The Evolutionary Advantage of Psychopaths and Its Future Implications

Psychopathy, characterized by shallow emotions, lack of empathy, immorality, anti-social behavior, and deceptiveness, is puzzling from an evolutionary point of view. However, research suggests that the ability to fake desirable qualities through deception may be an evolutionary benefit in some contexts. Trust and trustworthiness are important elements in human social evolution, and the most successful people are those regarded as trustworthy or reliable. Psychopaths occupy a disproportionate number of powerful positions, but promoting desirable qualities for their own sake may help people with antisocial tendencies to treat others well without ulterior motives.