--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Dr. Robert Hare, one of the foremost…" description: "\"“Dr. Robert Hare, one of the foremost researchers on sociopathy, believes that a sociopath is four times more likely to be at the top of the corporate ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/809/m-e-thomas-25269_personality-traits_dr-robert-hare-one-of-the-foremost-resea_2127071.jpg" --- # Dr. Robert Hare, one of the foremost researchers on… ![“Dr. Robert Hare, one of the foremost researchers on sociopathy, believes that a sociopath is four times more likely to be at the top of the corporate ladder than in the janitor’s closet, due to the close match between the personality traits of sociopaths and the unusual demands of high-powered jobs.” quote by M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/809/m-e-thomas-25269_personality-traits_dr-robert-hare-one-of-the-foremost-resea_2127071.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/809/m-e-thomas-25269_personality-traits_dr-robert-hare-one-of-the-foremost-resea_2127071.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/809/m-e-thomas-25269_personality-traits_dr-robert-hare-one-of-the-foremost-resea_2127071.jpg) > ““Dr. Robert Hare, one of the foremost researchers on sociopathy, believes that a sociopath is four times more likely to be at the top of the corporate ladder than in the janitor’s closet, due to the close match between the personality traits of sociopaths and the unusual demands of high-powered jobs.”” [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Sociopaths often thrive in high‑pressure corporate roles because their traits match the demands of those positions. **In simple terms:** Sociopaths succeed in top jobs due to matching traits. Key Takeaway Recognize and manage sociopathic traits in leadership. Themes leadership psychopathy corporate culture Mood analytical cautious Type professional insightful When to use this quote - executive hiring - team dynamics - performance pressure - crisis decision‑making Key Concepts personality assessment risk management ethical leadership Questions to Reflect On - How do organizations detect harmful traits? - What safeguards can prevent abuse of power? A Different Perspective Traits can be advantageous but also harmful if unchecked. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Personality traits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personality-traits/) [Psychopath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychopath/) [Sociopath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sociopath/) [Sociopaths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sociopaths/) ## Related quotes > [Usually sociopaths will look down upon us for that very reason - that we're gullible. We're weak. One person told me that he thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/usually-sociopaths-will-look-down-upon-us-for-that-very-reason-that/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [For every man that ever walked the Earth, except maybe the sociopaths, when it comes to talking to pretty girls... it's just stark terror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-lorre/for-every-man-that-ever-walked-the-earth-except-maybe-the-sociopaths/) [Chuck Lorre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-lorre/) > [Creative people like to think in unconventional ways, dislike rules, are easily bored, are independent, like to experiment, and enjoy being their own bosses.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-long/creative-people-like-to-think-in-unconventional-ways-dislike-rules/) Duncan Long > [“While I don't think sociopaths have any sort of moral urge to do good things, I think they can and do act morally in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas-2/while-i-don-t-think-sociopaths-have-any-sort-of-moral-urge-to-do-good/) [M. E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas-2/) > [You have psychopaths and sociopaths in charge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-celente/you-have-psychopaths-and-sociopaths-in-charge/) [Gerald Celente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-celente/) > [“I’ve read that many major CEOs and assorted other captains of industry are sociopaths,” she replied, almost conversationally. “I imagine you fit right in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-crews/i-ve-read-that-many-major-ceos-and-assorted-other-captains-of/) [Caitlin Crews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-crews/) > [Sociopaths are just like everybody else in that some of them are really brilliant, some of them are really stupid, and most of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/sociopaths-are-just-like-everybody-else-in-that-some-of-them-are/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [Life itself was hard enough without monosynaptic sociopaths preying on folks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-a-stackpole/life-itself-was-hard-enough-without-monosynaptic-sociopaths-preying/) [Michael A. Stackpole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-a-stackpole/) > [I think the people running climate change denial campaigns are sociopaths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-lawless/i-think-the-people-running-climate-change-denial-campaigns-are/) [Lucy Lawless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-lawless/) > [“Sociopath” and “psycho” were two of the most common field diagnoses for my look and expression. I heard it all the time: “I’ve read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-elder-robison/sociopath-and-psycho-were-two-of-the-most-common-field-diagnoses-for/) [John Elder Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-elder-robison/) > [I went into very deep research as to what exactly that meant and how sociopaths function