Posted on 11/14/2013 12:34:12 PM PST by grundle
You might be surprised. In situations where patients don't have a say over who treats them, lack understanding of other people's thought processes and feelings is no disadvantage or disqualification for psychiatric work.
That's probably true but I don't see them as representing an important percentage of surgeons...certainly nowhere 7%.Unless you include abortionists who *are* trained in a surgical specialty.But abortionists are a breed unto themselves.
Looking at that list, I believe the author has mistook psychopathy with narcissism.
You are probably quite correct. I guess what made me speak up is I know a surgeon that might qualify as a psychopath, but just because I believe I know one does not mean 7% of that profession are.
I was once the victim of a female psychopath as identified by a psychologist which inspired me to read the book I referenced. Being a victim and reading a book certainly does not make me a psychologist, but I am certainly tuned in to psychopath traits.
Auto dealership.
Sales or service.
:-)
Erm. Send me your receipts. And your Social Security number and your bank and investment account numbers ...
Come on, take a chance!
bfl
I believe that surgeons would be a profession that attracts sociopathy. There are differences among sociopaths - high functioning ones can deceive specialists trained to look for sociopathy and low functioning ones are usually the ones caught and sent to jail for bungling. I once conversed with a ‘low functioning’ sociopath who couldn’t conceal his actual feelings of rage/hatred so he put a sickly smile on his face but his lips and eyes revereted to hatred and contempt while we spoke.
Therefore I think surgeon sociopaths are likely to be among the ‘high functioning’ type who are hard to perceive just based on the power and interaction limitations. (Brain surgeons etc. 0 the high risk, high status types) High functioning sociopaths know what the rules are (socially) and can escape detection; “caring” becomes part of the pose.
“Clergyperson”????
___________________________
Sociopaths are drawn to arenas where they will be given trust and can guide/damage the lives of others while seeming like saints. They are attracted to vulnerable or trusting populations the way pervs are attracted to professions that allow them access to children. Jim Jones etc. Power positions - not humble powerless prayer warrior types.
I do not know about nurse being in the least likely category. It seems you keep hearing the story every few years of the nurse killing all of their patients with a hot load. Move them to the left.
Where’s community organizer?
If you're defining "sociopathy" more broadly...as a mental illness that affects a person's ability to "play well with others" then you might be correct.as I said,surgeons tend to be "Type A" personalities...driven,perfectionist,unwilling to accept second best (particularly from subordinates).I could tell you stories...like the world famous cancer surgeon (my hospital was in Boston) who had his OR privileges suspended for two weeks because he threw an instrument at a nurse (I knew the nurse,she wasn't injured but she was certainly pissed).
In short,using *my* definition of "sociopath" the only type of physician who might be able to hold a job is an abortionist...the others would eventually wind up selling used cars because no hospital would grant them admitting privileges.
Psychopaths are motivated and OCD. Sociopaths are unmotivated and opportunistic.
Think Hillary and Bill, respectively.
One of the books I read, I think it was called The Sociopath Next Door, detailed a highly successful psychiatrist/psychologist (dont’ remember which one) at a private mental health hospital which caters to the very rich, very private clientele. The book details how the medical receptionist admonishes her not to work so hard, she’s always tired, take some time off, you deserve a life too. The Dr. said she agreed but the need was so great she simply couldn’t turn away from people in such pain. She’s always taking work home, her briefcase is stuffed to overflowing with work.
The Dr. goes up to her office and sees her first client for the day (she’s worked there a few years), a young son of someone famous who has had a breakdown and has been staying at the hospital while working with a different therapist to put his life back together. Optimistic about his progress and resuming his ordinary life outside, he has to meet with this psychiatrist before he checks out the next day. The psychiatrist is concealing her rage at the ‘success’ her rival psychologist has in cases like this young man. How she hates her psychologist rival. So she shatters the young man psychologically - puts him into a catatonic state as a means of getting back at her rival. No one can contradict her really - it’s just her word against a mental patient who she sent into a catatonic state.
Miraculously, the young man does what no one expects of a person with his challenges (including paranoia) - he asks his regular psychologist if what the sociopathic psychologist said was true (the socio claimed he was getting worse, not better, and that his own psychologist had told her that - severing his trust in his own doctor). So together the young man and his psychologist piece together the damage the socio is doing and the psych goes to the program director.
The director is skeptical but places some calls and they discover the sociopath doesn’t even have a license to practice psychology etc. They don’t press charges but send her on her way (they didn’t want the bad press - employing a fake doctor etc.) I am not suggesting that you have encountered surgeons who act indifferent or weird or agressive etc. I am considering the position of surgeon as highly appealing to sociopaths and I can believe that some do succeed in becoming surgeons and are intelligent enough to know what to say and how to say it (re dedication and concern for patients). I expect them to be intelligent, and seem quite compassionate and above all, dedicated. I have read Hare (supposedly a pioneer of sociopathy) and he notes that sociopaths can deceive Doctors trained to identify sociopathy. I understand we don’t agree - I just wanted to elaborate a little on my view of sociopathy.
Actually, I was drawing attention to the use of the word “clergyperson” - a rather unsatisfying neologism - rather than the more usual clergyman.
But thank you.
Thanks for your patience - I get overly chatty . =)
Happens to me all the time. ;-)
You are right. That’s my exact experience, too.
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