Fearless Dominance: Just One of Many Traits U.S. Presidents Share With Psychopaths

Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 15:30 in Psychology & Sociology

LBJ Gives The Treatment President Lyndon Johnson gives the nonverbal "Treatment" to Sen. Richard Russell on Dec. 17, 1963. This was a Johnson intimidation and persuasion tactic. WikipediaGuess which president was the most psychopathic, er, fearless, of all? Call it swagger, cojones or just plain nerve, but there's a certain kind of confidence required to run for the highest office in the land. It's pretty bold to think that you and you alone are best equipped to lead this country, and that you can convince everyone to agree with that assessment. But that confidence could also be helpful in a time of crisis, according to a new study. A psychological trait called "fearless dominance" is common among our nation's past leaders. You know who else shares this trait? Psychopaths. A new study suggests that some personality traits that would be maladaptive and psychopathic in most people could be beneficial in...

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