Professions with the most…psychopaths?

I just discussed this article with my boss, randomly, at work today. My day-profession is number number 10 on the top 10. The fact that it’s even in the top 10 is a little disturbing!

The true definition of a psychopath has always intrigued me. It’s probably the reason why I really enjoy Information Discovery and Forensic Files and other crime shows like that in my spare time! That very definition goes a little something like this, according to my MacBook’s dictionary:

Psychopathy…is traditionally defined as a personality disorder characterized by enduring antisocial behavior, diminished empathy and remorse, and disinhibited or bold behavior. It may also be defined as a continuous aspect of personality, representing scores on different personality dimensions found throughout the population in varying combinations.

The article itself goes on to try and describe why these professions may be chock-full of people who exhibit “bold behavior.” For example many of the jobs that employ a high number of psychopaths, “offer power and many require an ability to make objective, clinical decisions divorced from feelings.” Yeah. That ain’t me.

Just something I found interesting – this could explain why I’m sometimes perplexed at my day job when it comes to the decisions I see made. But being a teacher – number 7 on the opposite list – is how I see myself as a motivational speaker and social justice educator. So I’ll lean toward that for now.