ism, it's full of beliefs.
74. Re: Business by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 18:14 · Score: 0
  
  Here's an example...
  Take a combination of genes that would normally result in 'autism spectrum'. Now make two individuals who express those genes... one with the genes normally expressed as introversion, and one with the genes normally expressed as extroversion. The introvert ends up being aspie. The extrovert ends up being a narcissistic sociopath.
  Seriously.
  Think about what a hypothetical 'extroverted aspie' would actually LOOK like. It makes perfect sense. The real difference between 'aspie' and 'narcissist' IS introversion-vs-extroversion. One demands (and needs) absolute control over his immediate surroundings, but doesn't care what others think or do, while the other demands (and needs) power over others and external affirmation.
75. Re: Business by loufoque · 2017-03-17 03:39 · Score: 1
  
  Being a psychopath is beneficial in any context; not being emotional and not feeling remorse for hurting others enables you to do more things.
  It's baffling that the majority of the population considers that a defect.
76. Re:Business by Marxist+Hacker+42 · 2017-03-17 04:26 · Score: 1
  
  I think for C-level executives, failing the Voight-Kampf Test would be reason to NOT hire the person.
  You can't have empathy and be a C-level executive.
  
  --
  SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
77. Re:Business by NicknameUnavailable · 2017-03-17 18:29 · Score: 1
  
  That's cute,
  As an absolute rule: when someone prefixed something with "That's cute," they can be disregarded as a moron.
78. Re:Business by thejynxed · 2017-03-19 09:50 · Score: 1
  
  Sure you can, but usually your empathy only extends to your closest business partners (read: golf course buddies) and direct bootlickers, and then, it has limits.
  
  --
  @Mindless Drivel: 100% of Twitter posts ever Tweeted.
Just like DC, in other words? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 01:43 · Score: 0

I, for one, welcome our new (old) psychopathic leadership!
Silicon Valley is like other places, then by damn_registrars · 2017-03-16 01:44 · Score: 5, Insightful

Wow, I'm shocked. CEOs in Silicon Valley have similar characteristics to CEOs in NYC, Washington DC, and beyond. Where's the news here? Did many people really think that the most valuable companies in Silicon Valley are actually still being led by the people responsible for their initial invention(s)?

--
Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
1. Re:Silicon Valley is like other places, then by gander666 · 2017-03-16 01:50 · Score: 1
  
  Just what I was going to say. Well DUH...
  
  --
  Suppose you were an idiot and suppose you were a member of Congress ... but I repeat myself. - Mark T
2. Re:Silicon Valley is like other places, then by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 02:08 · Score: 0
  
  Yeah, this issue isn't unique to Silicon Valley. The way companies are structured in the US, the CEO is a dictator/god-like position who gets rewarded far beyond most others in the company. Even when they fail, they're rewarded a "golden parachute." Combine that with the type of people who seek to be seen as living in the best cities, working for the best company, with the best job.
3. Re:Silicon Valley is like other places, then by hey! · 2017-03-16 03:34 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Well, there's always Warren Buffett, who is pretty much what the rest of them pretend to be. He started his first business in middle school, filed his first income tax return at 14 years old, made his first sale of a business at age 16, for the equivalent of $16,240 in modern dollars. Today he runs a 140 billion dollar company whose headquarters has twenty employees and no conference rooms.
  Buffett is by all reports amazing to work for. Being a manager in a company acquired by him has been compared to hitting the lottery. Once he decides you know what you're doing he just lets you do your thing. When the CEO of Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad called Buffett to report that flooding was going to cost the company a half billion dollars, Buffett reportedly responded, "You're not a publicly traded company, so why are you calling me?"
  Buffett may be a genius, but part of his success surely is that his genius is unhindered by personal drama. There is immense power to that combination of intellectual spark, ambition, and ... agreeableness.
  
  --
  Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
4. Re:Silicon Valley is like other places, then by rahvin112 · 2017-03-16 06:15 · Score: 0
  
  Buffet also has the benefit of having married a person that provided him with the conscious that he's lived with even after her death so that even with his ruthless business acumen he still had someone to guide his heart to compassion.
  There's actually a really good documentary on Buffet that's been made, if you are curious about him you should check it out.
5. Re:Silicon Valley is like other places, then by E-Rock · 2017-03-16 15:25 · Score: 1
  
  He's such a good manager he was even able to find someone to fill that gap!
6. Re:Silicon Valley is like other places, then by tehcyder · 2017-03-17 00:10 · Score: 1
  
  Isn't someone like Warren Buffett an example of the exception proving the rule?
  
  --
  To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
Psychopathic by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 01:48 · Score: 2, Interesting

Am I the only one who has had more issues with power tripping HR departments than CEOs?
1. Re:Psychopathic by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 01:59 · Score: 0
  
  shut the fuck up.
  -HR
2. Re:Psychopathic by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 02:02 · Score: 0
  
  You're fired.
  - CEO
3. Re: Psychopathic by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 03:03 · Score: 0
  
  Where am I?
  -Linus Torvalds
4. Re:Psychopathic by yuriklastalov · 2017-03-16 08:03 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  HR is where all the social justice types conglomerate. What better place to promulgate oppressive authoritarian social control than corporate America?
5. Re:Psychopathic by sysrammer · 2017-03-16 09:44 · Score: 1
  
  HR is The Enemy. We've got to hold onto them by the nose and we've got to kick 'em in the ass. We're going to kick the hell out of 'em all the time and we're going to go through them like crap through a goose!
  
  --
  His ignorance covered the whole earth like a blanket, and there was hardly a hole in it anywhere. - Mark Twain
6. Re:Psychopathic by sound+vision · 2017-03-16 11:05 · Score: 1
  
  Unless you are going to a very small company, or to a very high level, you're likely to have way more interaction with HR than with the CEO. Still, sometimes HR's tripping is done at the behest someone above them.
7. Re:Psychopathic by tehcyder · 2017-03-17 00:14 · Score: 1
  
  Am I the only one who has had more issues with power tripping HR departments than CEOs?
  You have probably never had to deal with a CEO, whereas HR has a history of picking on you for your various acts of banter, fun and team building (making racist jokes, wearing fake boobs to the Xmas party and groping every new female employee in your department).
  
  --
  To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
How odd by willoughby · 2017-03-16 01:51 · Score: 5, Insightful

Why are the words "in Silicon Valley" in the title?
1. Re:How odd by Ol+Olsoc · 2017-03-16 02:11 · Score: 2
  
  Why are the words "in Silicon Valley" in the title?
  To get the ragged, tattered remains of Slashdot's technical folk to click on the link.
  
  --
  The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
2. Re:How odd by sysrammer · 2017-03-16 09:55 · Score: 1
  
  "Here's a nickel, kid. Get yourself a better computer".
  
  --
  His ignorance covered the whole earth like a blanket, and there was hardly a hole in it anywhere. - Mark Twain
Leadership by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 01:53 · Score: 0, Offtopic

Sort of explains Trump...
1. Re: Leadership by GameboyRMH · 2017-03-16 02:16 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Hillary was actually a grizzled hardass compared to Trump, who is an impulsive lolcow who runs on preteen boy emotions. Admittedly this may result in more aggression, but aggression is usually not smart.
  
  --
  "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
2. Re:Leadership by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 02:21 · Score: 0
  
  Just curious, how do you cope with the stress of compulsively needing to twist every single thing that ever happens or every piece of information you ever encounter into a slam on Trump? Moreover how do you plan to sustain the effort for nearly 8 more years? It sounds totally exhausting.
3. Re: Leadership by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 03:03 · Score: 0
  
  ? 45 and a bit months, at best.
4. Re:Leadership by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 03:37 · Score: 0
  
  It worked for Obama...
5. Re: Leadership by wyHunter · 2017-03-16 03:44 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Indeed, I could see Mrs. Clinton give the order to execute billions, but somehow I find it unlikely for Mr. Trump to do so.
6. Re: Leadership by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 04:21 · Score: 0
  
  If Trump kills billions, it will be by accident, and Sean Spicer will be ready to explain how they're not really dead, anyway.
7. Re: Leadership by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 04:25 · Score: 0
  
  Really? Trump seems like he could easily execute billions if... say he didn't get his afternoon nap and someone called him a poopyhead.
8. Re: Leadership by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 05:20 · Score: 0
  
  "weeping emotional coward"? What would give you that idea of her? This comment just shows how impressionable you are by the right wing propaganda you've been consuming. Pretty sad.
9. Re: Leadership by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 06:54 · Score: 0
  
