SPOT A PSYCHOPATH IN FIVE SECONDS

Around 20% of the population display antisocial behaviour as a consistent part of their personality

That statistic made me think about how good we ACTUALLY are at knowing who we can trust..

Because the people who manipulate us rarely introduce themselves as manipulative. They can be charming, confident, persuasive and for a while, very convincing.

So I wanted to understand what we should actually be looking for.

Leanne ten Brinke is a psychology professor and the founder of the Truth and Trust Lab. She has spent almost two decades studying psychopaths, narcissists and manipulators across prisons, workplaces and politics.

What I found particularly interesting about Leanne’s work is how practical it is. She studies the small patterns in someone’s behaviour that can tell you much more than the confidence or charisma they show you.

We discussed things like:

- The behaviours that can expose a dark personality within seconds.
- How some of the most manipulative people can initially appear incredibly charming.
- The signs someone may be lying that have nothing to do with eye contact.
- Why toxic personalities are often drawn towards positions of power.
- What to do when the difficult person in your life is someone you can’t simply walk away from.

One thing that stayed with me from this conversation was how much attention we give to how someone makes us feel when we first meet them.

Confidence can feel like competence. Charm can feel like trustworthiness, but neither necessarily tells you very much about who that person really is.

Leanne explained that what matters far more is consistency and the point is to become better at recognising repeated patterns of behaviour and knowing which ones you shouldn’t ignore.

If you’ve ever had that feeling that something about somebody doesn’t quite add up, but you couldn’t explain why, I think you’ll find this conversation fascinating.

Out now on all platforms ❤️👊🏾