psychologically and within the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-heusinger/i-went-into-very-deep-research-as-to-what-exactly-that-meant-and-how/) [Patrick Heusinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-heusinger/) > [When you were a child, where boredom could actually get to be painful. Sociopaths experience that kind of pain in boredom. And so to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/when-you-were-a-child-where-boredom-could-actually-get-to-be-painful/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [I really like transgressive characters that have an alternate world view. I've actually written a fair number of kids movies, and I'll insert these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-nix/i-really-like-transgressive-characters-that-have-an-alternate-world/) [Matt Nix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-nix/) > [“Prisons are full of sociopaths and psychopaths, but when questioned, the imprisoned sociopath will honestly admit that they will commit any number of crimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanya-thompson/prisons-are-full-of-sociopaths-and-psychopaths-but-when-questioned/) [Tanya Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanya-thompson/) > [“And sociopaths are noted especially for their shallowness of emotion, the hollow and transient nature of any affectionate feelings they may claim to have,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/and-sociopaths-are-noted-especially-for-their-shallowness-of-emotion/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) ## More by M.E. Thomas > [“People like to hear words like pleasure and decadent. They think of Roman orgies or chocolate”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/people-like-to-hear-words-like-pleasure-and-decadent-they-think-of/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“It isn't enough that the bad guy is prevented from doing his bad deeds; he must suffer as much as possible. It is as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/it-isn-t-enough-that-the-bad-guy-is-prevented-from-doing-his-bad/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“While my self-image was that of a pagan god, hers was of an avenging angel”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/while-my-self-image-was-that-of-a-pagan-god-hers-was-of-an-avenging/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“Ruining people. I love the way the phrase rolls around on my tongue and inside my mouth. Ruining people is delicious. We're all hungry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/ruining-people-i-love-the-way-the-phrase-rolls-around-on-my-tongue/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“I do not expect things to go right in the world. I don’t even believe in right. I believe that everything just is. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/i-do-not-expect-things-to-go-right-in-the-world-i-don-t-even-believe/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“Outwardly I was all confidence and openness; inwardly I was spiteful and lonely and unaware of how to relate to the world. I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/outwardly-i-was-all-confidence-and-openness-inwardly-i-was-spiteful/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“One nurse thought I was "brave." I think she was talking about my steely-eyed, grin-and-bear-it kind of attitude. There were no tears, no complaints…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/one-nurse-thought-i-was-brave-i-think-she-was-talking-about-my-steely/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“We lawyers are all prestige whores”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/we-lawyers-are-all-prestige-whores/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“I'm not unhappy, for the most part, although I do think there is a certain emptiness and meaningless that I feel, sort of like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/i-m-not-unhappy-for-the-most-part-although-i-do-think-there-is-a/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“It was too late, though: I was already too smart for the therapist. Or maybe I was never amenable to therapy. Either way, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/it-was-too-late-though-i-was-already-too-smart-for-the-therapist-or/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“(Sociopaths are highly immune to depression, and this ability to tell ourselves wonderful stories about how attractive, smart, and wily we are, and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/sociopaths-are-highly-immune-to-depression-and-this-ability-to-tell/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“Many sociopaths use the shortcut of “anything goes,” or “I am only in it for me.” These sociopaths have decided that the rational way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/many-sociopaths-use-the-shortcut-of-anything-goes-or-i-am-only-in-it/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“I often wish I could just passively watch people without being expected to participate myself, like television.