Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down Which Professions Attract The Most Psychopaths

People Break Down Which Professions Attract The Most Psychopaths
Photo by Isai Ramos on Unsplash
Make us preferred on Google

Ever since watching Christian Bale tear his way through sex workers, homeless people, and even some of his own coworkers, I've been convinced that people working on Wall Street are psychopaths. Reading American Psycho for myself only entrenched me in this thought process further.

Okay, not entirely, but the 2008 recession didn't help matters.

After Redditor newaccountwhodis asked the online community, "What careers or jobs attract the most psychopaths?" people weighed in with their experiences.


"It included..."

There's been a study on this. It included corporate executives but also surgeons and chefs (both of whose work tends not to require not much actual socialization, or at least only with subordinates, not customers who have to be greeted pleasantly).

Poorly_Drawn_Beagle

"It's known..."

Sales. It's known that psychopaths excel in sales because they do whatever they can to get ahead, learned about it in Psych in my undergrad and it always stuck with me.

Mr_get_the_cream

"The higher you advance..."

Banking. The higher you advance in the hierarchy, the less empathy you have. Exponentially.

sedsiv

"To get away with..."

One career that doesn't immediately come to mind but makes a ton of sense when you think about it is charity worker, especially if you get to management.

What do psychopaths want? To get away with abusing power over others. What better way to do that then to surround yourself with powerless people who desperately need whatever the charity is providing, and typical charity workers that are extremely helpful, caring people who are most inclined to want to see the good in others.

I have a friend with PTSD from being abused by his boss and being forced to witness his boss abuse the people who needed the charity while working at a nonprofit, and his therapist told him his story is surprisingly common.

Hautamaki

"I'm talking about..."

Government management

And I'm not talking about politicians. I'm talking about your department managers and execs. I've worked for some insane people.

jenskal

"I've had a number of interviews..."

I'm going into the aerospace industry as an engineer soon and I feel like a lot of those engineers who work for defense companies building weapons that kill people are just different. I've had a number of interviews with defense industry people and every time the interviewer puts me off with the ways they describe their work building bombs and missiles and s*** that definitely blow up human beings. Maybe it's the way they always frame it as "supporting the warfighter" and how their products are "innovative kill chain technologies" and s***. I would bet money that the defense industry has a measurably higher rate of psychopaths.

xthatguy339x

"I have worked with people..."

Overseas military contractors. I have worked with people that I swear had bodies in their basements or people tied up down there.

EastBayRae

"They're generally useless..."

Middle management. They're incompetent jerks that can't make it to actual positions of power, they sit and tread in their little puddle of victory. They're generally useless and have no real use other than being a toilet for upper management.

Evisceration_Station

"If you ever wonder..."

No bankers? Man, these guys always slip under the radar.

If you ever wonder why the U.S. government and economy is a cruel, rigged mess, it's bankers, they're major shareholders in every public company and major creditors to the rest... every major political decision goes through them. They are the system.

myspaceshipisbroken

"I'm not sure..."

Nurses. I'm not sure if it's because people just want the pay or what but nurses can be so evil. Like the ones beating on old people and s***.

"The real investment banking..."

Investment banking. The real investment banking, not retail bankers. The bankers who will screw your mother for a penny, and advise your pension fund to liquidate and file for bankruptcy so he can get paid to go on his best friend's stag-do.

wetug

"One just recently..."

Lying, cruel, misogynistic, arrogant, nationalistic, brutish, con-artist, fake billionaires, with dreams of becoming POTUS. One just recently achieved that goal.

PastCar7

"I can confidently say..."

I would say nursing and then teaching hands down. I can confidently say that this comes from a place of experience.

Taraybian

"Seriously."

Management.

Seriously. Most managers are diagnosable psychopaths.

HotDogManRidesAgain

"Sales is a job..."

Sales is a job that requires changing one's personality to mirror the potential buyer which is a trait of psychopaths.

MargotWakefield

"You need to make a decision on the fly..."

Politics. Psychopaths actually excel in politics. You need to make decision on the fly, some of which can possibly hurt others. Empathy is not a strong suit in politics. You cant be thinking of everyone.

A_nubiz

"Almost every murder mystery..."

Hedge fund trading, maybe? Almost every murder mystery I've watched where there's a hedge fund trader involved has turned out to be a psychopath of sorts.

DemonCyborg64

Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

A split screen of Jeff Bezos on stage at a panel and Dolly Parton on a red carpet.
Chesnot / Contributor;Getty Imges/ Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Jeff Bezos Called Out For Hypocritical Post Praising Dolly Parton's 'Generosity'—And We're Shaking Our Heads

The world is still in mourning following the death of Dolly Parton this past Tuesday.

In addition to President Trump declaring that flags in the U.S. will fly at half-mast for one week, countless people have taken to social media to pay homage to the beloved singer, actress, and philanthropist.

Keep ReadingShow less
Cameron Brink; Enes Kanter Freedom
@BrickCenter_/X; Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

WNBA Star Bluntly Rips Anti-Trans Former NBA Player Over His Bigoted Antics in Viral Video—And She's Totally Right

WNBA star Cameron Brink has blasted former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom, who changed his name after becoming a United States citizen, over his transphobic antics.

Kanter Freedom, a Turkish national who moved to the U.S. to play high school basketball, had an unremarkable NBA career playing for five different teams—twice switching between the Boston Celtics and Portland Trailblazers, for a total of seven NBA team changes in 11 years in the league. He's had no major endorsement deals, claiming he was "blacklisted."

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Dylan Crawford during MS NOW interview
MS NOW

Young MAGA Voter Who Is 'Struggling For My Life' Goes Viral With His NSFW Message For Trump

Dylan Crawford, an Iowa MAGA voter who is struggling with the affordability crisis after graduating from high school, went viral after swearing at President Donald Trump when asked what he would say if he could speak to the president.

The interview comes as the rising cost of living becomes difficult to ignore for the overwhelming majority of Americans. Consumer sentiment fell sharply in August, according to data released earlier this month by the University of Michigan that found that older and lower-income Americans are particularly affected by elevated fuel prices.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Byron Donalds
@AGGancarski/X

GOP Candidate Slammed After Sharing Absurdly Sexist Reason Why Roads Should Be Repaired

Florida Republican Representative Byron Donalds was called out after making a sexist remark at a campaign rally about why women need roads to be fixed.

Donalds is currently campaigning for Florida's governorship. He is President Donald Trump's preferred candidate in Florida and would be the state's first Black governor if elected to succeed the term-limited Ron DeSantis.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pete Davidson attends SNL50: The Homecoming Concert at Radio City Music Hall.
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Pete Davidson Was Spotted Wearing Blue Contacts And A Wig While Filming A New Movie—And He Looks Low-Key Terrifying

Pete Davidson put in some blue contacts, threw on a wig, and somehow emerged looking like the guy you absolutely do not want making prolonged eye contact with you on the subway.

It all went down when Davidson was photographed on August 25 in costume for his new movie, Tommy Karate, in which he plays notorious, martial arts-trained Bonanno crime family enforcer Thomas "Tommy Karate" Pitera.

Keep ReadingShow less