



Mr. Dutton introduces readers to a psychological scorecard called the Psychopathic Personality Inventory, developed by the psychologist Scott Lilienfeld. (It was intended to replace the 1980 Psychopathy Checklist developed by Mr. Hare.) Consisting of 187 questions, this inventory measures a wide swath of personality dimensions, such as Coldheartedness, Machiavellian Egocentricity, Impulsive Nonconformity, Blame Externalization, Carefree Nonplanfulness and the like. Most people have these personality traits in some measure. It is perfectly normal for a person to be carefree and go without plans when on vacation. And you certainly might consider releasing the coldhearted hounds when someone is trying to con you or when a telemarketer phones your home at 9 p.m.

The Wisdom of Psychopaths

By Kevin Dutton
(Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 261 pages, $26)

Mr. Dutton, with his tongue not entirely in his cheek, develops a skill set he calls the Seven Deadly Wins, "seven core principles of psychopathy that, apportioned judiciously and applied with due care and attention, can help us get exactly what we want; can help us respond, rather than react, to the challenges of modern-day living; can transform our outlook from victim to victor, but without turning us into a villain." His seven are: ruthlessness, charm, focus, mental toughness, fearlessness, mindfulness and action.

I'm not sure about the first one ("hardheadedness" would sound a lot less Machiavellian), but the idea is that if you want to accomplish something (anything) in life you need a certain amount of all these traits, but not too much. In the dog-eat-dog competitive world of, say, professional sports or Wall Street trading, these traits can be a distinct advantage, and it is here, perhaps, where the propensity of such traits to cluster around the male half of the species is most evident. Nevertheless, many women at the top of their fields—think of Margaret Thatcher or Vogue magazine editor Anna Wintour—are generally second to none in their tough-mindedness. More research is needed to understand gender differences in psychopathy.

Or consider heroism, which Mr. Dutton does in discussing the work of Stanford University social psychologist Philip Zimbardo. After producing one of the best treatises ever penned on why people can become evil in particular situations ("The Lucifer Effect"), Mr. Zimbardo followed up with a study of what makes people good. "The decision to act heroically is a choice that many of us will be called upon to make at some point in our lives," Mr. Zimbardo explains to Mr. Dutton. "It means not being afraid of what others might think. It means not being afraid of the fallout for ourselves. It means not being afraid of putting our necks on the line." Clearly certain psychopathic traits can serve admirable ends. Sometimes, Mr. Dutton suggests, psychopaths may even save our lives, as with ordinary citizens who courageously and with seemingly reckless abandon performed extraordinary feats of bravery on 9/11.

"The Wisdom of Psychopaths" is an engaging and enlightening look at both the positive and negative sides of the personality characteristics that make up the diagnosis of psychopathy. But what Mr. Dutton really brings to the table is a self-reflective look at what it means to be fully human, with both good and evil capacities. Perhaps we need another word—another label—for the positive side of the diagnosis, the side of the spectrum where psychopathic personality dimensions are put to good use and are used for good. Positive Psychopathy? Whatever we decide upon, we should always remember that human behavior is complex and context-dependent. Our labels rarely capture its rich tapestry.

Mr. Shermer is the publisher of Skeptic magazine and a monthly columnist for Scientific American. His latest book is "The Believing Brain."