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Enemy at the Gates
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often use these excuses to get themselves out of a jam if caught in a
lie, making it difficult to separate the honest employee from the dishonest.
inability to be modest
Not everyone is modest, yet it is an admirable trait where it exists.
Modest people do not brag about their accomplishments but typically
enjoy doing a good job for its own sake or accepting only an occasional
pat on the back as reward. Many who are modest shun the
spotlight, preferring to let the record speak for itself. Modesty may be
valued by most employees, but immodesty can be equally accepted, if
it is justified. Occasionally letting others brag about their successes
helps to build relationships. But there is a thin line between justifiable
pride and arrogance that is not lost on coworkers.
Both narcissists and Machiavellians tend to be immodest, but it is
the psychopath’s arrogance that stands out so clearly to coworkers.
Unfortunately, when dealing with higher-ups, the ability of psychopaths
to manage and promote their arrogant self-perceptions,
and to package them as self-confidence and strong leadership, effectively
hides their true nature. Genuine modesty among psychopaths
is so rare as to be nonexistent. Its absence, while not an indication of
psychopathy directly, can help to corroborate other suspicions.
inability to accept blame
Taking responsibility for one’s own mistakes and not blaming others
is highly valued in corporations, as well as in society. Psychopaths
rarely, if ever, take responsibility for their actions, even if they clearly
made mistakes or their actions and decisions led to failures. But they
go a few steps farther; they will not only blame others but also create
“evidence” that others are to blame. This takes effort, but psychopaths
easily integrate it into their game, seizing on opportunities
to bring harm to others’ careers or professional standing. Clearly, this
is a form of lying and quite different from the shifting of blame or
pointing fingers that most of us sometimes engage in. This is active,