Trouble in Triplicate
In business and personal life there are many different persons we all encounter. Some are fun, some are difficult, and there are those who would try the patience of Job; making the less patient depressed and despondent. These are the ones we need protection from. Let's call them Sociopaths. The new title, Antisocial Personality Disorder, is when a person is defined as one with no empathy for another person. They are not all serial killers, but the less sensational on the spectrum of actions can still wreak havoc.
Martha Stout PhD., teaches at Harvard Medical School, and has a 25 year private practice. She has been collecting data regards Sociopaths, and states 1 in 25 Americans is one. Her book, The Sociopath Next Door, gives the data, outlines the traits, and offers 13 rules to protect yourself from them.
Here is one titled, The Rule of 3: "There maybe good reasons for people to break one or two promises, but if they break three they're habitual liars, and you should never give them; your money, your work, your secrets, or your affection."
Why write about this in a business blog?
Mental health is major in personal and professional life. Balance is essential if one is to succeed. Anxiety, Anguish, and Angst affects the whole person in all areas. Learn to identify those who would rob you of money, security and peace of mind.
-Darren Murphy