  Whoa, those remarks were unrehearsed?!
  No shit, Sherlock. Nobody writes down talking points that crazy, rehearses them, and STILL says them on live national television.
  Also, Hillary Clinton had staffers write remarks for her in important national debates? Man, it's almost as if she was preparing a presidential administration where she would have no choice but to delegate tasks or something... I'm glad you're so impressed by the guy who thinks he can solve all of America's problems if he just pinky swears he'll do it.
10. Re: Leadership by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 07:49 · Score: 0
  
  Hillary was actually a grizzled hardass compared to Trump, who is an impulsive lolcow who runs on preteen boy emotions. Admittedly this may result in more aggression, but aggression is usually not smart.
  Or so he has you convinced. Most likely, both Trump and Clinton are clinical psychopaths. Trump is a manipulative narcissist. How can you ever know if what you believe about him isn't exactly what wants? Having been married to a cunning narcissist (who I saw play dumb a million times to manipulate), I'll give you the answer: you don't. Indeed, you can't (unless you can read minds).
  That's what's so powerful about a psychopathic narcissist. They can lie up and down and feel absolutely no remorse. When a regular person is caught in a lie, they become guilty, they start to crack, their body betrays them, they start to make mistakes. When a cunning narcissist is "caught," he or she doubles (or triples or quadruples or...) down. There is so much dishonesty to their very being, it becomes impossible for another human to honestly separate truth from reality, honesty from dishonesty, intentional vs unintentional. The only winning move is not to play. Unfortunately, while that may work in finding a life partner, it's a lot more difficulty as a voter. Voters are generally presented 2 narcissists and told if we don't choose one of them we're throwing our vote away (and, like good co-dependents, we believe it).
11. Re: Leadership by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 11:49 · Score: 0
  
  >TRUMP WILL NEVER SERIOUSLY RUN
  >TRUMP WILL NEVER DEFEAT Jeb!
  >TRUMP WILL NEVER BREACH 20%
  >TRUMP WILL NEVER DEFEAT CRUZ
  >TRUMP WILL NEVER WIN ANY STATES
  >TRUMP WILL NEVER BE THE NOMINEE
  >TRUMP WILL NEVER DEFEAT HILLARY
  >TRUMP WILL NEVER WIN THE PRESIDENCY
  >TRUMP WILL NEVER DEPORT THE ILLEGALS TRUMP WILL NEVER BUILD THE WALL
  >TRUMP WILL NEVER BRING US BACK TO SPACE
  >TRUMP WILL NEVER BE REELECTED
12. Re: Leadership by tehcyder · 2017-03-17 00:18 · Score: 1
  
  Trump ad libbed and thought on his feet (for better or worse)
  That's a polite way of saying he made shit up as he went along. Which everyone realised, then still voted for him.
  
  --
  To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
This pretty much explains 45. by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 01:54 · Score: 5, Informative

Politics is just another form of business; so it's very apt to manipulations of a sociopath. and the people that voted in cheeto is fell for it... HARD. Now they have too much pride to admit they got conned.
1. Re:This pretty much explains 45. by meta-monkey · 2017-03-16 02:15 · Score: 0
  
  The fact all the psychos in SV and the rest of the government are opposed to Trump is a decent indicator he's not a psycho. Or if he is, he's at least one opposed to them.
  How about Hildawg, though? Any psychopathic tendencies there?
  
  --
  We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
2. Re:This pretty much explains 45. by PeeAitchPee · 2017-03-16 02:30 · Score: 0, Flamebait
  
  Still butthurt, huh? Do you really believe that Hillary -- Hillary ***Clinton*** -- is any different in that regard? If the Trump voters got "conned" by your estimation, they're no different than anyone who pulled the lever for HRC.
3. Re:This pretty much explains 45. by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 02:38 · Score: 1
  
  Still butthurt, huh? Do you really believe that Hillary -- Hillary ***Clinton*** -- is any different in that regard? If the Trump voters got "conned" by your estimation, they're no different than anyone who pulled the lever for HRC.
  No, I think they knew what they would get - someone who wasn't Trump, someone who was successful, for the people (instead of for the corporations), and someone who had some experience in Washington and some morals.
4. Re:This pretty much explains 45. by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 02:45 · Score: 0
  
  Still butthurt, huh? Do you really believe that Hillary -- Hillary ***Clinton*** -- is any different in that regard? If the Trump voters got "conned" by your estimation, they're no different than anyone who pulled the lever for HRC.
  No, I think they knew what they would get - someone who wasn't Trump, someone who was successful, for the people (instead of for the corporations), and someone who had some experience in Washington and some morals.
  Oh look- his budget eliminates spending on arts and gives the money to defense contractors.
  Will 45 go down in history as the so-called president who killed Big Bird?
5. Re:This pretty much explains 45. by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 02:46 · Score: 0
  
  Yea, we were conned HARD.
  We thought we were allowed to vote who we wanted to run the country. The DNC, and judges, decided my vote doesn't count and are running the government against the will of how I voted or the guy who won.
  Who knew the DNC didn't like free and fair elections? Who knew the DNC didn't think the will of the people shouldn't be implemented in government?
  I knew. Now you know too. The DNC is the enemy of open and fair elections, they hate the middle class, and if you are a white they tell you how you are the enemy of the world. Your vote only counts if you vote the way THEY want you to.
  Yea, so we got conned into thinking our voted counted. We didn't realize breaking the law and constantly lying were acceptable behavior to prevent our vote from mattering.
6. Re:This pretty much explains 45. by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 05:34 · Score: 0
  
  Still butthurt, huh? Do you really believe that Hillary -- Hillary ***Clinton*** -- is any different in that regard? If the Trump voters got "conned" by your estimation, they're no different than anyone who pulled the lever for HRC.
  No, I think they knew what they would get - someone who wasn't Trump, someone who was successful, for the people (instead of for the corporations), and someone who had some experience in Washington and some morals.
  You're more on the right track than the previous poster, but not entirely there. Hillary had been privy to successful presidential administrations and had access to the people and formulas that stimulate the economy to do well (Hello! think Clinton administration of the 1990s, the best economy the US has had since the 1950s) Couple this with the fact that she has first hand knowledge of how all three branches of government functions and she has morals. (I am not here to get embroiled in fake news about her emails, about Benghazi or any of that other claptrap that republicans love to regurgitate when you bring her up. They are afraid of her.)
  America is about to find out what a grave mistake they made in electing Trump. He cannot even get his cabinet filled out without dramatic BS. Add to this that we now know there is and has been funny business with his taxes and funny business with him and Russia, if we knew then what we knew now Hillary would have won both the popular vote and the electoral college (Be reminded the conservatives out there, that all it would have taken is PA and ANY OTHER STATE that went for Trump, going for Hillary and she would have had the white house. Trump in no way shape or form had anything resembling a landslide victory! All he did was convince the out of work blue collar Walmart types that he would put them back to work. Currently the rhetoric is that the economy is getting better but there is no more proof than there has been over the entire Obama administration if you are going to take their reporting as fake news , then all reporting on the economy is fake news. You can't have it both ways!)
7. Re:This pretty much explains 45. by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 07:24 · Score: 0
  
  Yeah, I'm sure Trump supporters would have been MUCH more mature about losing...
  Stop fighting the strawman. Nobody has said or implied you couldn't vote for whoever you want. We do reserve the right to make fun of you for your vote if the EXACT bad things we said would happen because of your vote end up happening though.
8. Re:This pretty much explains 45. by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 07:52 · Score: 0
  
  Politics is just another form of business; so it's very apt to manipulations of a sociopath. and the people that voted in cheeto is fell for it... HARD. Now they have too much pride to admit they got conned.
  We didn't get conned. At least not recently. We have been conned into believe that we only have two choices, but then Hillary AND Trump voters were conned.
9. Re:This pretty much explains 45. by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 08:06 · Score: 0
  
  So. Much. Butthurt.
10. Re:This pretty much explains 45. by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 08:08 · Score: 0
  
  If they were for Clinton, then they weren't getting someone that was for the people instead of for the corporations. They're both owned by corporate interests, just different corporations.
11. Re:This pretty much explains 45. by sound+vision · 2017-03-16 11:30 · Score: 1
  
  Clinton voters seem to do the "suspension of disbelief" thing a lot less than Trump voters. They voted for Clinton, but they had no illusions about what they were voting for.
Well known fact by puddingebola · 2017-03-16 01:56 · Score: 5, Funny

It is a well known fact that Steve Jobs had a secret button on his desk that released a trap door leading directly to his shark pool. Then, on a secret large screen television hidden in the wall of his office, he could watch the victim's last screams as they were torn apart by Great White sharks. Bill Gates preferred piranhas.
1. Re:Well known fact by meta-monkey · 2017-03-16 02:17 · Score: 1
  
  Amateurs. Balmer had Domokun.
  
