Christian Bale in ‘American Psycho’, 2000. (Photo by Lion’s Gate/Getty Images)

Psychopaths are often charming, intelligent and persuasive – but utterly devoid of compassion.

They’re also everywhere – with around 3-4% of senior positions in business occupied by psychopaths, as opposed to 1% in the population as a whole.

But how do you spot one?

Writing on Quora, Jacob Wells claims to score 34 on the Hare checklist (used to diagnose psychopathy), and be a psychopath himself.


He says that the way psychopaths present themselves may offer a clue.

MORE: Enjoy black coffee? You’re more likely to be a psychopath

1) Is the person ‘too perfect’?

‘Hannibal’, Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter

Wells says, ‘I usually present myself as normal at first.Some exceptions being academic settings where I try to present myself as either or a good student or a genius (the first of which I am not, at all), dating settings where I present myself as being perfect, but unaware of it (both lies), or competitive settings where I act humble but intimidating (neither is true in this case either).’



2) Is the person very, very interesting?

Wells says, ‘If I haven’t already, I will subtly show some intelligence, I will behave a bit abnormally, as that is more comfortable, and I will try to be become the most interesting person they know by telling them a true story about myself.’

3) Does it seem like the person will say anything to draw you in?

Wells says, ‘On the outside, I’m whatever I want you to think I am. I can be normal if need be, or if I’m bored I can be eccentric, a genius, or whatever else to get some reaction or provoke interest. Now on the inside I’m different. I need controll. It hurts to be powerless.’

4) Is the person doing you a LOT of favours?

‘I offer to solve their problems, in any way possible, and then ask them how far to take it so I don’t violate their morals. I keep secrets, and tell them fake secrets to gain their trust, and once they trust me enough, I ask for favours, reminding of the favours I did them. I can get literally anything from them, which is incredibly useful.’

5) Is the person one of those leaders who doesn’t look after their followers?

Wells says, ‘It is a useful set of traits. We are often very successful, we aren’t held back by empathy, guilt, emotional thinking, or other irrationalities (with the sole exeption of ego, which empaths are guilty of as well.) We are charismatic, manipulative, and callous, a recipe for success.