Oh-oh! Politicians share personality traits with serial killers: Study

Using his law enforcement experience and data drawn from the FBI's behavioral analysis unit, Jim Kouri has collected a series of personality traits common to a couple of professions.

Kouri, who's a vice president of the National Assn. of Chiefs of Police, has assembled traits such as superficial charm, an exaggerated sense of self-worth, glibness, lying, lack of remorse and manipulation of others.

These traits, Kouri points out in his analysis, are common to psychopathic serial killers.

But -- and here's the part that may spark some controversy and defensive discussion -- these traits are also common to American politicians. (Maybe you already suspected.)

Yup. Violent homicide aside, our elected officials often show many of the exact same character traits as criminal nut-jobs, who run from police but not for office.

Kouri notes that these criminals are psychologically capable of committing their dirty deeds free of any concern for social, moral or legal consequences and with absolutely no remorse.

"This allows them to do what they want, whenever they want," he wrote. "Ironically, these same traits exist in men and women who are drawn to high-profile and powerful positions in society including political officeholders."

Good grief! And we not only voted for these people, we're paying their salaries and entrusting them to spend our national treasure in wise ways.

We don't know Kouri that well. He may be trying to manipulate all of us with his glib provocative pronouncements. On the other hand ...

He adds:

"While many political leaders will deny the assessment regarding their similarities with serial killers and other career criminals, it is part of a psychopathic profile that may be used in assessing the behaviors of many officials and lawmakers at all levels of government."

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photo credits: Associated Press

Comments

[Matt]

I'd say the previous administration is a perfect example.

"...psychologically capable of committing their dirty deeds free of any concern for social, moral or legal consequences and with absolutely no remorse."

This sounds much like Dick Cheney still out there, although less so recently, defending torture.

[Ryan]

People are surprised by this? Over one hundred years ago, Lord Acton observed,

"Power tends to corrupt, absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."

Decent people who wish to live their lives and love their families don't aspire to dictate how other people may live their lives. This knowledge is precisely why so many of us are distressed by the continual tendency to vest more power in the federal government and particularly with the presidency: it gives more and more power to fewer and fewer people.

[Don L]

You can't be more of a serial killer than one who kills upwards of fifty million innocent persons. This blood of abortion is upon the hands of politicians -whether they wear robes in judicial chambers, or sit in congress. Nowhere has it beeen more openly aggregious than the one sitting in the Whitehouse now, with his cold hearted agenda of Obamicide.Pray for them.

[JimBob]

And this comes as a surprise to whom, exactly? Congress votes to allow Bush to invade Iraq, tens of thousands die...that's serial murder in MY book!

[Turth Up]

Did he forget the troll media in his study?

[Old Geezer]

Why not include many of the more arrogant MDs, any CEOs and most other authority figures too? In fact, people being what they are, just about any successful person has to have all the "serial killer" traits to a more or less degree to have gotten where they are.

People with these traits are those that the majority of people, people who are ruled by their emotions and rely on "impressions," really take to. Ever notice the personality of guys who are surrounded by the beautiful women? They don't call them "lady killers" for nothing. And why are women, women who could have any man in the room, attracted to those with sociopathic tendencies?

I've noticed that people not only WANT to be lied to, they DEMAND to be lied to and if you won't or can't do that and can't or won't develop those other traits too, the world has invented names for you -- staff member, nerd and looser. I'd include "square" but the younger people wouldn't recognize the term. Unless you are one them, you will not "get the pretty girl" --- lucky you.

[Bill Jones]

This is hardly new.

Here's the Wikipedia listing of Hare's indicators (does this remind you of any politicians you've seen recently?)

Factor1: Aggressive narcissism

1. Glibness/superficial charm
2. Grandiose sense of self-worth
3. Pathological lying
4. Cunning/manipulative
5. Lack of remorse or guilt
6. Shallow
7. Callous/lack of empathy
8. Failure to accept responsibility for own actions

Factor2: Socially deviant lifestyle

1. Need for stimulation/proneness to boredom
2. Parasitic lifestyle
3. Poor behavioral control
4. Promiscuous sexual behavior
5. Lack of realistic, long-term goals
6. Impulsivity
7. Irresponsibility
8. Juvenile delinquency
9. Early behavior problems
10. Revocation of conditional release

Traits not correlated with either factor

1. Many short-term marital relationships
2. Criminal versatility

[Roxy]

Gavin Newsom comes to mind.

[Merinas van der Lubbe]

Dr. Hare has a book out, "Snakes in Suits", examining the prevalence of psychopaths in the upper echelons of corporations and government. Psychopaths make up about 3% of the general population and 20% of the prison population, and are "overrepresented" (Dr. Hare's term) among politicians and corporate executives. As much as 90% of criminals who kill police officers are psychopaths. (The terms "psychopath" and "sociopath" are NOT interchangeable, by the way.) The identification and elimination from society of the psychopath is probably the most important, and the most underestimated, reform needed for both Government and business. Unfortunately, as with most psychological conditions it is impossible to come up with an impartial method of diagnosis, especially since the problem often manifests in degrees of behavior rather than as a clearly identifiable condition. Moreover, Government can hardly be trusted with the right to screen out "potential" psychopaths, since it would promptly set about abusing the power to do so. Nevertheless, until we get rid of these creatures - "intraspecies predators", to quote one psychologist who doesn't consider psychopaths to be human - they will continue slaughtering us, sometimes by the millions.