  --
  We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
2. Re: Well known fact by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 04:34 · Score: 0
  
  I heard he called Mr. Burns to discuss the logistics and which animal inflicts the most pain. At the time Mr. Burns had a monopoly on trap doors in offices.
3. Re:Well known fact by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 05:47 · Score: 0
  
  Amateurs. Balmer had Domokun.
  Wow that is amazing, and all I do is beat the fuckups in my business with a barbwire wrapped baseball bat who I affectionately call "Lucille". Cheap, effective and bad ass!
4. Re:Well known fact by michael_wojcik · 2017-03-17 10:42 · Score: 1
  
  I hear Larry just tears his victims apart himself.
I'm offended by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 01:56 · Score: 0

I haven't even killed -any- of my employees, board members or investors yet today at all!
1. Re:I'm offended by Opportunist · 2017-03-16 02:53 · Score: 1
  
  Psychopath, not sociopath. You needn't go out of your way to make the life of others miserable to be a good CEO. You just mustn't give a fuck about it.
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
2. Re:I'm offended by desdinova+216 · 2017-03-16 08:48 · Score: 1
  
  I always thought Sociopath was the more "normal" of the two.
Canary by phorm · 2017-03-16 01:57 · Score: 5, Informative

Silicon Valley is just the canary. This is more than a Silicon Valley issue, and frankly more than a USA issue too.
Have a look at what's happening in Canadian banks recently.
1. Re:Canary by segedunum · 2017-03-16 02:53 · Score: 2
  
  Indeed. The monetary system we have, quantitative easing and easy money perpetuates it. These people can be exceptionally rich without having any actual skills or any redeeming features whatsoever to show for it.
  
  People like David Icke reckons these people are lizards. In a manner of speaking they are. Their brains are certainly wired very differently to any normal person with empathy.
2. Re:Canary by thinkwaitfast · 2017-03-16 07:02 · Score: 1
  
  What is a normal person if they number more than some minorities?
Why the surprise? by MTEK · 2017-03-16 01:58 · Score: 5, Informative

The Top 10 Jobs That Attract Psychopaths...
10. Civil servant
9. Chef
8. Clergy person
7. Police officer
6. Journalist
5. Surgeon
4. Salesperson
3. Media (Television/Radio)
2. Lawyer
1. CEO
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyclay/2013/01/05/the-top-10-jobs-that-attract-psychopaths/#76b38a9c4d80
1. Re:Why the surprise? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 02:19 · Score: 0
  
  A lawyer that starts their own practice... now there is a fucking narcissistic fucking psychopath.
2. Re:Why the surprise? by meta-monkey · 2017-03-16 02:21 · Score: 1
  
  9. Chef
  The fuck?
  
  --
  We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
3. Re:Why the surprise? by Plumpaquatsch · 2017-03-16 02:25 · Score: 1
  
  The Top 10 Jobs That Attract Psychopaths...
  https://www.forbes.com/sites/k...
  And the top Answer even before Spot 1 is: Contributor to the Forbes contributor network and cut-rate bar mitzvah DJ training academy. Which has nothing to do with aforementioned jobs of "Journalist" and "Media" [sic].
  
  --
  Of course news about a fake are Fake News.
4. Re:Why the surprise? by asylumx · 2017-03-16 02:33 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Well, yeah -- isn't that why people enjoy watching Gordon Ramsey, for example?
5. Re:Why the surprise? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 02:34 · Score: 0
  
  It was some guy in a war movie that was hunting for mangos and
  almost got eaten by a tiger.
6. Re:Why the surprise? by segedunum · 2017-03-16 02:47 · Score: 1
  
  Funnily enough, these are generally positions of authority where the conduct of those in question can rarely be scrutinised, less questioned.
7. Re:Why the surprise? by segedunum · 2017-03-16 02:49 · Score: 1
  
  Have you seen the number of chefs on TV?
8. Re:Why the surprise? by meta-monkey · 2017-03-16 03:00 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah, but it didn't say "TV chef," just "chef." Why do psychopaths want to work in the kitchen at Chili's so badly?
  
  --
  We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
9. Re:Why the surprise? by meta-monkey · 2017-03-16 03:09 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  What makes you think Ramsey is a psychopath? Being mean doesn't make you a psycho. A psycho would tell you sweet lies to extract short-term resources from you, he wouldn't tell you harsh truths and scream at you to fix your fuck-ups so you can accomplish your dreams in life.
  
  --
  We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
10. Re:Why the surprise? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 03:21 · Score: 0
  
  9. Chef
  The fuck?
  I see you have never worked in a kitchen.
11. Re:Why the surprise? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 03:28 · Score: 0
  
  Yep. I've always said that wanting to mind somebody else's business is a mental disorder.
12. Re:Why the surprise? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 03:39 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah, but it didn't say "TV chef," just "chef." Why do psychopaths want to work in the kitchen at Chili's so badly?
  Those are line cooks, not chefs.
13. Re:Why the surprise? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 03:52 · Score: 0
  
  he wouldn't tell you harsh truths and scream at you to fix your fuck-ups so you can accomplish your dreams in life.
  You're saying that's how he behaves to the network?
14. Re:Why the surprise? by meta-monkey · 2017-03-16 04:28 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  I'm saying he screams at the aspiring chefs on Hell's Kitchen, or the failed restauranteurs on Kitchen Nightmares, offering what appears to me to be really good (if harshly delivered) advice, and then appears genuinely pleased when they take said advice to heart and become successful. Ramsey behaves like a well-meaning asshole, not a psychopath.
  
  --
  We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
15. Re:Why the surprise? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 05:51 · Score: 0
  
  9. Chef
  The fuck?
  dont piss off the chef, you will get the special sauce!
16. Re:Why the surprise? by thinkwaitfast · 2017-03-16 07:04 · Score: 1
  
  Nobody is going to get that.
  Never get off the boat.
17. Re:Why the surprise? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 08:57 · Score: 0
  
  But a well meaning non-psychopath, (nice-o-path?), would eventually learn to be more amicable with better communication. To be more humane.
  Conversely as long as he remains a raging asshole this proves the psychopath part to be real and unremoveable. It is an unchangeable condition for him, not a 'tough love' characteristic.
  This is why the abused stay with abusers- being mean is often considered a forgivable trait as long as 'some good' comes out of it.
18. Re:Why the surprise? by sysrammer · 2017-03-16 10:01 · Score: 1
  
  I watch Gordon Ramsey for the fond reminiscences of boot camp.
  As they say, you don't have to be a psychopath to be a drill instructor, but it helps.
  
  --
  His ignorance covered the whole earth like a blanket, and there was hardly a hole in it anywhere. - Mark Twain
19. Re:Why the surprise? by tehcyder · 2017-03-17 00:29 · Score: 1
  
  9. Chef
  The fuck?
  I think they mean celebrity chefs, who really fall under Media.
  I'm more surprised by 10. Civil servant
  I just don't see how being a civil servant would fulfil your lust for power. You're basically a cog in a machine.
  
  --
  To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
20. Re:Why the surprise? by meta-monkey · 2017-03-17 01:05 · Score: 1
  
  But a cog with the tiniest amount of power to fuck other people over. Like the DMV.
  Or just the fact you can fuck off and it's very hard to get fired.
  
