Questions
Do you think these individuals are really psychopaths or just very competitive business who are just doing whatever they need to do to be successful (even if it was criminal)?
That would all come down to what someone thinks of when they say they word “psychopath”. To some, a psychopath is anyone who is mentally ill. To others, there is a distinction between a psychopath and a sociopath. The main different drawn is that psychopaths simply do not know better and thus have no way to know how wrong their behavior is. A sociopath is different in that the person knows better but does so anyone. A third measure is the depth and breadth of the depravity or actions. Indeed, it could be said that a person is Machiavellian and will simply do (typically) whatever they need to go achieve what they are after. However, businesspeople (with a few exceptions) will not engage in behavior that will get people hurt or killed. There have been exceptions. Indeed, the Flint water crisis is more a function of lack of foresight and planning (not to mention prior ignorance about lead in pipes and such) (CNN, 2017). However, the Ford Pinto design flaw that led to several fire-related deaths was foreseeable by the engineers who designed the car and they just let it slide anyway. It would hopefully be true that the Pinto engineers would rethink their actions if they could see what would really happen over the long term. However, there is no way to know for sure. Even so, people generally draw a line (Wojdyla, 2017).
Even if the people in question are very selfish and willing to bend or break rules (or the law) to get something done, they typically do so to their own potential detriment. Even with all of the above, how people define the terms psychopath, sociopath, psychotic or what have you will differ a lot. The main point the author of this response is trying to make is that there is generally a limit to what a business person will do. That being said, there are always outliers and just a few business people that this could be said about are Bernie Madoff, Kenneth Lay and a few others.
Do you agree with Dr. Tamatea’s arguments that we need more psychopaths? Why or why not?
Given the careful way that Armon defined a psychopath as is needed in business, he does have a bit of a point. Indeed, the caption for the video specifically notes that non-criminal psychopaths can be useful to certain business functions and operations. He is also quick to advertise and explain that the scope and feel for what psychopathy really is remains fluid from person to person in a lot of cases. About halfway into the vide, Armon gets to the meat of why he argues that psychopaths can be great within business environments. They are very able to influence and position people as they wish and enter into situations and change the paradigm quite quickly. He even adds a joke or two and notes that many of them are quite good with the ladies and with charisma as well. He notes that psychopaths are much more daring and willing to take risks to get and keep what they want. He concedes that this can lead to dire consequences, both personal and business-related. However, it can also reap great rewards if handled and completed in the right way. He notes that psychopaths are often unable (or unwilling) to empathize with people. Even so, he notes that this can be an asset as heart strings and feelings can actually be an inhibiting force and can lead to people being too unwilling to make a certain decision in a high-pressure situation. Indeed, it makes sense that a psychopathic leader would tend to be more detached and dispassionate about a situation. This allows them, as noted by Armon, to handle situations in atypical yet innovative ways. In many cases, this can be a boon to everyone involved even if the tactics seem off-kilter to others (Tamatea, 2017).
References
CNN. (2017). Flint Water Crisis Fast Facts - CNN.com. CNN. Retrieved 14 January 2017, from http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/04/us/flint-water-crisis-fast-facts/
Tamatea, A. (2017). Psychopaths and three reasons why we need them | Armon Tamatea | TEDxTauranga. YouTube. Retrieved 14 January 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uJIPZfwZFU
Wojdyla, B. (2017). Ford Pinto Fuel Tanks: Epic Auto Failures. Popular Mechanics. Retrieved 14 January 2017, from http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a6700/top-automotive-engineering-failures-ford-pinto-fuel-tanks/
