The Good Fight Abigail Marsh on Psychopaths
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Dec 2, 2025 
In this insightful discussion, Abigail Marsh, a Georgetown University professor specializing in psychopathy and empathy, delves into the intriguing traits of psychopathy. She explains the core traits of boldness, meanness, and disinhibition, and how they manifest in antisocial behavior. Marsh highlights early warning signs in children and effective parenting strategies to intervene. The conversation also touches on the surprising link between psychopathy and success in certain professions, while emphasizing the importance of understanding and support for affected families.
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Triad Defines Psychopathy
- Psychopathy is a personality disorder defined by boldness, meanness, and disinhibition.
- These three trait-clusters combine to produce different antisocial outcomes depending on which is strongest.
Different Traits, Different Risks
- Each psychopathy trait can independently drive antisocial behavior through different mechanisms.
- Boldness reduces fear of punishment, disinhibition impairs impulse control, and meanness reduces concern for others.
Prevalence And Typical Offenses
- Clinically significant psychopathy affects roughly 1–2% of the general population and is much higher in prisons.
- High psychopathy predicts more antisocial acts, often nonviolent ones like risky driving, though violent acts occur in a minority.