Do you know someone who can lie straight to your face without flinching, charm everyone in the room while leaving a trail of broken relationships behind them, and never once feel a pang of guilt? I didn’t think I did either, until I read Robert Hare’s Without Conscience, and suddenly, the unsettling puzzle pieces of past encounters clicked into place with terrifying clarity.
Overview
Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us is the definitive work on psychopathy from the man who developed the Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R), the gold standard for diagnosing this personality disorder. Robert D. Hare, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia and one of the world’s foremost experts on psychopathy, presents over 25 years of research in a format accessible to everyday readers.
In essence: Psychopaths are social predators who lack conscience, empathy, and the capacity for genuine emotional connection. They manipulate, charm, and ruthlessly exploit others without remorse. Hare estimates that about 2 million psychopaths live in North America, roughly 1 in 100 people.
That means in a city of 100,000, approximately 1,000 psychopaths walk among you.
But here’s the kicker: most psychopaths aren’t serial killers. They’re your charming coworker, your smooth-talking boss, the charismatic neighbor who always has a scheme, or even the family member who leaves you emotionally drained and questioning your own sanity.
Reader recommendation
Without Conscience is perfect for:
- Anyone who’s ever been manipulated by a partner, family member, or colleague and couldn’t understand why they felt so confused afterward
- Mental health professionals, social workers, and criminal justice staff who need to identify psychopaths in their work
- Victims of emotional or financial abuse seeking validation and understanding
- Parents who suspect something is “off” with their child and want to understand the warning signs
- Business professionals who want to protect themselves from toxic executives and con artists
- True crime enthusiasts looking for the science behind the headlines
Without Conscience is not for:
- Readers seeking self-help for their own psychopathic tendencies (Hare makes it clear: psychopaths don’t believe they have a problem)
- Anyone expecting dramatic profiles of only serial killers (this book covers the much larger and more relevant population of everyday psychopaths)
- Those who prefer pop psychology without hard scientific data
- Readers who find technical psychological terminology difficult (though Hare does his best to translate)
Table of Contents
Background
The term “psychopathy” has been debated by clinicians, researchers, and philosophers for over a century. As Hare explains, the word literally means “mental illness” from the Greek psyche (mind) and pathos (disease), but this definition is misleading. Unlike individuals with schizophrenia or psychosis, psychopaths are not disconnected from reality, they know exactly what they’re doing and why.
The confusion between “mad” and “bad” has plagued the field since the early 19th century when French psychiatrist Philippe Pinel first used the term “insanity without delirium” to describe patients who showed utter remorselessness and complete lack of restraint.
Hervey Cleckley’s 1941 classic The Mask of Sanity was the first to provide the public with a detailed view of psychopathy. Cleckley described psychopaths as individuals who “know the words but not the music”, they can mimic human emotion but cannot genuinely experience it.
Hare built upon Cleckley’s foundation, developing the Psychopathy Checklist (PCL) in the 1980s and its revision, the PCL-R, in 1991. This diagnostic tool is now used worldwide in prisons, forensic psychiatric hospitals, and research settings.
Without Conscience Summary
The Psychopathy Checklist: A Two-Faceted Profile
Hare’s Psychopathy Checklist identifies 20 key traits and behaviors organized into two broad factors:
Factor 1: Emotional/Interpersonal Traits
- Glib and superficial
- Egocentric and grandiose
- Lack of remorse or guilt
- Lack of empathy
- Deceitful and manipulative
- Shallow emotions
Factor 2: Social Deviance
- Impulsive
- Poor behavior controls
- Need for excitement
- Lack of responsibility
- Early behavior problems
- Adult antisocial behavior
Glib and Superficial: The Art of the Con
Psychopaths are often witty, articulate, and charming, at least initially.
They can be “amusing and entertaining conversationalists, ready with a quick and clever comeback, and can tell unlikely but convincing stories that cast themselves in a good light.” But to astute observers, they seem “too slick and smooth, too obviously insincere and superficial.” Hare notes that psychopaths often give the impression they’re “play-acting, mechanically ‘reading their lines.'”