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/i-often-wish-i-could-just-passively-watch-people-without-being/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“When you grow up as a girl, it is like there are faint chalk lines traced approximately three inches around your entire body at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/when-you-grow-up-as-a-girl-it-is-like-there-are-faint-chalk-lines/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“Asked to choose between having power and giving up power to a “trusted” entity, people often prefer to give it up rather than have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/asked-to-choose-between-having-power-and-giving-up-power-to-a-trusted/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) [Explore all 23 M.E. Thomas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) ## More Personality traits quotes > [My best personality trait that I think I'm very approachable. And my worst is that I can be moody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enrique-iglesias/my-best-personality-trait-that-i-think-i-m-very-approachable-and-my/) [Enrique Iglesias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enrique-iglesias/) > [“When I think about what it would take to achieve freedom from all psychological stuff, the response that comes is this: life is about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-m-ingram/when-i-think-about-what-it-would-take-to-achieve-freedom-from-all/) [Daniel M. Ingram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-m-ingram/) > [More than any other personality trait, my mother seemed to be ruled by anger and sadness. She seemed to hate being a mother. Watching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merrill-markoe/more-than-any-other-personality-trait-my-mother-seemed-to-be-ruled-by/) [Merrill Markoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merrill-markoe/) > [Obama's personality traits, coupled with his extreme-leftist agenda, make him particularly dangerous to the American ideal and to the preservation of our founding principles,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-limbaugh/obama-s-personality-traits-coupled-with-his-extreme-leftist-agenda/) [David Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-limbaugh/) > [There are quite a few honest songwriters out there writing about relationships and their own personality traits. But for some reason, once they step…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bragg/there-are-quite-a-few-honest-songwriters-out-there-writing-about/) [Billy Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bragg/) > [“What matters, instead, is whether we are able to help her develop a very different set of qualities, a list that includes persistence, self-control,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tough/what-matters-instead-is-whether-we-are-able-to-help-her-develop-a/) [Paul Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tough/) > [I remember being in the same position as Ruby, when I no longer believed in God as I was raised to believe. But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-m-soehnlein/i-remember-being-in-the-same-position-as-ruby-when-i-no-longer/) [K. M. Soehnlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-m-soehnlein/) > [“My personality traits don’t determine my destiny, they inform it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bogel/my-personality-traits-don-t-determine-my-destiny-they-inform-it/) [Anne Bogel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bogel/) > [“The wonderful world of human relationships is a rich mixture of backgrounds, perceptions, habits, preferences, behaviors, and motivators. These differences can create barriers to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/the-wonderful-world-of-human-relationships-is-a-rich-mixture-of/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [I guess that's the oddest personality trait for me - I'm too dumb and naïve to ever really be nervous about anything. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-zylka/i-guess-that-s-the-oddest-personality-trait-for-me-i-m-too-dumb-and/) [Chris Zylka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-zylka/) > [“Physiological stress, then, is the link between personality traits and disease. Certain traits — otherwise known as coping styles — magnify the risk for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/physiological-stress-then-is-the-link-between-personality-traits-and/) [Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/) > [“The last refuge of the Self, perhaps, is “physical continuity.” Despite the body’s mercurial nature, it feels like a badge of identity we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-kingsland/the-last-refuge-of-the-self-perhaps-is-physical-continuity-despite/) [James Kingsland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-kingsland/) > [“He was like a jazz musician, joyfully improvising, imagining tastes that ordinary people could not. He pulled ingredients apart and reconstructed them in endlessly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-reichl/he-was-like-a-jazz-musician-joyfully-improvising-imagining-tastes/) [Ruth Reichl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-reichl/) > [“key process in personality development involves situations and personality traits reciprocally “calling” each other. The corresponsive principle suggests that the very traits that steer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/key-process-in-personality-development-involves-situations-and/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [I am, like anybody else, full of contradictions and personality traits, and I don't know which ones to speak from as a stand-up or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-daly/i-am-like-anybody-else-full-of-contradictions-and-personality-traits/) [Andy Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-daly/) [Browse all 111 Personality traits quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personality-traits/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Dr. Robert Hare, one of the foremost researchers on sociopathy, believes that a sociopath is four times more likely to be at the top of the corporate ladder than in the janitor’s closet, due to the close match between the personality traits of sociopaths and the unusual demands of high-powered jobs.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "M.E. 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