????那么究竟是什么賦予了這些精神變態的人這樣過人的天賦，就算你死死地盯住這些人的眼睛，他們也能保持冷靜的頭腦？答案很有可能就來自大腦。對于大多數正常人來說，身處應激情境中，比如超難的考試、觀看恐怖片或是擊退襲擊者時，大腦中的某部分會對疼痛、恐慌或是其他激動的情緒有著強烈的反應。但對于精神變態者來說，情況恰恰相反，他們在高度緊張的情景中反而能夠比平時更加冷靜、沉著。

????達頓說，從本質上來說，精神變態者天生就表現出極強的情緒控制能力，而這樣的能力則是西藏僧侶或是精英士兵非歷經多年艱苦訓練而不可達到的境界。從這個意義上來說，這些人似乎是更能適應這個殘酷的、有著極大不確定性的危險世界。

????然而，就像冰激凌和美酒一樣，“精神變態”一旦過了頭，則就會適得其反。那些看起來“一切正常”的精神變態者里面，總會出現幾個連環殺手。但是什么造就了這兩種不同的“精神變態者”呢？原因很復雜，但可歸結為是自我控制和社會方面的因素。達頓在書中寫道：“精神變態者的命運取決于很多因素，其中包括遺傳基因、家庭背景、教育水平、智商和機遇。”

????那么，撇開謀殺和其他暴力行為不談，我們若要取得成功，是否也該發展些精神變態類的性格特征呢？不一定，但達頓的確也總結了幾種個性，供希望生活變得更輕松一點的正常人選擇。這幾種個性包括意志力、注意力和專注力。達頓注意到，認知行為診療師們多年前就已經開始幫助患者培養這樣的品質，而佛教徒在這方面的訓練歷史則更為久遠。

????達頓是講故事的高手，他可以把一個原本干枯無聊的心理學研究講述得十分生動有趣。但偶爾有些地方也是生動過頭了，比如：“換句話說，瘋癲的神經巨浪不會像天塌了一般沖刷著理性邏輯那晶瑩剔透的海岸。”嗯，請問，您到底想說什么？

????達頓談到心理學以外的領域時，論證就不那么嚴密了。他在書中某處提到，這些精神錯亂的性格特征和如今的商業世界特別具有相關性，并聲稱：“與其他時代不同的是，新千年之后，公司犯罪才開始變得空前猖獗起來。”

????就我們所知，他或許是對的。但在他所做的這個巨大假設的背后，卻沒有任何的數據或是研究結果來支持，所以讀者還是不明所以。誠然，大蕭條所帶來的種種創傷還歷歷在目，至今仍不斷爆出的公司丑聞和CEO下臺。另外在次貸危機愈演愈烈時許多臭名昭著的藝人不但逃脫懲罰，有些反而還獲利不菲。這些都是事實，然而，高管人員精神方面的性格與公司犯罪之間并無確鑿的數據關聯。我們只能說，有關公司犯罪報道增多的原因，是新聞業的孜孜不倦地挖掘黑幕、是公司雇員人數的增長也是商業道德的日益受重視的結果。

????無論如何，達頓的觀點沒錯。如今，隨著勞動力市場競爭的日益加劇、美國面臨“財政懸崖”以及歐洲經濟前景的不明朗，身處職場也越來越像“如臨深淵”。處在這樣一個世界，唯有精神些許變態的人才能走得更遠。

????譯者：唐昕昕

????So what, exactly, gives psychopaths such talent, the ability to be cool as a cucumber, even when they are staring death straight in the eye? It comes down to brains, it seems. For most of us, when we are thrown into a stressful situation, whether it's a high-stakes exam, watching a scary movie, or fighting off an attacker, the parts of the brain that actively respond to pain, panic, and other emotions kick into high gear. For psychopaths, it's the opposite. They even calm down during these moments of heightened tension.

????Essentially, Dutton argues, psychopaths naturally display the kind of emotional self-control that Tibetan monks and elite soldiers spend many years developing. In this respect they seem ideally suited for a cruel, uncertain, dangerous world.

????Much like ice cream and great wine, however, there can be too much of a good thing when it comes to psychopathy. For all the seemingly "functional" psychopaths out there, there are at least a few serial killers. But what separates the two types? The answer is complicated, but it comes down to a combination of self-control and social abilities. "The fate of a psychopath depends on a whole range of factors, including genes, family background, education, intelligence, and opportunity," writes Dutton.

????So, murder and other violent actions aside, should we all embrace our inner psychopath if we want to get ahead in life? Not quite, but Dutton does offer a few qualities that non-psychopaths should work on if they want to get through life a little easier. They include mental toughness, focus, and mindfulness. Dutton notes that cognitive behavioral therapists have been helping their patients develop these qualities for years now. Buddhists have been on the case for even longer.

????Dutton spins a solid yarn, turning what could easily have been a dry survey of psych research into entertainment. At times, he overdoes it. Case in point: "The neural tsunami of madness need not, in other words, wash apocalyptically up on the crystalline shores of logic." Umm, what?

????The argument also gets hazy when Dutton ventures outside his own field of psychology. At one point he suggests that psychopathic traits might be especially relevant in today's business world, claiming that "the new millennium has seemingly ushered in a wave of corporate criminality like no other."

????For all we know, he might be right, but he backs this massive assumption with nary a statistic or study. We are left in the dark. Sure, we are all raw with the pains of the Great Recession, the scores of corporate scandals and CEO resignations, and the way in which many of the most egregious actors in the run-up to the housing crisis have largely escaped punishment, or even profited. In the absence of data correlating corporate criminality with executive psychopathy, however, we might just as easily argue that reports of wrongdoing are up because of the never-ending news cycle, the expansion of the workforce, and increased sensitivity (among some) to corporate ethics.

????Nevertheless, Dutton has a point. With competition in several job markets tightening, a nearing "fiscal cliff" in the U.S., and Europe in a state of painful economic uncertainty, today's working world can easily feel like a dark place. In such a world, a little psychopathy can go a long way.