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I think the most impactful part of the speech is when Jon Ronson realizes his psychopath-spotting training has shaped his perception of other people. Around 13:50, he describes his eagerness to box Al Dunlap as a psychopath and disregards information proving the contrary. He went on to highlight a relatable theme of how people define and judge strangers' character based on their most extreme behaviors and characteristics. We develop a sort of tunnel vision when focused on rigid categorization and forget the nuances and spectrum of human behavior. I found it very significant that he also used this to look deeper into overdiagnosis within the mental health field and the extreme number of possible mental illnesses the DSM has accumulated. Rather than simple and rigid categorization of behavior, people should focus on observing and critically reflecting on others’ behavior by understanding the gray areas of behavior, looking for patterns rather than singular moments, personal connection, empathy, and open conversations. Through this type of reflection, we are better able to understand people for more than their behaviors or what we expect to see from them, acknowledging their unique complexity.

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I found this video very interesting. Especially when Jon Ronson talks about the Psychopath spotter class since I didn't even know that was a thing. Its interesting to know that theres a whole lists that give you can idea of who is a psychopath based on how they act or certain things they do. According to Jon, Tony said " it's a lot harder to convince people you're san than it is is convince them you're crazy" which is a little scary because why is it so easy for criminals to convince prison psychologists that they shouldn't be in prison and should be in e mental facility instead.

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This may have been one of the most engaging TED talks I have ever watched. Jon Ronson touched on many topics in psychology that I've realized I don't often consider, especially when he began talking about the "gray areas" of psychology. I strongly agree with his statement about how in this field, many are desperate to label so many different human behaviors as abnormal and categorize others as having one mental disorder or another. I was shocked when he brought up "childhood bipolar" being diagnosed in children as young as four. It seems so ridiculous to label a toddler as having a "mood-swing disorder" while I am still yet to meet a toddler who doesn't have rapid switches in their mood. In psychology there are so many factors to consider, is someone a psychopath because they are extremely manipulative and charming, or are they simply proficient in leadership skills and social behavior? I feel I often see behaviors and personality traits be twisted into symptoms because we desire so strongly for there to be a right and a wrong, for everything to have a label and definition, but in reality, the nuances of everyone's individual and unique human experiences make that indefinitely impossible.

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My favorite part of the TED talk was at 13:55 when he said "Becoming a psychopath spotter had kind of turned me a little psychopathic." he talked about how many other journalist including himself go around with notebook trying to label people. He also talked about the checklist with Tony and how he said he wasn't a psychopath. He said they had let him go because of a score, and he said everyone is a bit psychopathic. Everyone was determined by a checklist, which shouldn't be the case, someone mentality shouldn't be based off a checklist cause people can be in a grey area, in a world that doesn't like the grey areas according to Jon he also says grey areas are where you can find the complexity, humanity, and the truth.

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My favorite part of the TED talk was when he concluded that Tony was both a psychopath and a miscarriage of justice. This part impacted me the most because it tied the TED talk together well. It displayed how the checklist can be right and wrong. The checklist can provide valuable information on spotting psychopaths. On the other hand, the vagueness of the checklist can also be manipulated to work against the patient and keep them in the ward. This is a perfect example of how a medical system can be abused but also beneficial in most cases.

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What I found interesting about John Ronson's TED talk was the story about Tony. It was so wild hearing how what Tony considered "normal" was a sign of psychopathy. His actions and his words made him seem like he wasn't supposed to belong in that hospital. However, the symptoms of psychopathy and his mannerisms and vocabulary contradicted the stereotype of psychopathy. That's why Jon was confused as to why he was in that hospital. He was different from the other patients and acted like he was a normal civilian, and it was just his amazing ability to manipulate. It shows the work and processes the doctors had to go through to properly diagnose him. They had to cut his shield of normality to expose what he was: a psychopath. It was also humbling to hear him call everybody a psychopath. He explains just the concept of capitalism and what we must do to follow such capitalistic orders, we have to lack empathy. He brought up CEOs and overall people in power lack empathy for others and how the way they have to earn money and achieve their goals is through the lack of empathy, which includes the followers behind them.

