What is a psychopath? Hare's Checklist of Traits

Hare’s Checklist
Most psychopaths are not killers, or ever convicted of any crime. It is an inherited disorder, and you might know someone who meets the criteria.

Robert D Hare MD, put together a checklist of traits to help psychologists diagnose psychopaths. He warns against laymen using this list to diagnose themselves or those they know, as psychopaths. Psychopathy is a syndrome - it is a cluster of several traits, and most non-psychopaths will have at least some. However, just in case you are interested, (and just for fun) I have listed the main symptoms below:

A person is scored 0 if the trait is not present, 1 if the trait is sometimes or partially present, and 2 if the trait is definitely present. A score of more than 30 would indicate someone is likely to be a psychopath.


•  glib and superficial charm
•  grandiose (exaggeratedly high) estimation of self / egocentric 
•  need for stimulation
•  pathological lying/ deceitful
•  cunning and manipulativeness
•  lack of remorse or guilt
•  shallow emotions (superficial emotional responsiveness)
•  callousness and lack of empathy
•  parasitic lifestyle
•  poor behavioural controls
•  sexual promiscuity
•  early behaviour problems
•  lack of realistic long-term goals
•  impulsivity / need for excitement
•  irresponsibility
•  failure to accept responsibility for own actions (lack of guilt)
•  many short-term marital relationships
•  juvenile delinquency
•  revocation of conditional release
•  criminal versatility

In my latest book, I wanted to explore the notion that perhaps, sometimes, the traits of psychopathy might be a strength rather than a weakness. Could a psychopath chieve something that a non-psychopath would find too difficult?


CLARA - A Good Psychopath? 
By Anne E. Thompson
ISBN 978-0-9954632-5-7
Published by The Cobweb Press
Available as a paperback from UK book shops, or from Amazon as a Kindle book.

Amazon link below:
UK link




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