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🧿 Psychology
Do you have psychopathic traits?
Screen for primary and secondary psychopathy traits.
Rate each statement 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Be honest.
1Success is based on survival of the fittest; I am not concerned about losers.
2For me, what's right is whatever I can get away with.
3In today's world, I feel justified in doing anything to succeed.
4My main purpose in life is getting as many goodies as I can.
5Cheating is not justified because it is unfair to others.
6I often feel angry without knowing why.
7I find myself in the same kind of trouble, time after time.
8I am often bored.
9I find that I can pursue one goal for a long time.
10Looking out for myself is my top priority.
Understanding psychopathic traits
Psychopathy is a spectrum. The LSRP (Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale) measures primary psychopathy (callousness, manipulation) and secondary psychopathy (impulsivity, antisocial behavior).
Key facts about psychopathy
- 1% of the general population scores in the clinical range
- 3-4% of CEOs score high (Babiak et al., 2010)
- 15-25% of prison inmates score in the clinical range
- Many "successful psychopaths" function in society — they just lack empathy
- Items 1-5 measure primary (coldness), 6-10 measure secondary (impulsivity)
What high scores mean
- Primary psychopathy: Strategic, cold, calculated — "successful" type
- Secondary psychopathy: Impulsive, reactive, unstable — "unsuccessful" type
- Having some traits doesn't make you a "psychopath" — it's a continuum
Sources: Levenson (1995, LSRP), Hare (2003, PCL-R), Babiak et al. (2010), Behavioral Sciences & the Law.