Sociopath Community

100%.  I think a lot of high up politicians are probably sociopaths- there personality makes them a perfect fit.  I wonder how many presidents were sociopaths.  I think Obama could be.

Hmm, I wonder if Fallon and Kevin Dutton ever spoke to one another or any other exchange.  Anyway, yeah, I'd vote for a psychopath.  I understand that more than the current state of affairs.  Of course, there are tons of other mitigating factors which would modify and adjust just what "kind" of psychopath (assuming the spectrum approach) that would be ideal.

In a weird way, knowing that they are fully capable and willing to lie, be underhanded or remorseless, lends a certain sense of honesty paradoxically.  It would be a step up from the ambiguous, hypocritical and patronizing way things are conducted by present day politics.

ADDENDUM:  Of course, I'm assuming we'd be aware of the fact the nominee is psychopathic.  (As someone pointed out, tangentially, we have probably voted for many psychopaths without knowing it plenty of times.)  However, if any of them caught on that revealing their psychopathy would be to their advantage in public opinion, it would create an interesting race of irony, almost.  What an interesting world it has become.

I'd rather vote for a psychopath  than a narcissistic politician (sycophant), which is a norm these days.

At least the results are less predictable.

Then again, I don't vote because of politicians.

According to some research at Emory University, people do vote persons with psychopathic traits into office.

"Certain psychopathic traits may be like a double-edged sword," the study's lead author Dr. Scott Lilienfeld, a psychologist at Emory, said in a written statement. "Fearless dominance, for example, may contribute to reckless criminality and violence, or to skillful leadership in the face of a crisis."

The researchers compiled personality assessments of the 42 previous U.S. presidents -- up to and including George W. Bush -- using data from about 100 historical experts, such as biographers, journalists, and political scholars. Those personalities were compared with each president's performance, and links began to emerge.

Out of all the former presidents tested in the Emory study, Theodore Roosevelt ranked the highest for fearless dominance, according to the researchers. He was followed by John F. Kennedy, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, Rutherford Hayes, Zachary Taylor, Bill Clinton, Martin Van Buren, Andrew Jackson and George W. Bush." (Source)

"For rankings on various aspects of job performance, the analysis relied primarily on data from two large surveys of presidential historians.

The rich historical data on presidents, combined with detailed expert rankings, provided a window into an emerging theory some aspects of psychopathy may actually be positive adaptations in certain social situations.

Prof Lilienfeld said: 'The way many people think about mental illness is too cut-and-dried.

'Certainly, full-blown psychopathy is maladaptive and undesirable.

'But what makes the psychopathic personality so interesting is that it is not defined by a single trait, but a constellation of traits.'

A clinical psychopath encompasses myriad characteristics, such as fearless social dominance, self-centered impulsivity, superficial charm, guiltlessness, callousness, dishonesty and immunity to anxiety.

Each of these traits lies along a continuum, and all individuals may exhibit one of more of these traits to some degree.

Prof Lilienfeld explained: 'You can think of it like height and weight. Everyone has some degree of both, and they are continuously distributed in the population.'

The results of the analysis raise the possibility that the boldness often associated with psychopathy may confer advantages over a variety of occupations involving power and prestige, from politics to business, law, athletics and the military.

The findings also add to the debate over the idea of the so-called 'successful psychopath,' an individual with psychopathic traits who rises to a position of power in the workplace.

Prof Lilienfeld said: 'We believe more research is needed into the implications of boldness for leadership in general.'

The analysis found the link between fearless dominance and political performance was linear but Prof Lilienfeld added that at the extremes, boldness may veer into a form of recklessness that would be detrimental." (Source)

Kevin Dutton has such an obnoxious sensationalist approach toward psychopathy.

It's made me wonder if there's any possibility that he is a psychopath himself.  What better way to push the stigma away than to desensitize or aggrandize or whatever?

Had the same thought myself...he's like a Steve Pavlina for edgy people.