ReThinking: How to Spot Psychopaths and Narcissists, with Leanne Ten Brinke

In this episode Adam Grant and social psychologist Leanne ten Brinke unpack how subtle behaviors betray dark personalities. They highlight research showing that people with psychopathic traits rarely catch a yawn, scan faces differently, and miss fear or sadness cues, indicating a weakened automatic empathy response. Ten Brinke also describes how psychopathic individuals can intellectually understand emotions without feeling them, creating a disconnect between cognition and affect. These findings give listeners concrete, observable signals—like lack of contagious yawning or mismatched facial expressions—to spot potential manipulators early.

The conversation then broadens to the dark tetrad—psychopathy, Machiavellianism, narcissism, and sadism—explaining how each trait shares callousness and manipulation yet carries its own flavor. Roughly ten percent of the population scores high on these traits, a surprisingly large slice that still leaves ninety percent largely kind‑hearted. Data reveal CEOs are about three times more likely than the general public to exhibit clinical psychopathy, while twenty percent of incarcerated individuals show high psychopathic levels, underscoring that these traits can lead to both power and downfall. Understanding this distribution helps demystify headlines that over‑generalize about CEOs or politicians.

Finally, the hosts grapple with the cultural impulse to label anyone displaying a few dark‑trait signals as "toxic" or "poisonous." Ten Brinke warns that over‑labeling can obscure the nuanced continuum of personality and prevent the development of coping strategies. She cites practical tools—such as five‑second video analyses that capture incongruent smiles and aggressive language—to identify harmful behavior without resorting to blanket dismissal. By learning to manage, rather than merely cut off, interactions with dark personalities, professionals can mitigate outsized harm while preserving healthier social dynamics.