  --
  We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
21. Re:Why the surprise? by Waccoon · 2017-03-17 09:17 · Score: 1
  
  This take is far more accurate if you watch his earlier stuff. The UK version of Kitchen Nightmares was fantastic, and I was always a big fan. I highly recommend the DVD collection to anyone looking to start any kind of small business.
  Today, he's still a well-meaning asshole, but... with a bit more asshole (and ego) than before. I still like his shorts on YouTube, but don't watch any of his TV programs.
22. Re:Why the surprise? by LouerVoitureStMartin · 2017-03-21 18:20 · Score: 1
  
  ^^ complety imposible
So... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 01:58 · Score: 0

I imagine the numbers are similar to people in elected office.
'expert' states the obvious to the lay(wo)man by Idisagree · 2017-03-16 02:00 · Score: 1

you will never guess what happens next!
Caution! by RumGunner · 2017-03-16 02:04 · Score: 5, Funny

If allowed to continue unencumbered, one of these business psychopaths may even attempt to run for president one day!
1. Re:Caution! by Opportunist · 2017-03-16 02:51 · Score: 1
  
  Don't be silly, who'd vote for someone like that?
  I mean, imagine just how insanely awful the alternative has to be to make people vote for something like that!
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
2. Re:Caution! by wyHunter · 2017-03-16 03:45 · Score: 0
  
  Yeah it's like imagining that someone who was once a Young Republican deciding she could get more power by becoming a Democrat, then, despite being gay, marrying a man who had a bright political future. Sheesh, how unreasonable.
3. Re:Caution! by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 05:25 · Score: 0
  
  Sorry, this isn't Breitbart or Redstate.
  You are on the wrong site for wild conspiracy theories unless it somehow includes Microsoft.
hmm... by fish_in_the_c · 2017-03-16 02:05 · Score: 1

I don't see it yet, but doesn't this remind you of a 'business leader' an CEO who recently was elected?
I wonder how many other presidents of the United states might fit that category. Theodore Roosevelt might be a candidate.
I'm not trolling however, I actually voted for the man. I suspected at the time and still suspect both he is a sociopath or psychopath of some kind.
I considered him a horrible option for president. Simply the other choice was worse.
Hey , whatever happened to 'embracing diversity'? Aren't these folks born this way ;)
Ok I might be trolling a bit now, but I hope most people get a good laugh from it ;0 :)

--
âoeTolerance applies only to persons, but never to truth. Intolerance applies only to truth, but never to persons.
1. Re:hmm... by whoever57 · 2017-03-16 02:56 · Score: 1, Insightful
  
  I actually voted for the man. .... Simply the other choice was worse.
  But her emails!
  You, sir are an idiot. Seriously. Yes, Clinton would have been a terrible president, but compared to Trump, she would have been the best president the US has ever had. Instead, you voted for a racist, misogynistic bigot who takes his advice from someone who wants to destroy the USA.
  The main problem with Clinton was the influence that Wall street had over her, but just look at Trump's appointments.
  
  --
  The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
2. Re: hmm... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 03:00 · Score: 0
  
  You may want to lay off the Kool-aid, champ.
3. Re:hmm... by dcw3 · 2017-03-16 03:22 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  As someone who didn't vote for either of them, I'll just say you're both idiots.
  
  --
  Just another day in Paradise
4. Re:hmm... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 03:48 · Score: 0
  
  As someone who didn't vote for either of them, I'll just say you're both idiots.
  As someone who did vote for Hillary, you are an idiot and ignorant because you don't understand the system.
5. Re:hmm... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 03:56 · Score: 0
  
  As someone who didn't vote for either of them, I'll just say you're both idiots.
  ^This * 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
6. Re: hmm... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 04:03 · Score: 0
  
  Excellent retort sir, I appreciate your disputing the points on their merits, and the citations to back up your claims even more. You have made a valuable contribution to the discussion.
7. Re:hmm... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 04:10 · Score: 0
  
  Clinton wanted to start a war with Russia, she wanted to create jobs by conscripting young people. She's totally batshit crazy and would have destroyed your country. Trump is racist/xenophobic/etc. but at least he's not totally insane like Clinton.
8. Re:hmm... by fish_in_the_c · 2017-03-16 04:12 · Score: 0, Offtopic
  
  no the main problem with Clinton is that she believed in supreme court justices who like to engage in 'creative interpretation' of the law and who would rather 'read a modern meaning' into the laws and constitution rather then actually interpret them to mean what they were intended to mean by the people who wrote them or would have been reasonably understood to mean at the time of the writing.
  So, instead of allowing and expecting the actual legislative process to change laws that need changing , they simply 'read what society means today' becoming petty dictators who usurp the authority of the legislative branch.
  Other problems I had with her include her normalization of religious persecution for people who espouse ideas about morality she didn't like.
  Especially since I'd be on the receiving end of such.
  Basically I knew what Clinton would deliver and didn't want any of the package being sold.
  I figured trump would be a terrible president but if he might feel like 'keeping face' by actually doing many of the things he had promised to do.
  Including securing our boarders, ( I'm very pro LEGAL immigration , but illegal immigration creates a sub class of persons who cannot seek help from the police when a crime is committed against then).
  Clinton never even suggested trying to solve the problem.
  The worse characteristics of trump is anti-environmental, conspiracy theory bent.
  However, I'd rather the country be destroyed then allowed legalized abortion and gay marriage to continue unchecked.
  Basically I'm a pro-technology, pro-small business, pro-states right, pro-immigration, pro-life, pro-environment so either way I have to pick which candidate will deliver the things I consider most important , but in general democrats are anti-small business, anti-state rights, and anti-life, so unless I figure there is good chance of someone starting a nuclear war the republican would get my voice.
  I used to be a pro-life democrat until all such people who were sincerely so were basically driven from the party.
  
  --
  âoeTolerance applies only to persons, but never to truth. Intolerance applies only to truth, but never to persons.
9. Re:hmm... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 04:14 · Score: 0
  
  Are you serious?
10. Re:hmm... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 04:41 · Score: 0
  
  As someone who didn't vote for either of them, I'll just say you're both idiots.
  Obviously you have no idea how the US Presidential Election process works.
  If a candidate does not get 50% +1 votes by the electoral college, the House of Representatives chooses the President. So the best a 3rd party candidate can hope to do is to send the election to the House.
  And nobody cares about your privileged, whiny ass crying "But they're both evil!", that just shows how stupid you are to not see the false equivalency.
11. Re:hmm... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 05:04 · Score: 0
  
  So, if everyone in California who voted third party had voted for Hillary instead, then Hillary would be president? Pot meet kettle.
12. Re:hmm... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 05:26 · Score: 0
  
  Well, it's a damn good thing that Trump has not stocked his cabinet and administration with Goldman Sachs employees.........oh wait.
13. Re:hmm... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 06:20 · Score: 0
  
  But her emails!
  You, sir are an idiot. Seriously. Yes, Clinton would have been a terrible president, but compared to Trump, she would have been the best president the US has ever had. Instead, you voted for a racist, misogynistic bigot who takes his advice from someone who wants to destroy the USA.
  Actually you are the idiot, or well the lowest information voice of opinion. Or a paid troll, its hard to say.
  Clinton foundation, clinton cash movie, haiti money, haiti child pedo ring, NK child pedo ring, clinton body count, the list of lists, is long and varied, your complete lack of knowledge on the subject shows your intentions or your ignorance. You decide. Now ask yourself, why doe s a witch of the 8th circle want all of the above?
14. Re:hmm... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 06:30 · Score: 0
  
  Oh goodie, another religious fanatic crying about religious persecution because he can't use his religion to persecute others. Its funny to me that you mention being pro-environment several times, but apparently the most important thing to you is abortion and gay marriage. You would literally prefer to have someone who will destroy the environment in order to try and fight two issues that I'm 99% positive have absolutely 0 impact on you personally.
15. Re:hmm... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 07:10 · Score: 0
  
  Not voting for Clinton is was an explicit vote for Trump. Or so I've been told. I didn't vote either. Funny thing is that I was told this by someone who voted for Trump to get him on the ballot in expectations he would lose the general election.
16. Re:hmm... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 07:17 · Score: 0
  
  you would rather destroy the country rather than let two dudes get married? just wow.
17. Re:hmm... by whoever57 · 2017-03-16 07:31 · Score: 2
  
  However, I'd rather the country be destroyed then allowed legalized abortion and gay marriage to continue unchecked.
  And here we have it. Despite all the evidence that Trump is in no way a moral, religious person. Despite his three marriages, despite his well-publicised affairs, despite his misogyny, despite all the ways he shows that he does not uphold Christian values, you can't stand the idea that two people of the same gender might get married.
  Your hatred for Clinton is rooted in your own bigotry, not any facts (other than "alternative facts", AKA lies).
  You just want to control others. You want to impose your own moral values on others when their actions have no impact on you.
  You are a bigot, sir. You should be ashamed to call yourself a religious person, because you don't espouse the true values of Christianity. You just want control. You are simply an authoritarian, not a religious person.
  
  --
  The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
18. Re:hmm... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 07:46 · Score: 0
  
  Keep saying he's a racist bigot. It's not provable by anything he has said and done, but keep saying it. It brings great value to the words so when they're used in the future people will know they have real meaning.
  Don't sit there and wonder how he won, with silly comments like that.
19. Re:hmm... by sysrammer · 2017-03-16 10:07 · Score: 1
  
  Good one.
  
