???? UNDER THE LAMPLIGHT-

Ever thought you might be a psychopath? The thought alone probably means you aren’t. Jon Ronson’s best seller, The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry begins with a reflection on why we desire control over other people’s lives before taking a deep dive into psychology, what makes us “sane” and the modern mental health industry. Ronson sets out to find psychopaths on his own after learning about the Hare Psychopathy Checklist, a tool for assessing psychopathic tendencies. The meetings that he describes in the book can be funny, confusing, and chilling. Just take Toto Constant, leader of a Haitian death squad and maximum security inmate, or his friendship with Tony — a resident in the most secure part of Broadmoor Psychiatric Hospital — who claims to be so sane that the asylum won’t release him. Yet Tony’s doctors assure Ronson that this is an indication of the level of his psychopathy, he is an expert at mirroring or reflecting “normalcy.” Expect to question the level of your own psychopathic tendencies and those of your friends and family.