Aged psychopaths
Gray in the beard, devil in the rib - the elderly devouring their children’s future. There’s a common belief that politicians become more conservative, cautious, and less inclined to make impulsive decisions as they age. Indeed, the prefrontal cortex, the brain region involved in decision-making and impulse control, matures only around age 25. Yet experience is also necessary for wisdom, so in ancient times, one could only become a Roman consul after 42.
However, for psychopathic politicians who see others merely as tools or enemies, the story is different. Research shows that after age 50, 93% of psychopaths not only fail to improve but tend to worsen in traits and behaviors (99% increase in manipulativeness, 94% in antisocial behavior, 93% in emotional abuse, 84% in psychological abuse, 58% in financial abuse, and 47% in cruelty). Psychopaths are driven to constantly raise the threshold for self-stimulation to maintain the excitement they crave, leading to a continuous increase in perverse behavior. Why do they do it? Because they enjoy it, can do it, and often face no consequences.
Aging also weakens the prefrontal cortex's function, diminishing its inhibitory and controlling role, which leads to disinhibition. In severe cases, this can result in “frontal lobe symptoms” such as sloppiness, crude behavior, tasteless jokes, euphoria, lack of self-critique, inability to plan or stick to actions, outbursts of rage and aggression, and a failure to see things from others’ perspectives. Ancient philosopher Thales famously stated that the most astonishing sight in the world was an elderly tyrant. In antiquity, tyrants were often overthrown rather than re-elected.
Not all psychopaths, however, are hopeless: some can adapt if society’s pressure is strong enough and if punishment is inescapable. Some psychopaths manage to overcome genetic predispositions and lead socially successful lives. Brain scans have shown that “socialized” psychopaths possess denser gray matter in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, indicating a higher level of cognitive control over impulsivity. Interestingly, the stronger the psychopathic traits, the more developed this brain area is, enabling better socialization.
Regarding scientific progress, there is a famous principle named after Planck: science advances one funeral at a time. Elderly scientific authorities gain followers, occupy key positions, review articles, and often suppress grants and publications that contradict their views. Research supports this observation: following the death of prominent scientists, publications by their co-authors decline sharply, while non-collaborators’ publications and the influx of new researchers to the field increase.
P.S. Psychopathy is found in only 1–4% of the general population (rising to 15–25% among criminals), with certain personality traits found in about 10% of the population. Professions with higher rates of psychopathy include executive leadership (four times higher than the general population), law, sales, surgery, journalism, law enforcement, clergy, head chefs, and government positions. And if we consider a law-enforcement-criminal-government official, then it’s almost a certainty!
An Investigation of the Relationship Between Psychopathy and Greater Gray Matter Density in Lateral Prefrontal Cortex Personality Neuroscience September 2019.
Surviving Senior Psychopathy: Informant Reports of Deceit and Antisocial Behavior in Multiple Types of Relationships. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology. January 2022.
Does Science Advance One Funeral at a Time?. American Economic Review. 109 (8): 2889–2920.