The book shares a telling anecdote about an interviewer who fell for a psychopath’s charm during an assessment: “I sat down and took out my clipboard, and the first thing this guy told me was what beautiful eyes I had. He managed to work quite a few compliments on my appearance into the interview, couldn’t get over my hair. So by the time I wrapped things up I was feeling unusually . . . well, pretty. When I got back outside, I couldn’t believe I’d fallen for a line like that.”
Egocentric and Grandiose: “I Am the Center of the Universe”
Psychopaths possess “a narcissistic and grossly inflated view of their self-worth and importance, a truly astounding egocentricity and sense of entitlement.” One subject rated himself “an all-round 10. I would have said 12, but that would be bragging. If I had a better education I’d be brilliant.”
This grandiosity extends to the courtroom, where psychopaths frequently fire their lawyers and take over their own defense—often with disastrous results. As one subject put it: “My partner got a year. I got two because of a shithead lawyer. He later handled his own appeal and saw his sentence increased to three years.”
Lack of Remorse or Guilt: The Defining Trait
Perhaps the most disturbing characteristic of psychopaths is their “stunning lack of concern for the devastating effects their actions have on others.” When asked if he had any regrets about stabbing a robbery victim who spent three months in the hospital, one subject replied: “Get real! He spends a few months in a hospital and I rot here. I cut him up a bit, but if I wanted to kill him I would have slit his throat. That’s the kind of guy I am; I gave him a break.”
This lack of remorse is associated with a remarkable ability to rationalize behavior and shrug off personal responsibility. Jack Abbott, who fatally stabbed a waiter shortly after being paroled from prison, told a television interviewer: “I don’t think that’s the proper word. Remorse implies you did something wrong. If I’m the one who stabbed him, it was an accident.”
Lack of Empathy: “Walking in Someone Else’s Shoes”
Psychopaths “seem unable to ‘get into the skin’ or to ‘walk in the shoes’ of others, except in a purely intellectual sense.” One rapist commented: “They are frightened, right? But, you see, I don’t really understand it. I’ve been scared myself, and it wasn’t unpleasant.”
Hare emphasizes that psychopaths “view people as little more than objects to be used for their own gratification.” The weak and vulnerable are favorite targets. As psychologist Robert Rieber put it: “There is no such thing, in the psychopathic universe, as the merely weak. Whoever is weak is also a sucker; that is, someone who demands to be exploited.”
Deceitful and Manipulative: “I Lie Like I Breathe”
“Lying, deceiving, and manipulation are natural talents for psychopaths.” One subject, when asked if she lied easily, laughed and replied: “I’m the best. I’m really good at it, I think because I sometimes admit to something bad about myself. They’d think, well, if she’s admitting to that she must be telling the truth about the rest.”
Hare describes psychopaths as being able to lie “with a smoothness and a directness that sometimes momentarily disarms even the most experienced.” When caught in a lie, they “are seldom perplexed or embarrassed—they simply change their stories or attempt to rework the facts so that they appear to be consistent with the lie.”
Shallow Emotions: “Knowing the Words but Not the Music”
Psychopaths “seem to suffer a kind of emotional poverty that limits the range and depth of their feelings.” While they may appear cold and unemotional, they are “prone to dramatic, shallow, and short-lived displays of feeling.” Careful observers “are left with the impression that they are play-acting and that little is going on below the surface.”
Psychologists J. H. Johns and H. C. Quay famously observed that the psychopath “knows the words but not the music.” Laboratory research using biomedical recorders has confirmed that “psychopaths lack the physiological responses normally associated with fear.” For most people, fear is an unpleasant emotion that motivates behavior; for psychopaths, it’s merely a concept.
Impulsive: “Living for the Moment”
Psychopaths “are unlikely to spend much time weighing the pros and cons of a course of action or considering the possible consequences.” “I did it because I felt like it” is a common response.
Hare describes psychopaths as people who “tend to live day-to-day and to change their plans frequently.” They give “little serious thought to the future and worry about it even less.” As one subject put it: “Look, I’m a drifter, a nomad—I hate being pinned down.”
Poor Behavior Controls: The Hair-Trigger Temper
Besides being impulsive, psychopaths are “highly reactive to perceived insults or slights.” Their inhibitory controls are weak, and “the slightest provocation is sufficient to overcome them.” They “take offense easily and become angry and aggressive over trivialities, and often in a context that appears inappropriate to others.”