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Whilst watching the Jon Ronson TED Talk about being a psychopath spotter, I found my favorite part was 5:44. The quote is "Tony said that it's a lot harder to convince people you're sane than it is to convince them you're crazy." This part is my favorite because it was the most impactful. Once you have the label, no matter what that's what you are considered for life. It's easy to fake it but almost impossible to shake it from your identity. This reminds me of something I learned in AP Psychology. When we learned about the Rosenhan experiments, I thought it was interesting but initially brushed it off after I first heard about it. I assumed that psychiatrists would be more accurate when intaking people faking mental illness. Bu psychiatrists are people too. People often make mistakes. The Rosenhan experiment connects to this TEDTalk because it's more than likely that even when the hospital is aware that someone could be faking it, the psychiatrists may or may not be able to catch imposters.

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While watching Jon Ronson's TEDx talk on becoming a "psychopath spotter" I found interesting on his ability to highlight the fine line between clinical diagnosis and our understanding of what's normal. I liked his example about when he had his interaction with tony who faked his mental illness which ended up getting him labeled as a psychopath. I also appreciated Jon's sense of humor, and on top of that he was very clear and easy to understand.

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Something that stood out to me in the Jon Ronson TED talk was how Tony went to jail for faking insanity, only to be diagnosed as a psychopath later in life. I think it is interesting that Jon Ronson was able to spot him as a psychopath as soon as he saw his outfit was different than everyone else's. People tend to jump to conclusions, calling people insane/mentally ill if they exhibit something abnormal, even if they are neurotypical. I wonder if Tony really was a psychopath, since he said he was in a gray area. I thought Jon Ronson comparing CEOs to psychopaths was accurate and interesting. I never considered how many traits of a psychopath people like that have. I also think it is interesting to learn how misunderstood mental illness and mental health treatment really is, and how people feel the need to put everything in a category.

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I found the Jon Ronson TED Talk to be very interesting. The first thing that stood out to me was the idea that capitalism is a physical manifestation of psychopathy, that it's based on lack of empathy and glutinous behaviors. I found this to be interesting, especially in today's society with the need to constantly have more, or the best, or to over consume. However, my favorite part was the idea of the grey area around the psychopath checklist and how it's hard to be in a grey area when society wants you to be apart of a checklist. I think this is something to keep in mind when looking at psychological disorders, is that there is such a grey area in behavior, there's context behind the boxes we check on those checklists.

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I found the Psychopath Spotter video to be extremely interesting! Jon Ronson talked about a lot of intriguing things in his TED Talk. One thing that stood out to me was that there is a dilemma of overdiagnosis of certain mental disorders. This can lead to people being put on medication that is going to do more harm than good or desensitize the world to anything mental health-related. Like Jon said, medical professionals were diagnosing children as young as 4 years old with bipolar disorder because the world doesn’t know how to handle emotion. I think that it is a great thing that society and technology have made it easier to diagnose mental illnesses; however, the advance of mental health awareness must be thorough when diagnosing as well as continuing research so that the name of “mental health” doesn’t get overlooked because of the desire to have an explanation for behaving irrationally.

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I think a favorite moment of mine in the Ted Talk was Tony's quote, "Everyone's a bit psychopathic". This stood out to me as our whole module 2 lesson and a part of the Ted talk's lesson is that the checklists when it comes to things like psychopathy and other mental illnesses have traits that are so broad in the sense that many can relate to. There are normal traits that alone everybody has, experiences, or once experienced. This quote also stood out to me for the fact that "everyone's a bit psychopathic" but yet a good chunk of his life was taken away for some of these traits that many other people possess as well. It makes you want to rethink the way you see some of these disorders and the way we classify them. It makes you question how harmful these labels are for people who struggle a little bit more than others or just simply think differently than others.