  --
  His ignorance covered the whole earth like a blanket, and there was hardly a hole in it anywhere. - Mark Twain
20. Re:hmm... by tehcyder · 2017-03-17 00:39 · Score: 1
  
  However, I'd rather the country be destroyed then allowed legalized abortion and gay marriage to continue unchecked.
  That's a special kind of crazy.
  
  --
  To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
21. Re:hmm... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-17 04:04 · Score: 0
  
  > I'd rather the country be destroyed
  Yeah, keep on saying you're "pro-life" you lying fuckhead.
22. Re:hmm... by thejynxed · 2017-03-19 09:48 · Score: 1
  
  Also, the fact that the second "idiot" in your parlance, completely ignores the fact of her cozy little Russian uranium deal (and the major speaking fees old Willy pulled in right after that deal complete, from his Moscow visit), or her major financial ties to supposed allies in the ME who aren't exactly pleased with how we in the West run things, either. Her meddling in Syria is going to cost us all dearly.
  
  --
  @Mindless Drivel: 100% of Twitter posts ever Tweeted.
23. Re:hmm... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-21 08:33 · Score: 0
  
  completely ignores the fact of her cozy little Russian uranium deal (and the major speaking fees old Willy pulled in right after that deal complete, from his Moscow visit)
  Maybe because it's not a fact.
  Don't believe everything Breitfart tells you.
Sure that they aren't high-functioning sociopaths? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 02:09 · Score: 0

> Although the term "psychopath" typically has negative connotations, some of the attributes associated with the disorder can be advantageous in a business setting.
How do you know that they aren't really high-functioning sociopaths?
in brazil by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 02:15 · Score: 0

all CEO are pedophile psycchopaths, and you only get higher ranks if you give you children for those retards to abuse. carlos eduardo from gravataí is one, big family, rich family, but when I was at school I remind this retard showing me a deck of cards with pictures of children having sex. I wonder if the boys who accepted being hist idiotic friends still hacve their jobs beicase they don't care about the brain development pof their kids.
Misprint in article by EvilSS · 2017-03-16 02:20 · Score: 1

It's actually supposed to be Psychic CEOs are rife in Silicon Valley experts say. Like all psychics, they are great at talking rich people out of their money.

--
I browse on +1 so AC's need not respond, I won't see it.
You don't have to be a psychopath... by ZecretZquirrel · 2017-03-16 02:25 · Score: 1

...to start a real company with a real idea for creating value. But helps to be one if you're just a SV grifter looking to enter and exit with someone else's investment.
Solution Is Obvious by 31415926535897 · 2017-03-16 02:25 · Score: 1

Here's what the deal should be: companies can do genetic testing all they want as long as it's always strictly against the law to employ psychopaths according to the genetic test.
1. Re:Solution Is Obvious by fish_in_the_c · 2017-03-16 02:40 · Score: 1
  
  what other categories should they genetically test for?
  Is there a test for likely depression?
  Is there a test for 'needs strong stimulus motivation'? aka lazy.
  how about a test for 'likely to deviate from sexual norm'?
  What other physical characteristics should we allow to be used to make people unemployable? Skin and Hair color used to be favorites, other then being somewhat arbitrary what is wrong with that?
  
  --
  âoeTolerance applies only to persons, but never to truth. Intolerance applies only to truth, but never to persons.
2. Re:Solution Is Obvious by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 02:48 · Score: 0
  
  First you have to construct a genetic test that detects psychopaths...
3. Re:Solution Is Obvious by 31415926535897 · 2017-03-16 04:27 · Score: 1
  
  You completely missed my point. Tying the genetic testing to psychopathy means that companies would never be able to hire the CEOs they want. These companies and the breed of psychopathic CEOs would complain so loudly the law would never get passed. But if they're going to force genetic testing on us*, then we might as well make it worth our while and publicly humiliate these monsters.
  *You do remember that story from a week ago, right? https://politics.slashdot.org/...
Did Somebody Watch The Corporation? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 02:38 · Score: 0

The panel of experts at SXSW may have just finished watching The Corporation.
psych by fluffernutter · 2017-03-16 02:44 · Score: 1

You do better at business if you step on people along the way. You have to be a psychopath to step on people the most. It's that simple.

--
Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
1. Re:psych by LordWabbit2 · 2017-03-16 03:08 · Score: 1
  
  Agreed, in any organization of sufficient size there is going to be back stabbing and stuffs.
  If you can't be an asshole, you are going to get back stabbed a LOT.
  I worked at a smallish company (as a lowly peon, thank god) but they gave REALLY good bonuses, the amount of back stabbing going on in middle to upper management was astounding.
  
  --
  There are three kinds of falsehood: the first is a 'fib,' the second is a downright lie, and the third is statistics.
Really? by segedunum · 2017-03-16 02:45 · Score: 1

I never would have guessed. If these individuals actually had to work for a living they'd die.
Being a psychopath is beneficial for CEOs by Opportunist · 2017-03-16 02:47 · Score: 1

Every time you may ask yourself "is that morally justifiable", the psychopath has already done it. And he doesn't even understand what to contemplate about.
Our system reinforces that behaviour. You're better off as a psychopath in such a position. Corporations are intelligence without conscience. The closer you are to this yourself, the better you function in such a system.

--
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
1. Re:Being a psychopath is beneficial for CEOs by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 04:46 · Score: 0
  
  It's not our system, it's life. There are so many more opportunities to exploit when you don't lose sleep over picking a car accident victim's wallet. Psychopathic traits can even be advantageous in intimate personal relationships, sadly.
Re:Sure that they aren't high-functioning sociopat by Opportunist · 2017-03-16 02:50 · Score: 1

Care to explain the difference?

--
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Do experts diagnose people without ever meeting by mark_reh · 2017-03-16 02:51 · Score: 1

and talking with them? A lot of so-called experts diagnosed Trump (from his public statements and behavior) as having malignant narcissism, but look where it got him!
Drugs by thunderclees · 2017-03-16 02:52 · Score: 1

In the noughties a lot of the finance types on Wall street were taking Prozac to be more aggressive. One wonders what drugs the executives in SV are on?
CEO != humanitarian by PeeAitchPee · 2017-03-16 02:56 · Score: 1

SV CEOs aren't hired to shoot SJW rainbows out of their assholes and hit everyone in the feels, or even to be nice people. They're hired first and foremost to MAXIMIZE SHAREHOLDER VALUE as quickly and efficiently as possible, and secondarily to achieve various strategic objectives (e.g., dominate their market) which are generally set by the shareholders and usually directly related to the achievement of MAXIMIZING SHAREHOLDER VALUE. Everything else in their worldview is generally irrelevant. Look back throughout the history of wealth -- this is how great fortunes have been accumulated again and again. There's time enough for charitable works and good deeds later on (through the shareholder's own tax-exempt foundation, of course).
"A panel of experts" by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 02:58 · Score: 0

Aka, several people's opinions.
5percent are Psychopaths by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 02:59 · Score: 0

Approximately 5 percent of the human race are psychopaths, but they're not all Hannibal Lecter types. After years of knowing them, they will screw you over completely, and they'll never understand why what they did was wrong. Don't even try to, a piece of their brain is broken, the empathy part. I've had the displeasure of dealing with a violent one who attacked a neighbor, hoping that he could kill him and make it look like a drug deal gone bad. Neighbor ended up surprising him, they fought for over 10 minutes, psychopath guy is now facing 7 years in prison on 2nd degree felony assault charge.
psychopath Biz-nazis? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 03:02 · Score: 0

Shoot a few ... then shoot a few more ... finish-up with money-gargling academics; you know the vipers nests. My historian pal sez coupl'a dozen concrete-bootz ought to be sufficient. No productivity or creativity lost, strangled jobs recovered, customer-first regains its status. And the squirming parasites will go back under their Tanzanian rock --- like ebola --- for 2 or 3 generations. When the time again comes ... rinse, repeat ...
Re: Sure that they aren't high-functioning sociopa by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 03:06 · Score: 0

Darling! Hello there!
- Irene
Thirteen/Black Man by Richard K. Morgan by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 03:11 · Score: 0

Richard K. Morgan has a book called Black Man ( Thirteen in the US) that explores the idea of militaries in the future genetically engineering pyschopaths. The book doesn't specifically call them pyschopaths if I remember correctly but that's what he's describing. It backfires and they end up being relegated to penal colonies after their units are disbanded. The book isn't that good in my opinion but it's an interesting concept.
Rife by dcw3 · 2017-03-16 03:14 · Score: 1

4-8%, or to put it another way, 1 out of between 12 and 25, doesn't bring the word "rife" to mind.
All this is telling me is that there's a much higher percentage of risk takers in business than in the general population...shocking.

