The widespread image found in countless true-crime television shows that equates all serial killers with psychopathy, as if to say that all psychopaths are night time bogeymen might make for enticing television. But it is, at heart, an inaccurate and dangerous simplification. Such a portrayal, with no real clinical support, leads the public to a sensational understanding of not just a complex mental health condition but also the unfathomable acts of a select few within that same group.

The misapplication of the term 'psychopath' in our media, where it is thrown around like confetti as a label for anyone committing truly horrific acts, significantly dilutes and depresses the real meaning of the condition.

Psychopathy is a defined personality disorder that requires a very specific set of traits for a person to fall under its umbrella.

Serial killers are hardly ever equals. They are as different and as motivated by a plethora of forces as any "normal" citizen might be. You can find traces of the essential or clever killer in many of them, but to say what amounts to an equation that all serial killers = psychopathic (especially as dangerous as saying not all psychopaths are serial killers) is a gross oversimplification.

Psychopathy.

The notion that psychopathy is a good thing for connection with high-level jobs, like CEO, surgeon, solicitor, or military leader, is based on the belief that such people sometimes show the traits of psychopathy.

A trait is a relatively stable, observable tendency to behave in a given way.

Though Traits make up the personality of an individual. Psychopathic traits exist on a spectrum. At one end, there are individuals who exhibit very few psychopathic traits and are not psychopathic.

As we move up the spectrum, we encounter individuals who show some traits, and then others who show more. In connection with the belief that some individuals are successful because they are "high-functioning psychopaths," we obviously must connect that idea to the belief that psychopathic traits are advantageous in these high-pressure professions.

They're not advantageous in all high-pressure professions, but in many of them, individuals who rise to the top and might be considered psychopaths do display a few of the kinds of traits that we associate with psychopathy.

These characteristics make individuals with psychopathy better suited for certain kinds of jobs. Most of the features that make up the psychopathic personality - callousness, grandiosity, and lack of empathy, to name a few - are not what you would want in an employee, especially if you're the kind of person who thinks employers should be somewhat concerned for the wellbeing of their workers.

But consider this, If you were in a really tough situation, wouldn't you want someone with high-stakes decision-making authority to be callous, grandiose, and a bit low on empathy?

Indeed, they're likely to do better in a pressure cooker than someone without their "assistive" traits, not to mention anyone who might be less impressive under the demands of a given situation.

Of course, not everyone with psychopathic traits possesses them with equal strength. Traits and performances are not the same.

While some traits may be an asset in particular contexts, the overall impact of psychopathy is pernicious and potent. It can lead to exploitative behaviour, that's for sure.

The link between psychopathy and professional success is complex. Successful and unsuccessful psychopaths are clearly different kinds of people, yet when we examine the connection between psychopathy and professional success, we have to consider both types of individuals.

Successful psychopaths use their psychopathic traits to further their careers and reach their goals. Unsuccessful psychopaths, on the other hand, are more likely to break the law and not get along with society.

But what makes Operation Successful really tick? And how come those psychopathic wheels of success keep on turning? Of course, this is a riddle with no clear answer. After all, successful individuals tend to be successful for different reasons.