[Alan Smith]

I think this describes many Republicans, since like sociopaths they reject empathy and animal rights.

[Kate Stonehedge]

From the California Legislature to the White House, this looks like a good fit.

And Tony Villar is a text book example. !!!

[rachel]

Sounds like Obama to me.

[Gary]

I love how you guys look to the Republicans, but skip over the insane democrat/communists in power NOW!

No wonder California is such poor shape.

You take one look at the communist Chicago street thug so-called "president" and you'll see all you need to know about evil!

Millions have died because of communism. And this loon is destroying America at warp speed!

And where is that loser on Iran?

Oh, I forgot, democrats LOVE it when elections are stolen! (see Al Gore's 2000 attempt and ACORN's 2008 win!)

People are being murdered in Iran right now because they are speaking out about the sham ACORN style election as I write this, and good old Barry Soetoro Obama is hiding under his "Resolution" desk!

Thanks loons, you elected a serial killer!

[SoCalDem]

I can see this being real, just take a look at some of these people that have been in office a very long time. I am not singling out either party, but after the RBC meeting I believe most of the cheaters and liars are on the Democratic side. I guess I should change my name to SoCalIndy. I won't ever vote for any Dem that was in office during the stealing of the nomination.

Country before party always!!

[Young Geezer]

These Personality traits allow them to enact Breed Specific laws which target and kill innocent dogs due to looks alone.
Many serial killers start off by abusing animals and it escalates.
Can you imagine any of these Legislators getting away with slaughtering innocent dogs if they weren`t holding Political Office?
They`d be in jail like this kid arrested for mutilating cats in Miami.
Politicians just have other people do the killing on their behalf.
They sleep well at night.
This Study doesn`t surprise me in the least.
Growing up they came to a fork in the road,some were elected to Political Office and some weren`t.

[David]

If Obama is a socialist/communist then why is he working so hard to save capitalism?!

[Scott]

It's amazing how many posters read this and think that this only applies to the politicians they don't like. Clearly not all politicians are bad but the reality is that power attracts the most aggressive and self-interested more than it does the conscientious. By simple math and reason it is easy to assess that the people we don't want to attain power will achieve it far more regularly than those we would prefer. Trust none of them and limit all of them. The good ones will not be offended. No one in history has ever prospered under the burden of an unanswerable government.

[CRB]

The previous administration, eh? Sorry matt, this goes for all politicians on both sides of the aisle. If you think that any administration/politician is purely benevolent then you are criminally ignorant. I'm tired of hearing idiots say things like "My party has never done anything wrong and we'd live in perfect harmony if it weren't for that pesky other party." Two sides of the same deceitful coin. Solution? Stronger people, weaker government. Everyone is running around crying for help when they aren't willing to help themselves. Begging for leaders when they're to lazy to find their own direction or lead themselves. Too weak to be an individual and stand on their own so they throw themselves at causes they hardly care to fully understand. I see people on the street screaming about some injustice or righteous cause but when I ask them about the subject they merely regurgitate the sensless garbage thats written on the pamphlets they hand out. You want change you can believe in? Do it yourself and quit electing people that would have the government do it for you.

[despairer]

Ted Bundy (not to be confused too much with Ted Kennedy) was considered handsome, charismatic, and friendly---and his favorite past time was butchering sorority girls like a bad R-film.

[B Knotts]

Scott, you are precisely right. This is not a partisan issue; it is an issue of the type of personality that seeks power over others.

The more power available, the more damage that can be done. Logically, then, we should seek to do as the Founding Fathers did, and limit that power. Unfortunately, "progressives," starting in the late 19th century (see Theodore Roosevelt, Earl Warren, FDR, LBJ, etc.), have given more and more power to government over the years.

It's hard to get the toothpaste back in the tube.

[Mark @ News Corpse]

Am I the only one who sees media blowhards like Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, etc., matching these personality traits too?

[ELAshley]

Scott asked: "If Obama is a socialist/communist then why is he working so hard to save capitalism?!"

How is Obama trying to save capitalism? By destroying it?

How can you be so blind?

[Tom]

Birds of a feather.

[cjb56]

Am I the only one who sees media blowhards like Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, etc., matching these personality traits too?

Posted by: Mark @ News Corpse | June 16, 2009 at 08:31 PM

Sure. You can also safely add Keith Olbermann, Ed Schultz and David Schuster to your list.

[mvbooth]

It's amazing how most people will use this article to justify being a Republican or Democrat... if you really loved your country you'd realize it is 99% of politicians. It's this type of partisan bickering and name calling that is crippling the nation and jading your children out of caring about any of it. Thanks.