--
Just another day in Paradise
FTFY by sconeu · 2017-03-16 03:35 · Score: 1

Psychopathic CEOs Are Rife, Experts Say
There. Fixed the headline for you.
In other words, why should Silicon Valley be any different?

--
General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
1. Re:FTFY by thinkwaitfast · 2017-03-16 06:28 · Score: 1
  
  From
  The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies, and Serial Killers Can Teach Us About Success.
  These 10 Careers Tend To Have The Most Psychopaths
  Lawyer
  Media (TV/Radio)
  Salesperson
  Surgeon
  Journalist
  Police Officer
  Clergyperson
  Chef
  Civil Servant
2. Re:FTFY by thinkwaitfast · 2017-03-16 06:34 · Score: 1
  
  CEO is #1. Cut and paste (and proof reading) fail.
When Psychiatrists have nothing better to do by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 03:36 · Score: 0

So are these guys running out of ACTUAL patients to treat or something?
As well this whole thing assumes that 'remorse' and 'empathy' are ALWAYS good things. They aren't, they can cause you to make bad decisions & in the worst case get yourself or someone you actually do care about killed.
Heck, why don't these guys analyze Marketing & Sales folks, you want to see groups whose whole job is about 'deception' you have it right there.
Lastly, before these supposed experts start diagnosing personality 'flaws' I'd like them first to define what is a 'baseline proper personality' and why? Who defines this?
Oh please! by jgotts · 2017-03-16 04:03 · Score: 0

I'm tired of psychologists telling us that these huge percentages of people have mental illnesses.
There are around 7 billion people alive today. Psychologists are telling us that 1% of the general population, in other words, 70 million people worldwide, are psychopaths.
I'm not buying it. I'm not saying that mental illness doesn't exist. Quite the opposite. Someone very close to me has a mental illness. If you know someone with an actual mental illness then you know how rare, unique, and difficult to diagnose and pinpoint mental illness truly is. Mental illness is not a set of personality traits that conveniently fits in with the type of people that the American culture in 2017 dislikes the most, criminals and corporate CEOs. Most criminals in prison are drug users and poor people who can't afford good legal representation. Most drug users in prison aren't even addicts, if you consider that to be a mental illness.
What people may not understand is that CEOs aren't Middle Class. Most were born rich, so ultimately they aren't taking any risks whatsoever with anything that they do in life. It's not psychopathic or ruthless to start a company when if you fail you will return to your life as a rich man or woman, and if you want you are able to do the same thing again and again without negative consequences. Perhaps you will become even richer, but it doesn't matter.
Most people who claim that they have a mental illness, or have been diagnosed with and possibly given drugs for a mental illness, are in fact perfectly healthy individuals with these things we can't always control called emotions.
As psychologists step away from the DSM and step towards the light known as neuroscience, we will as a society come to realize that there is a much wider range of people that have perfectly healthy brains and nervous systems. We have to accept that normal and healthy people do things we don't like, but we also have to accept that what we like changes drastically over time while our brains are millions of years old and change much more slowly.
1. Re:Oh please! by jeff4747 · 2017-03-16 06:12 · Score: 1
  
  Most people who claim that they have a mental illness, or have been diagnosed with and possibly given drugs for a mental illness, are in fact perfectly healthy individuals with these things we can't always control called emotions.
  You would not believe the number of people that say bullshit like this to those of us who have depression.
  May you never have to learn just how wrong you are.
2. Re:Oh please! by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 07:09 · Score: 0
  
  you think it is unreasonable that 1% of the population has mental defects. What is the percentage born with physical disability? The CDC says 3% of babies have a birth defect. This is just people _born_ with a physical defect.
  If, as mentioned in other comments, we consider some individuals born with a psychopathic disorder and others develop from severe neglect then 1% sounds realistic.
3. Re:Oh please! by tehcyder · 2017-03-17 00:55 · Score: 1
  
  Most people who claim that they have a mental illness, or have been diagnosed with and possibly given drugs for a mental illness, are in fact perfectly healthy individuals with these things we can't always control called emotions.
  Given the stigma attached to mental illness, I find it hard to believe that completely healthy people would go along with this if they had a choice.
  
  --
  To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
What about the psychopaths in Washington DC? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 04:03 · Score: 0

The US federal government, at least the executive branch, is currently run by a bunch of psychopaths. Why should silicon valley be any different?
We care! tm by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 04:06 · Score: 0

Some reason I can't stop thinking about all the diversity and quota pushes for various demographics to SV and STEM industry. "look how great our company is because we give women/black/lgbt more money/programs/opportunities" etc.
I remember hearing about a study that basically amounted to; people that virtue signal are seen as more virtuous than those that act virtuous. IOW; saying you are good is better than being good. When in reality, the people that virtue signal tend to be less virtuous.
1. Re:We care! tm by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 07:29 · Score: 0
  
  Something something when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Something something
SPOILER ALERT! by chaosmind · 2017-03-16 04:15 · Score: 1

Well, shit... I guess now we know what the fourth season is going to be about! I loves me some Silicon Valley.
I think I've worked for several... by whitroth · 2017-03-16 04:17 · Score: 1

And, of course, we *know* where the biggest, sorry, HUUUUGGGEEESST one of all is....
Clinton House by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 04:28 · Score: 0

Yea, at the Clinton home.
Hillary had employees of her die while working for her and lied to their families telling them it was a video for political reasons. How does someone who isn't a clinical psychopath do that?
Bill Clinton is up to what, 26 women sexually harassed, and Hillary is still defending him.
Yea, we knew where the HUUUUGEEST one is.
1. Re:Clinton House by AutodidactLabrat · 2017-03-16 06:10 · Score: 1
  
  Proof of Harrassment?
  As usual, none.
  Proof that Hillary's employees died working for her?
  none, of course
  More smoke and mirrors from the right
2. Re:Clinton House by HornWumpus · 2017-03-16 06:37 · Score: 1
  
  Tell it to the judge that disbarred him for lying about the harassment.
  Legal proof is _done_, yet Hillary and many others still defend him.
  
  --
  John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
3. Re:Clinton House by AutodidactLabrat · 2017-03-16 08:11 · Score: 1
  
  Wrong
  Clinton was NEVER disbarred. he did surrender his license for 5 years and NOT for harrassment.
  Go ahead, I'll wait, prove that claim!
  Legal proof is that you have NO idea what you are talking about
  The paula Jones suit? Dismissed as "Utterly without merit"
Why I can't take the "experts" seriously by taustin · 2017-03-16 04:29 · Score: 2

We have a class of people who:
1) Are law-abiding (even if they make use of every loophole in the book)
2) Widely recognized as leaders is a hyper-competitive environment
3) Not only survive, but thrive in that environment, and inspire others to excel as well
And the "experts" describe these people as having a disorder of some sort. They literally define business success as a mental illness.
1. Re:Why I can't take the "experts" seriously by AutodidactLabrat · 2017-03-16 06:09 · Score: 1, Insightful
  
  If "Business Success" means selling defective products, lying to customers, stealing from Shareholders, yes, Business "Success" is mental illness.
  Witness the "success" in the White House for examples.
  Raise healthcare costs beyond reach for the old to give more tax cuts to the rich?
  purest psychopathy possible.
2. Re:Why I can't take the "experts" seriously by Howitzer86 · 2017-03-16 06:10 · Score: 1
  
  Lol, experts who are holding the next evolution of man from obtaining true greatness I'm sure.
3. Re:Why I can't take the "experts" seriously by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 06:16 · Score: 0
  
  They literally define business success as a mental illness
  No they don't. It said the percentage is higher, but still less than 10%. The other 90% are presumably successful but not ill.
4. Re:Why I can't take the "experts" seriously by fish_in_the_c · 2017-03-16 06:30 · Score: 1
  
  The american psychological establishment is a highly biased and liberal leaning institution and very little of what the recommend has anything to do with what engineers refer to as 'hard science'. If you take pschy courses, which are really interesting I'd recommend at least a couple. You will find.
  1) that psychology considers itself a 'social science' not unlike say history, or anthropology.
  2) they do not hold themselves to the same kind of evidence based standard as what they term a 'hard science'.
  (I've confirmed both of the above statements with Professor's of psychology who teach licensed professionals.
  