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So, I learned something new today. I did not know there was a list of traits that a psychopath may possess. With that being said, my favorite part of the video was his closing in which he says "We should not be determined by a checklist." Jon Ronson is quite entertaining. He has a way with words that make you think and laugh. He kept me engaged and even watched a few other videos. Another interesting point he made was that Jon mentioned psychopathic traits in successful people. It made me question whether they're successful at what they do, or was it traits like superficial charm, manipulation, and lack of empathy that helped them get where they are.

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The TED talk was intriguing from the beginning. My favorite part would probably be when Tony points out the flaw in the psychopath checklist. He says that if someone shows remorse, they say it’s just part of a psychopath’s manipulative strategy. It’s like they can’t win and everything they do gets turned into proof they’re "crazy." That moment stuck with me because it shows how labels like "psychopath" can trap someone. Tony points out that if he feels remorse, it gets used against him as proof he's manipulative. It makes you realize how hard it is to escape labels once they're put on you.

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16:54 - "He's a gray area in a world that doesn't like gray areas."

This quote stuck out to me because it made me think about how it can be impossible to understand each other. Gray areas are unpredictable and mysterious, and the unknown tends to scare us. This also may be why they kept Tony at Broadmoor for 14 years. Perhaps they wanted to study his unique brain, or were simply just scared of the mind he possesses. Jon also mentioned that "the psychiatry profession has a kind of strange desire to to label what's essentially normal human behavior as a mental behavior." I found this interesting because who decides what's normal versus abnormal? For all we know, abnormal behavior could actually be normal. I think society has developed the idea that there is a certain way people should act, and any other way is unacceptable or weird. This can also be said about many other topics, not just mental health.

I enjoyed watching this TED Talk, and I can definitely say I learned a lot of new things. Thank you for sharing this video with us!

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The entire TED talk was very interesting, but one moment that stood out to me from the video was when he described how traits on the Hare Psychopathy Checklist can appear in successful people, like CEOs or political leaders. It really made me think about how society might reward certain psychopathic traits, such as ruthlessness, in certain contexts. The interview with AL Dunlap also really stood out to me. When Dunlap openly admitted to having traits like lack of empathy and being manipulative, it shocked me and made me think about how we define "success" and whether it's right to praise these traits in leaders.

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I found it very interesting the way that Jon Ronson delivered the Ted Talk, and how he split up such important information with humor, which in a way held on to my attention more throughout the video. I was intrigued by the way he spoke about the human mind and how psychiatrists classify even the most mundane things as something being wrong with the brain. He references this throughout his speech and it really made me think about how the human mind is so inclined to find answers that it classifies anyone to the most extreme. When he speaks about Tony being semi-psychopathic or being in a gray area of psychopathy, he acknowledges that Tony has some but not all the traits of psychopathy, however he was still classified as a complete psychopath. He also acknowledges that there's so many cases of children being diagnosed with Childhood Bipolar for the simple fact of having temper tantrums. Ronson's dedication to being a psychopath spotter lead him to the realization that humans classify things so much that they only acknowledge a person's "sharpest edges of madness" instead of looking at the whole picture. He begins to wrap up the Ted Talk by quoting Tony saying, "Everyone's a bit psychopathic.", which really allows the audience to sit and reflect on their own psychopathic tendencies, and how if those "sharpest edges of madness" were to come to light, would they, too, be classified as psychopathic.

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I'm really interested in the idea of sanity as a whole. I think that the idea of sanity needs to be reconfigured beyond what is considered 'normal' by social standards and consider if distress is caused to the person being affected. For example, autism is a disorder because no matter what, it makes life harder, different, and at times painful. I also am curious about the one in one hundred people being a psychopath because are they talking about asps or what he thinks of as a psycho, and by psycho does he mean disordered or not fitting social norms in a way that makes him uncomfortable

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What stuck out to be during the TED talk was the plot twist with Tony. Although he had been admitted to the hospital as a reformation of getting out of prison, his action of doing so had also led him to be semi-psychopathic after all. What led to this meeting between Jon and Tony was the curiosity behind over diagnosing mental disorders without being medically diagnosed of these issues. I do agree that misdiagnosing is real, and if one has uncertainties that they should try and receive help on a clearer diagnosis. One other idea stated in the TED talk was that 1 in 100 people are psychopathic as well as 4% of CEO's, which generally speaking is a large quantity when compared to the world's population.