However, Hare notes that psychopaths’ aggressive displays are “cold”—they “lack the intense emotional arousal experienced by others when they lose their temper.” As one subject put it: “I keep myself in control. Like, I decide how much I want to hurt the guy.”
Need for Excitement: “Better Than Sex”
Psychopaths have “an ongoing and excessive need for excitement; they long to live in the fast lane or ‘on the edge,’ where the action is.”
G. Daniel Walker, a criminal with a long record of fraud, robbery, rape, and murder, commented: “There is a certain excitement when you have escaped from a major penitentiary and you know the red lights are behind you and you know the sirens are going. There is a certain excitement that you just . . . it’s better than sex. Oh, it’s exciting.”
The flip side of this yearning for excitement is an inability to tolerate routine or monotony. Psychopaths “are easily bored” and are unlikely to be found in occupations or activities that are “dull, repetitive, or that require intense concentration over long periods.”
Lack of Responsibility: “Promises Written on the Wind”
“Obligations and commitments mean nothing to psychopaths.” Their good intentions—”I’ll never cheat on you again”—are “promises written on the wind.”
Hare describes “truly horrendous credit histories, for example, reveal the lightly taken debt, the shrugged-off loan, the empty pledge to contribute to a child’s support.” One subject, when asked if he would continue to drive following his release from prison after more than twenty convictions for dangerous driving, replied: “Why not? Sure I drive fast, but I’m good at it. It takes two to have an accident.”
Early Behavior Problems: The Warning Signs
Most psychopaths “begin to exhibit serious behavioral problems at an early age.” These might include “persistent lying, cheating, theft, fire setting, truancy, class disruption, substance abuse, vandalism, violence, bullying, running away, and precocious sexuality.”
Hare emphasizes that what distinguishes psychopathic children from others is that their behavior is “more extensive and serious than that of most others, even when compared with those of siblings and friends raised in similar settings.” Early cruelty to animals is usually a sign of serious emotional or behavioral problems.
Adult Antisocial Behavior: A Lifelong Pattern
“The lifelong continuity of the self-serving, antisocial behavior of psychopaths is truly amazing.” Within prison populations, psychopaths stand out because “their antisocial and illegal activities are more varied and frequent than are those of other criminals.”
As G. Daniel Walker boasted to Robert Ressler about his rap sheet being twenty-nine to thirty pages long compared to Charles Manson’s five, “But he was only a killer”, meaning Walker himself was not only a killer but a criminal of enormous versatility.
Crime: The Logical Choice
“Psychopaths are responsible for more than 50 percent of the serious crimes committed,” despite constituting only about 20 percent of prison populations. Hare notes that “psychopaths naturally slip into the role of criminal.”
Their “readiness to take advantage of any situation that arises, combined with their lack of the internal controls we know as conscience, creates a potent formula for crime.”
A recent FBI study found that 44% of offenders who killed a law enforcement officer on duty were psychopaths.
Violence: Cold-Blooded and “Casual”
Psychopaths “commit more than twice as many violent and aggressive acts, both in and out of prison, as do other criminals.” Their violence “is callous and instrumental—used to satisfy a simple need, such as sex, or to obtain something he or she wants.” Their reactions to violence are “much more likely to be indifference, a sense of power, pleasure, or smug satisfaction than regret at the damage done.”
Hare compares the psychopath’s reaction to violence with that of law enforcement officers, who often experience “emotional flashbacks” or posttraumatic stress syndrome after shootings. “Such counseling would be wasted on psychopaths,” Hare writes.
Sexual Violence
“Perhaps half of the repeat or serial rapists are psychopaths.” Their acts result from “uninhibited expression of sexual drives and fantasies, desire for power and control, and perception of the victims as objects of pleasure or satisfaction.”
White-Collar Psychopaths
Not all psychopaths end up in prison. Many “appear to function reasonably well—as lawyers, doctors, psychiatrists, academics, mercenaries, police officers, cult leaders, military personnel, businesspeople, writers, artists, entertainers, and so forth—without breaking the law, or at least without being caught and convicted.” Hare prefers to call them “subcriminal psychopaths.”
