Without Conscience Summary

In his book Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths among us, Dr Robert D. Hare tells a chilling report of the psychopaths he has worked with throughout his career as a criminal psychologist as well as examples from pop culture and high-profile news stories, ranging from the anticipated serial killer to the unassuming white-collar criminal. Dr. Hare’s book paints a fascinating and creepy portrait of the psychopath and sheds light on the fact that psychopathy is more common than we would like to think. In addition to defining the term psychopath and answering pertinent questions of nature vs. nurture, Dr. Hare provides the reader with the Hare Psychopathy Checklist as well as a survival guide; seeing that these men and women

The checklist was created in the early 1990s for research purposes, as there was little intel on the inner workings of the psychopath’s mind, and eventually evolved into a useful tool to aid in the releasement and detainment decisions within psychiatric units as well as specifying treatment plans on an individual basis. Because a diagnosis such as this holds monumental weight and is not easily revocable, Dr. Hare urges that this diagnostic tool only is administered by a licensed mental health professional. Though some of these symptoms may appear familiar in friends, coworkers, and loved ones, that does not mean they are worthy of a diagnosis, and Dr. Hare warns the reader not to diagnose themselves or others around them. The test itself consists of a 20-item assessment with a 3-point scoring scale and determines the severity (if present at all) of the psychopathy. The inventory within the assessment determines whether to consider the patient antisocial, how they respond to emotional situations, and how they behave in regards to interpersonal relationships throughout their everyday lives. A few of the most common traits used to define the psychopath during this assessment include pathological lying, impulsivity, lack of

Clean shaven and handsome, Ted Bundy did not match the physical stereotype of a psychopath, and he used this to his advantage to gain the trust of his young victims before brutally raping and murdering them. On the occasion that Bundy was unable to dazzle his potential victims into his car, he would wear a cast or hobble across the road on a pair of crutches, hoping to catch the concern of a young passerby. His “disability” made him seem vulnerable and these women were more willing to help him. Coworkers of Bundy began having suspicions of him during the time of these murders, but the pleasant and personable reputation he had built for himself was so overwhelming, it was difficult for anyone to actually point their finger at him. Ted Bundy is an example of the trademark psychopath. It was his use of sexual attractiveness and need for stimulation that acted as his greatest