Free The Psychopath Whisperer: The Science of Those Without Conscience by Kent A. Phd Kiehl Page A

the victims of the psychopaths thought they were in danger? Of course not. They might have seen warning signs, they might have felt a little tug in their gut that something was off,but most victims of psychopaths don’t understand the kind of person they are dealing with, or they would have stayed far away. As a psychologist, you need to trust that gut feeling and investigate. Don’t be caught off guard. Being careful and prepared is never a bad thing when you work with psychopaths.
    With regard to Charles Guiteau, evidence from business partners, his former wife, parents and siblings, friends, acquaintances, personal attorneys, and newspaper reports about his life and trial suggest he exhibited superficial glibness in all facets of his life. Guiteau would engage in conversations with such force and excitement that it would make an impression upon everyone with whom he came in contact. Guiteau earns a high score, a 2, on this item.
    In contrast to Guiteau, John Wilkes Booth has been referred to as the Brad Pitt of his times. He was attractive, athletic, and an engaging stage performer from a family of famous thespians. He performed Shakespeare and other classics in over thirty cities. He helped introduce high-powered spotlights with colored light to the stage to rave reviews and popularity. He was known as a ladies’ man. Women, enthralled with his performances, literally lined up to go back to his room with him. Booth was considered genuinely charming and he had a sparkling personality. There is no evidence of psychopathology with regard to this trait, but he did embody a celebrity lifestyle, including an attitude of superiority, which merits some consideration. I score him a 1 (moderate) on our three-point scale (0, 1, or 2).
    To sum up the scoring of the two assassins on this trait:
    Booth 1
    Guiteau 2

2. Grandiose Sense of Self-Worth
    John Wilkes Booth aspired to follow in the footsteps of his famous father, Junius Brutus Booth. Junius was an international star, consideredone of the foremost tragedians in British theater before relocating to the United States in 1821. He toured throughout the United States to enormous acclaim. Famed poet Walt Whitman described him as “the grandest histrion of modern times.”
    John Wilkes’s older brother, Edwin, also achieved significant popularity as a Shakespearean actor. Edwin is considered one of the greatest American actors to ever play the role of Hamlet.
    John Wilkes got off to a rather stilted beginning in terms of his acting career. His initial forays were plagued by stage fright, an inability to recollect his lines, and clumsiness. John Wilkes Booth originally used his middle name as his last name in order not to tarnish his family’s name as he tried to get his feet under him onstage and not to rely on his father’s and brother’s fame to jump-start his career.
    Booth persevered and eventually became a star actor. He reportedly made over $20,000 a year in the 1860s, roughly $500,000 in today’s currency, which placed him in the top 1 percent of all wage earners of his day. It was common back then for audiences to throw fruit, drinks, and even rocks at actors when they made mistakes. In some venues, it was not uncommon for rowdy members of the audience to fire guns in the general direction of a flailing thespian. Indeed, Edwin Booth describes in his autobiography such occurrences while he was touring California during the Gold Rush. The mood of the crowd could quickly turn sour if the entertainment their hard-earned money paid for was lackluster. John Wilkes Booth learned to adapt and eventually thrive in this environment.
    John Wilkes was something of a playboy. He described himself as arrogant. And we have to consider whether part of his motivation for murdering President Lincoln was an attempt to gain even more fame, as some historians have suggested. But most historians believe it was Booth’s entrenched political beliefs that drove him to shoot Abraham Lincoln.