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I personally found this entire TED talk very interesting; I found the first story hard to follow at the beginning, however once he began to speak about his experience searching for psychopaths I was intrigued. He claims that power in business or otherwise increases one's odds of having a mental illness with curbs empathy, I found this saying most capturing: "Capitalism at its most ruthless rewards psychopathic behavior". Many high position jobs require ample time and energy which only some can endure for work, Ronson implies that many traits of psychopaths apply to these positions. I found his story about Al Dunlap interesting as well, because Dunlap's denial of each trait only furthered his possibilities of having this mental illness. Although he fit into most categories on the list, some were left empty which implied that he did not have this mental illness; I agree with Ronson when he says we as Americans over diagnose mental illness as a whole, simply because we push each behavior into these categories and assign blame. Assessing mental illness should take more time and analysis in order to categorize behavior correctly, and assessing behavior in general more often could impact the rate of external psychopathic behaviors (once aware of these behaviors, they can be corrected). I really enjoyed this tedtalk and his enthusiasm when speaking about not so enthusiastic topics, as it brings a light to the topic and creates awareness for the test/traits of a psychopath.

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Reflections and key moments from the Jon Ronson TED Talk…

“Psychiatry has a desire to label normal human behavior as a mental disorder”

Very curious about CCHR (scientologists working on disproving psychiatry)

“It’s where they send serial killers and people who can’t help themselves.” (emphasis mine). I took this as meaning, essentially, people without impulse control rather than people who need more help than they can give themselves.

“It” meaning Broadmoor…this cracked me up - just so absurd. But also, interesting to think about control/restraint especially in relation to powers and voices and commands that seem to act upon us from the outside but are all actually in our own mind. How do we then think about restraint, control, being able to “help it” when something comes up - when a voice enters your head - when a compulsion arises? How do we intrinsically know when we should or shouldn’t do anything? In all of the examples in the animated video, there was a core of “sanity” or like SELF voice, often EXPERIENCING things that that voice had judgement around or was also experiencing other things on top of. Is there a point at which that self voice is overtaken? If so, what is it?

“It’s a lot harder to convince people you’re sane than to convince people you’re crazy” - Tony

“How do you sit in a “sane” way, cross your legs in a sane way?...it’s impossible” also Tony

He had been kept there for 12 years! Was his sentence commuted to “indefinite stay” in the mental ward? Is that how that works? Even if what was supposed to have put him there (the certain things he said to fake being mentally ill) turned out not to be true and they “discovered” something new/re-diagnosed him? Would that not require a new trial?

“1 in 100 regular people is a psychopath” - Jon

Why so many?...Hare (who created the term/category) said b/c “capitalism at its most ruthless rewards psychopathic behavior”

Art Dunlap: “manipulative?” he said, “that’s leadership!”

“I was desperate to define him by his maddest edges” - Jon re Tony

Gray area = humanity = truth…

“semi-psychopath”

He declined the offer to meet Tony at the bar…it seemed a bizarre way to end: “would you have gone?”

Is he self-deprecating? Did he not go because Tony had just gotten in a scuffle with someone at a bar?  Was he still thinking of him as a psychopath and thus his proclaimed desire to thank Jon was actually a manipulation to get him there for some nefarious reason?

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What did you find to be your favorite point in the Ted Talk given by Jon Ronson?

