Delving into the fascinating realm of psychopathy, Dutton focuses on the many virtues that can be gleaned from this 1 to 2 percent of the our population. Contrary to many myths, most psychopaths are fully functional members of society and include CEOs and US Presidents. Indeed, many of their core attributes–stoicism, the ability to make hard decisions quickly, a lack of emotional attachment–makes functional psychopaths more ideal than the average person for high pressure, fast paced positions. Dutton also makes an interesting connection: many attributes of psychopaths are also shared by the “spiritually enlightened.”
Interesting tidbit: psychopaths are more likely to offer and provide unsolicited aid to someone who obviously needs it (such as someone having difficulty functioning with a broken limb) than a normal person.