  --
  âoeTolerance applies only to persons, but never to truth. Intolerance applies only to truth, but never to persons.
5. Re:Why I can't take the "experts" seriously by thinkwaitfast · 2017-03-16 07:31 · Score: 1
  
  Isn't that an almost verbatim description of evolution?
6. Re:Why I can't take the "experts" seriously by AutodidactLabrat · 2017-03-17 03:47 · Score: 1
  
  Name the source when you indulge in arumentum ad magesterium
7. Re:Why I can't take the "experts" seriously by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-19 16:56 · Score: 0
  
  It's not that they're successful.. it's at ANY COST.
  Big difference.
Re:"Psychos @ the wheel..." by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 04:39 · Score: 0

Um... APK...
Please, please, will the lot of you take your mental illness and go die in a fire? Just all you religious extremists like Christians and Muslims and Republicans, just go. Please. Just. Go.
Psychopath != Sociopath by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 04:49 · Score: 0

"A true psychopath is someone that has a blend of emotional, interpersonal, lifestyle and behavioral deficits but an uncanny ability to mask them. They come across as very charming, very gregarious. But underneath there's a profound lack of remorse, callousness and a lack of empathy," said forensic and clinical psychologist Michael Woodworth...
Dear Micheal,
Please learn the difference between a psychopath and a sociopath.
Thank you
Re: "Psychos @ the wheel..." by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 05:02 · Score: 0

You intolerant scum bag. He's an asshole and you just tagging him along with the groups you dislike make you even worse.
You are two-faced fuck stain.
Psychos drive away talented people... by bkmoore · 2017-03-16 05:15 · Score: 1

If you define psychopathic as "only caring about me, me, me", I worked there. What they did do was drive away talent. I saw the best engineers leaving, one after another. I'm not so talented, but decided to follow their example.
I wonder is some of these by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 05:19 · Score: 0

bad behavior could be caused by mothers consuming alcohol during pregnancy. Large amount of alcohol leads to fetal alcohol syndrome. But I wonder if we miss a lot of the victims. By the way excessive alcohol consumption could also account for the child abuse. Some people are mean drunks.
1. Re:I wonder is some of these by HornWumpus · 2017-03-16 06:42 · Score: 1
  
  Fetal alcohol syndrome has visible signs.
  The 'labia' (cleft in the lips just under your nose, not 'meat flaps') doesn't form. You can have some sympathy, while not putting them in positions where they can cause too much damage.
  
  --
  John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
2. Re: I wonder is some of these by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 07:25 · Score: 0
  
  Per the original post, the number of socially/mentally impaired CEOs is in the high single or low double digits... which means that they are still far outnumbered by their non-mentally challenged counterparts. That fact alone should be sufficient to establish that a mental illness is not required for success, correct?
  So, if you have a potential liability like psychopathy, which can be identified and clinically diagnosed via established psychological and medical techniques, wouldn't it be legally negligent to their shareholders for corporate boards of directors to NOT screen and disquality their corporate officers for this, or similar, problems? Nobody is guaranteed the job they want.
  Before claims of discrimination are raised, please review the relevant ADA laws, and consider all the existing cases where a particular mental (or physical) impairment or condition is used to preclude or restrict employment.
  Note that this is really ultimately a question of fiducial accountability for publically traded corporations. Privately held companies don't have this particular consideration, for instance. And there are other positions which are not precluded by mental limitations.
  On a side note, I personally think testing for some level of mental impairment would be appropriate for many jobs, including elected or appointed officials. Things like megalomania, kleptomania, pathological lying, sadism, etc., are simply disqualifying for certain job functions and responsibilities, regardless of the cause. You do not want narcoleptic air traffic controilers or train drivers, right? Same idea.
3. Re:I wonder is some of these by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 08:38 · Score: 0
  
  Fetal alcohol syndrome has visible signs.
  The 'labia' (cleft in the lips just under your nose, not 'meat flaps') doesn't form. You can have some sympathy, while not putting them in positions where they can cause too much damage.
  Fetal alcohol syndrome is just one of the possible negative outcomes of drinking during pregnancy. There is evidence, for example, that a mother drinking during pregnancy increases the likelihood that the child will have ADHD. Quite frankly, I think a lot of mental disorders (including ADHD and ASPD, but many more too) are probably caused by parts of the brain not working very well. There are probably lots of factors and potential causes (including genetics, head trauma, or a mother who drank during pregnancy). This is just a hypothesis at this point, and we don't have the evidence to make a strong conclusion yet. So, take ADHD (which I have). Some or all of the parts of the brain which control executive functioning are not as strong as they could or should be. At the end of the day, there are probably a myriad of factors in that. The cause is the malfunctioning brain regions. The cause of that could be, essentially, anything. That's my hypothesis.
4. Re:I wonder is some of these by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-17 04:34 · Score: 0
  
  > The 'labia' (cleft in the lips just under your nose, not 'meat flaps') doesn't form.
  You're thinking of the philtrum. 'Labia' is just Latin for 'lips.'
Silly Valley is not alone by AutodidactLabrat · 2017-03-16 05:33 · Score: 1

Do remember that Faux "news" paid a fortune to settle harrassment AND was being investigated for criminal witness intimidation (until the Friday Night Massacre last week).
Psychopathy in the boardroom is a DESIRED trait by shareholders
Nothing but profits matters, anyone who has moral qualms has to go.
Clinton would have been unopposed by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 06:08 · Score: 0

Clinton would have been unopposed especially as regards the influence of Wall Street.
The main benefit of Trump is that there is so much opposition that he is less likely to do thorough damage than the options.
TLDR: Clinton Evil, Trump Dumb
You spelled DC wrong by WillAffleckUW · 2017-03-16 06:29 · Score: 1

Although I guess those are "ex-CEOs".

--
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
Psychopathic manager here..... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 07:57 · Score: 0

I come to work everyday with a chainsaw and ski mask, and if productivity
drops, I rev the baby up scince my subordernates know whats comming
next if they dont shape up........
Jumping to conclusions by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 08:26 · Score: 0

Oh Please. Some of the attributes associated with psychopathy can be advantageous in many many settings outside of business too. "What does this tell us about our government/prison system/military/disability fraudsters/con artists/marketers/etc etc etc." No, this doesn't tell us anything about our economic system just like it doesn't tell us about any other system or about people who successfully abuse those systems.
Semantics by Locke2005 · 2017-03-16 08:45 · Score: 2

I would have used the term "sociopath", not "psychopath", but many people don't see any difference between the two.

--
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
Really? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 08:51 · Score: 0

The HR teams where I've worked have been pretty vanilla yuppies, a far cry from "social justice types". Of course, I'm guessing most are socially liberal leaning, not Trump supporters like yourself who would just hire conservative white dudes because you think they're all being discriminated against.
Keep in mind the head of HR has to be hired by someone at the top of the company and they're likely going to avoid someone they think will be looking for any little thing to use against them and other employees and who would be more likely to hire other people like that to work under them.
Goddamn it... (was: Re: Leadership) by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 09:46 · Score: 0

...I read "Hillary" as "Hitler", and was surprised at how much sense your statement still seemed to make...
4-8% sounds exceedingly low to me by waspleg · 2017-03-16 10:02 · Score: 1

especially when the law says they're beholden first to their profit making for shareholder value. I've also read in several places including a book about socio/psychopaths that they're more like 1 in 10 not 1 in 100.
What psychopath is not by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 11:23 · Score: 0

Being a mean, selfish and self-serving person is not the same as being a psychopath.
Re:"Psychos @ the wheel..." by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 11:31 · Score: 0

I live in Sweden, and I can easily tell that you don't know jack shit about Sweden.
Starting a company.. What?? by Neuronwelder · 2017-03-16 12:17 · Score: 1

Since when is starting a company an irrational need?? A company is supposed to provide a product or service that people need. So are companies themselves irrational? (Today-Maybe) But getting back to what a company is supposed to represent is a sane product or service that is supposed to make life a little better. As for CEO's themselves? (Not the company.) The psychopathic answer is yes. Just look at their perks, take home pay, and severance pays - You don't have to look too far, or too hard.
What if psychopathy is learned? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 12:30 · Score: 0

They all say people are born that way - but since there is no established method of determining which baby is the psychopath, I call BS.
Maybe it is learned. Why would we even be surprised to learn that? Teaching a child to succeed and reach the top in their field is no longer a realistic goal - there are simply far too many people on earth who are now educated.
Why would we be surprised that the people sitting at the top of the pile are simply those who best learned how to get there?
1. Re:What if psychopathy is learned? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-17 04:22 · Score: 0
  
  Very interesting:
  The Neuroscientist Who Discovered He Was a Psychopath
CEOs lying about tech worker shortage by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-16 13:26 · Score: 0