I find it very interesting to see that pathway to discover what the grey area of understanding and diagnosis looks like. It strikes a chord to something I was raised on which was Introspection, kind of being the journalist to myself, asking myself questions and drawing on conclusions or trying to boil down my own understanding of what I am thinking and how that may coagulate with societal norms. I also find it interesting that there are so many methods of observation that can be scrutinized and the level of understanding by those whom at that time have more control over your rights than you do can not necessarily condemn you but can confine you in ways that you may never be able to defend yourself. I too have a copy of the DSM-5-TR and have thumbed through it for my own curiosity. From an introspective standpoint it feels like trying to WebMD an illness on the psychological scale however I am fascinated by how the list of criteria are broken down and how they branch off into so many other categories as well as the deeper step into the rabbit hole so to speak where there is a web of connections tying everything together in one fashion or another. Tony being released after such a long time in a box that in a sense he created but ultimately society constrained; is a pleasant and sad conclusion to me. Pleasant because there is always that deep breath of relief for moments when something is righted after a long time and yet, I am saddened to think of how many people have been in similar states and have never taken that breath of relief or in some more severe cases never were able to plead their case. Effective or not I also can’t help but look at the side of the coin that society used to hold Tony for so long and think of the degree in which people who are predatory in their psyche who are actually doing the things that Tony was accused of are in existence which makes this process of determination so tedious and risky.

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As I watched the TED talk, I was drawn into Jon Ronson's story about Tony. Some parts of this story kind of reminded me of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, in the sense that he faked being insane to get an easier prison sentence. He thought it would be all rainbows and sunshine in an institution versus going to prison. It's very interesting to me that when Tony tried to act "normally" no one would believe him. The talk Ron and Tony had would have convinced me that Tony was normal if I were Ron. Tony had so many good points while talking to Ron. My favorite thing he said was "How do you sit in a sane way? How do you cross your legs in a sane way?" If I were Ron, I would think Tony was normal and I would have gone home from that place and emailed them asking why the heck was ever admitted to the mental institution. Truly this whole story has been so interesting to me. There is something called psychopath-spotting which is a course that you can take to be able to pick out a psychopath in the general population. I find that so fascinating. To be honest, I found it hard to put all of my thoughts down on paper, but I loved this TED talk. It has given me a lot to think about as I approach my own counseling journey. I really want to know why he said no to getting a drink with Tony at the end. I understand that Tony kept fighting people at bars, but I truly would have loved to hear that follow-up conversation. Looking into Tony's mind more would be such a wealth of knowledge.

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While watching the Ted Talk the thing that stood out to me was when he mentioned that they are always looking for nonverbal clues to your mental state. This stood out to me because it made me think about well, I wonder how people can tell with me. Through the talk it was interesting hearing the descriptions of patients. One thing that he said " Faking your brain going wrong is evidence that your brain is going wrong" which this made think about the psychopaths and that seems like Karma. The way he described psychopaths was very unique and hearing about the psychopath course. The thing that I also found interesting was that 1 in 100 people is a psychopath which was 1,500 people in that room.

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While watching the TED talk I thought everything about the story, Jon Ronson was telling, was interesting. Especially the part where he mentioned Tony. It is so interesting how one "good" idea that someone thought about could go so wrong for them. Tony was going to be sentenced for 5 years in prison for beating someone up but instead he has been in a hospital for 12 years. And the faculty knew he was faking madness, but faking madness was a sign that he was a psychopath. This is an interesting and crazy turn of events for Tony. But this is also a scary factor because what if Tony was never a psychopath and that the psychiatrists that diagnosed Tony were reading too much into his behavior. This is a good example of karma coming back to someone. Another part I found interesting is when they mentioned that 1 in 100 people are psychopaths. This means that 30-40 of the 1,500 people that are in the TEDtalk room could be psychopaths. That is an interesting and scary fact to know.