Their conduct, “although technically not illegal, typically violates conventional ethical standards, hovering just on the shady side of the law.” If they lie and cheat on the job, “they will lie and cheat in other areas of their lives.”
The book includes a fascinating case study of “Dave,” a corporate psychopath who charmed upper management while terrorizing subordinates. Despite clear evidence of dishonesty, “those higher up in the organization had been convinced—by Dave—of his management talent and potential.”
Words from an Overcoat Pocket: The Language of Psychopaths
One of the most intriguing sections of the book explores how psychopaths use language. Hare notes that psychopaths’ speech is often characterized by “contradictory and logically inconsistent statements that usually escape detection.”
For example, when asked if he had ever committed a violent offense, a man serving time for theft answered: “No, but I once had to kill someone.”
A woman with a staggering record of fraud, deceit, lies, and broken promises concluded a letter to the parole board with: “I’ve let a lot of people down. One is only as good as her reputation and name. My word is as good as gold.”
Hare’s research suggests that psychopaths may process emotional language differently in the brain. In laboratory experiments, “psychopaths responded to emotional words as if they were neutral words.” Words do not have “the same emotional or affective coloring for psychopaths as they do for other people.”
The Roots of the Problem
“Psychopathic attitudes and behaviors very likely are the result of a combination of biological factors and environmental forces.”
Hare favors an interactive model in which “the elements needed for the development of psychopathy—including a profound inability to experience empathy and the complete range of emotions, including fear—are provided in part by nature.”
Social factors and parenting practices “influence the way the disorder develops and is expressed in behavior.” An individual with psychopathic traits who grows up in a stable family “might become a con artist or white-collar criminal,” whereas one from a deprived background “might become a drifter, mercenary, or violent criminal.”
Importantly, “the quality of family life had absolutely no effect on the emergence of criminality in psychopaths.” Whether the family life was stable or unstable, psychopaths first appeared in adult court at an average age of fourteen.
Can Anything Be Done?
The prognosis for treating psychopaths is poor. Hare writes: “With few exceptions, the traditional forms of psychotherapy, including psychoanalysis, group therapy, client-centered therapy, and psychodrama, have proved ineffective in the treatment of psychopathy.”
The reason is simple: “Psychopaths don’t feel they have psychological or emotional problems, and they see no reason to change their behavior.” They “are generally well satisfied with themselves and with their inner landscape, bleak as it may seem to outside observers.”
Moreover, group therapy and therapeutic community programs may actually make psychopaths worse. In one study, “psychopaths who did not take part in the program were less violent following release from the unit than were the treated psychopaths.” Hare explains that these programs “merely provide the psychopath with better ways of manipulating, deceiving, and using people.” As one psychopath put it: “These programs are like a finishing school. They teach you how to put the squeeze on people.”
Without Conscience Analysis
Without Conscience is not just a clinical text, it’s a survival guide for anyone who might encounter a psychopath. And statistically, that’s everyone.
Hare’s central argument is that psychopathy is a distinct personality disorder with identifiable traits and behaviors that can be measured and predicted. This may sound obvious, but for decades, clinicians conflated psychopathy with general criminality or antisocial personality disorder.
Hare’s Psychopathy Checklist provided the first reliable tool for distinguishing true psychopaths from other rule-breakers.
The book’s strength lies in its balance of scientific rigor and accessibility. Hare doesn’t dumb down the research, but he translates technical concepts into language that laypeople can understand.
He uses vivid case studies—like “Ray,” the manipulative inmate who sabotaged Hare’s car; “Earl,” who scored the maximum on the Psychopathy Checklist; and corporate psychopath “Dave”—to illustrate his points without sensationalizing them.
What makes this book particularly valuable is its focus on the psychopaths who don’t kill. As Hare notes: “We are far more likely to lose our life savings to an oily-tongued swindler than our lives to a steely-eyed killer.” By broadening the focus beyond serial killers,
Hare helps readers recognize the psychopaths in their own lives, the charming coworker who takes credit for your work, the manipulative partner who leaves you questioning your sanity, the unethical boss who exploits your loyalty.
