神经病才能当好CEO？

    那么究竟是什么赋予了这些精神变态的人这样过人的天赋，就算你死死地盯住这些人的眼睛，他们也能保持冷静的头脑？答案很有可能就来自大脑。对于大多数正常人来说，身处应激情境中，比如超难的考试、观看恐怖片或是击退袭击者时，大脑中的某部分会对疼痛、恐慌或是其他激动的情绪有着强烈的反应。但对于精神变态者来说，情况恰恰相反，他们在高度紧张的情景中反而能够比平时更加冷静、沉着。

    达顿说，从本质上来说，精神变态者天生就表现出极强的情绪控制能力，而这样的能力则是西藏僧侣或是精英士兵非历经多年艰苦训练而不可达到的境界。从这个意义上来说，这些人似乎是更能适应这个残酷的、有着极大不确定性的危险世界。

    然而，就像冰激凌和美酒一样，“精神变态”一旦过了头，则就会适得其反。那些看起来“一切正常”的精神变态者里面，总会出现几个连环杀手。但是什么造就了这两种不同的“精神变态者”呢？原因很复杂，但可归结为是自我控制和社会方面的因素。达顿在书中写道：“精神变态者的命运取决于很多因素，其中包括遗传基因、家庭背景、教育水平、智商和机遇。”

    那么，撇开谋杀和其他暴力行为不谈，我们若要取得成功，是否也该发展些精神变态类的性格特征呢？不一定，但达顿的确也总结了几种个性，供希望生活变得更轻松一点的正常人选择。这几种个性包括意志力、注意力和专注力。达顿注意到，认知行为诊疗师们多年前就已经开始帮助患者培养这样的品质，而佛教徒在这方面的训练历史则更为久远。

    达顿是讲故事的高手，他可以把一个原本干枯无聊的心理学研究讲述得十分生动有趣。但偶尔有些地方也是生动过头了，比如：“换句话说，疯癫的神经巨浪不会像天塌了一般冲刷着理性逻辑那晶莹剔透的海岸。”嗯，请问，您到底想说什么？

    达顿谈到心理学以外的领域时，论证就不那么严密了。他在书中某处提到，这些精神错乱的性格特征和如今的商业世界特别具有相关性，并声称：“与其他时代不同的是，新千年之后，公司犯罪才开始变得空前猖獗起来。”

    就我们所知，他或许是对的。但在他所做的这个巨大假设的背后，却没有任何的数据或是研究结果来支持，所以读者还是不明所以。诚然，大萧条所带来的种种创伤还历历在目，至今仍不断爆出的公司丑闻和CEO下台。另外在次贷危机愈演愈烈时许多臭名昭著的艺人不但逃脱惩罚，有些反而还获利不菲。这些都是事实，然而，高管人员精神方面的性格与公司犯罪之间并无确凿的数据关联。我们只能说，有关公司犯罪报道增多的原因，是新闻业的孜孜不倦地挖掘黑幕、是公司雇员人数的增长也是商业道德的日益受重视的结果。

    无论如何，达顿的观点没错。如今，随着劳动力市场竞争的日益加剧、美国面临“财政悬崖”以及欧洲经济前景的不明朗，身处职场也越来越像“如临深渊”。处在这样一个世界，唯有精神些许变态的人才能走得更远。

    译者：唐昕昕

    So what, exactly, gives psychopaths such talent, the ability to be cool as a cucumber, even when they are staring death straight in the eye? It comes down to brains, it seems. For most of us, when we are thrown into a stressful situation, whether it's a high-stakes exam, watching a scary movie, or fighting off an attacker, the parts of the brain that actively respond to pain, panic, and other emotions kick into high gear. For psychopaths, it's the opposite. They even calm down during these moments of heightened tension.

    Essentially, Dutton argues, psychopaths naturally display the kind of emotional self-control that Tibetan monks and elite soldiers spend many years developing. In this respect they seem ideally suited for a cruel, uncertain, dangerous world.

    Much like ice cream and great wine, however, there can be too much of a good thing when it comes to psychopathy. For all the seemingly "functional" psychopaths out there, there are at least a few serial killers. But what separates the two types? The answer is complicated, but it comes down to a combination of self-control and social abilities. "The fate of a psychopath depends on a whole range of factors, including genes, family background, education, intelligence, and opportunity," writes Dutton.

    So, murder and other violent actions aside, should we all embrace our inner psychopath if we want to get ahead in life? Not quite, but Dutton does offer a few qualities that non-psychopaths should work on if they want to get through life a little easier. They include mental toughness, focus, and mindfulness. Dutton notes that cognitive behavioral therapists have been helping their patients develop these qualities for years now. Buddhists have been on the case for even longer.

    Dutton spins a solid yarn, turning what could easily have been a dry survey of psych research into entertainment. At times, he overdoes it. Case in point: "The neural tsunami of madness need not, in other words, wash apocalyptically up on the crystalline shores of logic." Umm, what?

    The argument also gets hazy when Dutton ventures outside his own field of psychology. At one point he suggests that psychopathic traits might be especially relevant in today's business world, claiming that "the new millennium has seemingly ushered in a wave of corporate criminality like no other."

    For all we know, he might be right, but he backs this massive assumption with nary a statistic or study. We are left in the dark. Sure, we are all raw with the pains of the Great Recession, the scores of corporate scandals and CEO resignations, and the way in which many of the most egregious actors in the run-up to the housing crisis have largely escaped punishment, or even profited. In the absence of data correlating corporate criminality with executive psychopathy, however, we might just as easily argue that reports of wrongdoing are up because of the never-ending news cycle, the expansion of the workforce, and increased sensitivity (among some) to corporate ethics.

    Nevertheless, Dutton has a point. With competition in several job markets tightening, a nearing "fiscal cliff" in the U.S., and Europe in a state of painful economic uncertainty, today's working world can easily feel like a dark place. In such a world, a little psychopathy can go a long way.