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While reviewing Jon Ronson Strange's TED talk on the psychopath test, many interesting aspects caught my eye throughout the video. Specifically, Ronson's take on psychopaths in the business world caught my eye. Capitalism rewards psychopathy, within the traits of no remorse or an overwhelmed sense of god; the business leaders in our world highlight this significantly. The TED talk brought to my attention that 1 in 100 "normal" people are psychopaths. Meanwhile, this number has risen by 4% with CEOs and business leaders. Following this interesting fact, the ability to try and prove you are sane is more complex than to prove you are insane, which shocked me. While in my head I could understand why it may be difficult, I failed to recognize truly all the nonverbal communication tactics that a psychiatrist can identify to spot a psychopath or someone insane. The aspects of mental disorders and clinically insane carry a gray area that can be recognized but tends not to be acknowledged. In comparison, it seems easier for psychiatrists to deem their clients mentally unwell rather than figure out the starting point.

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In his TED Talk, "Psychopath Spotter" Jon Ronson discusses the difficulties in spotting psychopaths. He describes how he became a "psychopath spotter" after taking a course that made him doubt the simplicity of classifying people, pointing out the gray areas between normalcy and psychopathy, and even revealing how attempting to identify psychopaths can distort one's own perception of others, possibly turning the "spotter" a little psychopathic himself. To prove his point, he tells the tale of Tony, a man who spent years in prison because of his extraordinary ability to fake mental illness. One thing that caught my eye was Tony due to his successful manipulation of the system by pretending to be mentally ill in order to avoid a prison sentence, his lack of regret, his skillful deception, and his deliberate manipulation of others—all of which are essential characteristics of psychopathy—"Tony," who was not mentally ill, was deemed to be a psychopath. The Hare Psychopathy Checklist was used to evaluate his behavior, and it revealed psychopathic tendencies.

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While watching Jon Ronson's TEDx Talk on becoming a "psychopath spotter," a favorite moment and an interesting insight that grabbed my attention was his visit to Broadmoor, where he met the embodiment of a true psychopath, Tony. Ronson immediately noticed the clothing and appearance of the prisoners. He described them as overweight and wearing sweatpants, labeling their looks as “quiet and docile.” This stood out to me because it made me consider how individuals in a wellness center may not all appear calm or restrained, especially in a hospital-like environment. In the video, he mentioned that some patients were medicated, which adds another layer to their behavior. Ronson was initially there to meet Tony, who didn’t fit the mold of the other patients. Tony was in good physical shape and dressed quite differently, donning a "pinned stripe suit." This contrast suggests that he wanted to be perceived as sane. Another interesting insight was Tony's confession that he finds pleasure in seeking out women near death beds. Rather than being in a comfortable hospital, he ended up in Broadmoor, indicating he preferred a less demanding environment. Tony also pointed out that it’s much harder to convince people you’re sane than to persuade them you’re crazy. He believed that to be seen as normal, one should engage in everyday conversations about common topics, like football. Additionally, he mentioned that at Broadmoor, they focus on non-verbal cues when assessing patients. I found it intriguing to think about how a psychopath might consider how to sit or cross their legs in a way that seems sane; I believe it highlights the expectations tied to societal labels. What really struck me was the definition of a psychopath. Although Tony appeared to be a normal person, he had managed to manipulate his way into acceptance of his faux madness to be released from prison, which speaks to the cunning and manipulative traits associated with psychopathy. As he spoke, he emphasized that faking madness is a clear indication that something is amiss in the brain. Experts noted that his choice of clothing—a pinstripe suit—was a classic psychopath indicator. His glibness, superficial charm, and grandiose sense of self-worth further exemplify psychopathic traits, while his aversion to interacting with other patients showcases grandiosity and a lack of empathy. Overall, the insights I gained from this talk were enlightening. Despite appearing normal, Tony was recognized as a psychopath by his clinician and other experts. Ronson's experience in learning how to spot psychopaths revealed that approximately 30 to 40 psychopaths might be present in any given audience. He argued that capitalism often rewards ruthless, psychopathic behavior, characterized by a lack of empathy and manipulative tendencies. Learning about this topic, particularly how Tony was portrayed as a psychopath, was extremely insightful and provided a clearer understanding of what it means to be a psychopath spotter.