The book also provides practical advice for protecting oneself—a rarity in books on personality disorders. Hare’s “Survival Guide” chapter offers concrete strategies for recognizing red flags, setting boundaries, and cutting losses.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
1. Scientific Grounding: Hare is the world’s leading expert on psychopathy, and his conclusions are based on decades of empirical research. The Psychopathy Checklist is now used worldwide in forensic settings, a testament to its validity.
2. Accessibility: Despite the technical subject matter, Hare writes in a clear, engaging style. He uses case studies and anecdotes to illustrate his points without sacrificing scientific accuracy.
3. Practical Application: The book doesn’t just describe the problem—it offers solutions. The final chapter on survival strategies is invaluable for anyone dealing with a suspected psychopath.
4. Broad Scope: By covering both criminal and non-criminal psychopaths, Hare provides a comprehensive view of how the disorder manifests across different segments of society.
5. Ethical Awareness: Hare is careful to address the ethical implications of labeling someone a psychopath, emphasizing that accurate diagnosis requires proper training and access to the formal scoring manual.
Weaknesses
1. Limited Treatment Discussion: The book is somewhat pessimistic about treatment prospects, and while this pessimism is scientifically justified, readers hoping for more hope may be disappointed. Hare acknowledges this, noting that “the shortest chapter in any book on psychopathy should be the one on treatment.”
2. Focus on Male Psychopaths: Most of Hare’s research subjects have been male prisoners, and the book reflects this bias. While Hare does discuss female psychopaths, like Diane Downs, the emphasis is clearly on males.
3. Lack of Longitudinal Data: Although Hare discusses the age-related decline in criminal behavior, the book could benefit from more long-term follow-up studies of psychopaths across the lifespan.
4. Dense in Places: Some readers may find the more technical sections, particularly those on brain lateralization and language processing, difficult to follow.
Books like Without Conscience
The Sociopath Next Door by Martha Stout
Stout’s book focuses on the 4% of the population she estimates are sociopaths (a term she uses interchangeably with psychopath).
While Stout emphasizes the role of conscience and provides compelling case studies, her work lacks Hare’s scientific rigor. Hare’s Psychopathy Checklist is a standardized diagnostic tool; Stout’s criteria are more anecdotal.
The Mask of Sanity by Hervey Cleckley
This is the classic text that inspired Hare’s work. Cleckley’s clinical descriptions are vivid and influential, but the book was published in 1941 and reflects the limitations of its era.
Hare’s book builds on Cleckley’s foundation with decades of additional research and a standardized diagnostic instrument.
Snakes in Suits by Paul Babiak and Robert Hare
This later collaboration between Hare and industrial/organizational psychologist Paul Babiak focuses specifically on psychopaths in the corporate world. While Without Conscience covers white-collar psychopaths, Snakes in Suits goes into greater depth on how psychopaths operate in organizational settings.
Confessions of a Sociopath by M. E. Thomas
Written by a self-identified sociopath, this memoir offers a first-person perspective that Hare’s clinical approach lacks. However, the reliability of Thomas’s self-diagnosis is questionable, and the book lacks scientific rigor.
Conclusion
Without Conscience is an essential read for anyone who wants to understand the nature of psychopathy—and protect themselves from its practitioners. Hare’s message is sobering: “There are at least 2 million psychopaths in North America,” and they “cast a wide net, and nearly everyone is caught in it one way or another.”
But the book is not without hope.
By understanding the traits and behaviors that define psychopathy, we can recognize the warning signs, set boundaries, and protect ourselves. As Hare writes: “For your own physical, psychological, and financial well-being it is crucial that you know how to identify the psychopath, how to protect yourself, and how to minimize the harm done to you.”
Who should read this book? Everyone. Whether you’re a mental health professional, a victim of manipulation, a parent concerned about a child, or simply someone who wants to understand the dark side of human nature, Without Conscience offers insights that are both disturbing and essential.
Hare has done what few researchers can: he’s made a complex, technical subject accessible to a general audience without sacrificing scientific integrity. Without Conscience is a masterclass in translating research into practical knowledge.
The book’s central thesis remains as relevant today as when it was first published in 1993: psychopaths are not monsters from another world—they’re our neighbors, colleagues, and sometimes even our family members. The first step to protecting ourselves is recognizing them for who they are.