Silicon Valley CEOs have been lying about a 'shortage' of tech workers for a couple of decades now, and thus need h-1bs There were even secret emails of nonpoaching agreement with Steve Jobs and others. So, yeah. I think they are psychopaths.
A warning to those who idolize Psychopaths by MrKaos · 2017-03-16 21:04 · Score: 4, Interesting

I have had the misfortune of encountering two psychopaths in my life. One rented a room from me and I worked with an occupational psychopath which is exactly what we are talking about here. It took me a long time to work out what they were.
This is because the tactics of manipulation they use is beguiling and confusing. You are never certain if it is you or what is going on. If they meet your friends they will manipulate them and turn them against you with lies of 'MrKaos said this or that'. They will turn all of your peer group against you until you are dependent on them and completely at their mercy. And there will be no mercy. You will be manipulated until you either have a nervous breakdown, which I nearly did, or you kill yourself.
For me the first psychopath was eventually exposed and responded by threatened me with a meat knife, twice, and other physical threats of violence. Now I am no push over. I was in my late 20s at the time and had about a decade of martial arts training to draw on. I knew as soon as that knife moved, my life as I knew it would be over. Instead of acting threatened I acted un-threatened, thinking that I would take that knife and use it against him, because that is what would have to happen. Psychopaths admire power. If you are powerful you can beguile them enough to escape, even temporarily.
After several attempts at physical confrontations he eventually tried to ambush me. As I avoided his pathetic attempt to hurt me I sidestepped his assault, hit him under the neck and, with immense satisfaction, drove his head directly into the concrete upon which he was standing, ensuring there was no bounce and he would receive the full damage of my defense. I told him that if he ever came near me again - well you can guess what I said. He didn't stop and it took several years of being harassed and subsequent court cases to get this motherfucker out of my life.
Several years later my second encounter was an OP when I worked for a large corporation you have heard of. I was gradually exposed, like boiling a frog, to familiar patterns of manipulation and confusing scenarios. Instead of being able to concentrate on my work I had to devote energy to defusing his tedious machinations, power plays and other things. Eventually he destroyed the career of my boss, who I was friends with before he came along and almost stressed a pregnant woman into a miscarriage. Psychopaths don't have to kill to get their supply of making people suffer.
I concluded this person was an OP when he described to me, back in 2004, how he used to torture small animals like cats and rabbits for fun. This disgusted me and horrified me at the same time because as he told me I realized, from previous experiences, he was doing this to gauge my reaction. He was using this story to attempt to brutalize and intimidate me.
I responded casually, despite my insides screaming 'get the fuck away from this guy', with a description of how my father taught me to hunt and maintain firearms. That he never let me hunt animals until I was a good shot and that when I did hunt, to aim for the heart or head and try to take the animal down with a single shot. I looked at him right in the face and said 'sometimes I would see a sick animal and realize the most merciful thing I could do was to shoot them right in the head', looked at the time, said it was an interesting conversation but it was time for me to go home. I was shaking when I got to my car.
When the OP could not destroy my work, he instead tried to destroy me, unlike the previous psychopath I could not get away easily. Eventually I escaped when I snapped an achillies tendon and was no longer able to perform the role. Despite the pain, surgery and two years to learn how to walk again all I could think of was how grateful I was to have escaped the OP's final destructive plans for me. Whatever they were, they were bad. Ten years later, he was still trying. My other colleagues, who I am still in contact with, also look back with fear and horror of wh

--
My ism, it's full of beliefs.
Re:"Psychos @ the wheel..." by tehcyder · 2017-03-16 23:59 · Score: 1

I live in Sweden, and I can easily tell that you don't know jack shit about Sweden.
"Sweden" has become a right wing shortcut for how evil all Muslims/immigrants/foreigners are.

--
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
I know 1 thing for SURE by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-17 04:26 · Score: 0

See my subject: You're getting pushed around badly & I do understand why - you're in monetary chains of UBI. You get outta line they can cut you off...
* I actually feel BAD for you but, then again, I don't - you've done it all to yourselves...
APK
P.S.=> It's exactly how something like UBI can work AGAINST you & you know it (same w/ how Aaron Russo heard it right from Rockefeller himself - they want to 'chip' us all for control that exact way, but you don't even NEED a chip now - RFID ink & a branded by laserscan tattoo will do it... man! "Ain't technology great?" (not))... apk
Last decade's news.... by MercTech · 2017-03-17 05:46 · Score: 1

It's coming around again. There have been so many studies of sociopathy (Yeah, the term from the studies that started in the 1980s and not the current DSM) that you could walpaper the whole Smithsonian.
Most of them have some similar conclusions... couple sociopathic traits with low intelligence and you have serial criminals. Couple sociopathic traits with high intelligence; you have a CEO.

--
NRRPT/RCT
Oh my god!... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-03-17 06:10 · Score: 0

It even has a watermark :|
Sigh... by DontTrustWhatIType · 2017-03-17 06:33 · Score: 0

Although there is research showing an increased prevalence of some general social dysfunction disorders (e.g., NPD and others which are often colloquially referred to as "sociopathy") among certain classes of occupations, I can find no serious research on "psychopathy" (not a real disorder or class of disorders) or any other empathy-deficient disorder with respect to their disproportionate prevalence in executive leadership. It intuitively seems like it might be likely, but anyone can pull that out of their ear. This is supposedly the expressed opinion of one or more panelists, none of which are even quoted directly and only two of which might claim any expertise in the area (but neither of which have published on this particular matter). In other words, sensationalist click bait.
P.S., I have opinions on this too, and they are worth about as much.
Trump-ism versus index fund; caution on labelling by Paul+Fernhout · 2017-03-17 13:09 · Score: 1

Supposedly Trump would be as welthy or wealthier if he had just put his inherited money in an index fund:
http://www.celebritynetworth.c...
"Depending on which figures you use, if he had taken that $40 million and put it in a simple index fund, he'd have about $3.4 billion in the summer of 2015 (not counting investment fees and taxes), which is in the same neighborhood as what he's worth now [assuming his public claims are accurate]"
Of course, that probably would have been boring to Trump...
Back in 2009 I started an email thread on "the psychopath as peer" on the p2presearch list, and here was a most insightful and cautionary comment by Andy Robinson about using the term "psychopath" to describe anyone (including, in this case, Trump) which amplifies on your concern about indirect diagnosis and labelling:
https://wiki.p2pfoundation.net...
From: Andy Robinson
Mon Nov 2 16:17:58 CET 2009
I'd be careful with these kinds of classificatory schemas for other reasons
as well - they have a history of complicity in regimes of regimentation and
control, as ways of pathologising difference. While I'd be the first to
endorse the idea that there are real kinds of neurological difference in
cases such as autism and possibly schizophrenia, I'm sceptical of the idea
that real differences can be deduced simply by creating checklists of
"behaviours" or subjective stances. Most often it is a matter of old men
with beards sitting round in smoke-filled rooms deciding arbitrarily which
"behaviours" or subjective dispositions will be classified as "abnormal" and
hence included on these lists - hence the inclusion of such things as
homosexuality. We are never far away from the world of Soviet and Chinese
designations of dissidents as mad - and there have been cases of this kind
in Britain and Holland too. Today we have another sinister development in
Britain of the use of psychiatric testing to jail people "indefinitely" (for
life) for middle-level offences, on the grounds of the supposed risk they
pose. I actually know someone who had to argue with her psychiatrist to
avoid being classified as a psychopath (presumably she means ASPD?) on the
grounds of her political support for property damage in some circumstances.
Psychiatry mobilised as system of control - the opposite of what it should
be doing, which is protecting difference from persecution through
assumptions of sameness. A full recognition of the radicality of
psychological difference has drastic effects for ethical theory and
jurisprudence, amounting to an effective suspension of judgement due to
incommensurability of difference and intangible effects of unjust context -
something recognised in historic ideas of *mens rea*, but increasingly
resisted today.
The historical construction of the "psychopath" is problematic, because it
is clear from the studies of the "London Monster" that the *figure* of the
psychopath in popular imaginations precedes the actual emergence of serial
attackers of this particular kind. Also that the emergence of this figure
is closely connected to the rise of modernity and the alienated city in
praticular. Of course, the biological determinists will then revise the
historical record to attempt to reinterpret earlier instances of mass-murder
in the same terms - but the discursive status was quite different. Anyway -
it is clear that the social fears of the random stranger without social
ties, who will behave in a "predatory" way, arises from the disintegration
of social density in the modern city and the increasing frequency of contact
with people with whom one has no particular affinity or specific relation.
Hence the fear that such a person might be

--
A 21st century issue: the irony of technologies of abundance in the hands of those still thinking in terms of scarcity.