Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses abuse and sexual violence.

Hare states that psychopaths cause devastation to individuals, society, and the economy. Newspaper headlines emphasize the horrific crimes of psychopaths like John Wayne Gacy, who murdered 33 young men; Diane Downs, who shot her children; and Ted Bundy, the serial killer of over 30 women. Despite the depravity of their crimes, such psychopathic killers do not have a mental illness in legal or psychiatric terms. Their crimes are calculated, prompted by a lack of empathy for other human beings. Hare emphasizes that not all killers are psychopaths and that not all psychopaths are killers. Many psychopaths are con artists and evade the justice system altogether. However, it is important to distinguish psychopaths from other criminals, as they are more likely to re-offend.

Explaining that most studies on psychopathy are undertaken in prison, the author relates his encounters with a prisoner he calls “Ray.” After earning a master’s degree in psychology in the early 1960s, Hare’s first job was as a psychologist at the British Columbia Penitentiary. Ray was his first client, and Hare was immediately struck by the prisoner’s intense energy and eye contact.