Do you know that less than 1% of criminals end up behind bars for their crimes? Most delinquents keep on moving in and out of social circles leaving behind a trail of multiple crimes and wrecked lives. Dangerous Personalities: An FBI Profiler Shows You How to Identify and Protect Yourself from Harmful People (2014) by ex-FBI profilers Joe Navarro and Toni Poynter provides valuable insights to help you identify all kinds of dangerous people in society: mad co-workers, cranky neighbours or dysfunctional family! 

In this book, the authors have discussed easily pickable traits of four types of harmful personalities: the Narcissist, the Predator, the Paranoid, and the Unstable Personality. Read this book to identify and protect yourself from people who might leave you emotionally drenched and mentally exhausted. 

Joe Navarro is a noted writer and a former FBI criminal profiler whose 25 years of expertise in deception detection, body language and nonverbal communication trained him to recognize dangerous people. His research and valuable insight into understanding the motivations and intentions of people will help the reader to identify and protect against people with dangerous personalities.

Social media is abuzz with the word ‘narcissistic personality disorder.’ But 'narcissism' is an overused term and a careful study of the defining features is crucial.  A narcissist might go unnoticed by the untrained mind but is categorised as a dangerous personality type. They are an attention-seeking person who will display an excessive need for admiration and importance. Let’s take a classic example from BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. The event, an accidental marine oil spill, was catastrophic in proportion and even caused the death of 11 people. Anthon Hayward, BP’s CEO, is famously known to have said, “We're sorry for the massive disruption it’s caused to their lives. No one wants this thing over more than I do. l’d like my life back.” Just look at the phrase, “I’d like my life back,” and you’ll understand how a narcissist’s mind works. The self-importance despite being responsible for one of the biggest oil spills in history showcases how a narcissist is obsessed only with his/her needs. So, an individual with a narcissistic disposition will rarely care for someone else, and will always seek attention and importance. Remember, a narcissist might sweet-talk their way into your life. But eventually, the role of relationships in their life is just functional. There is a clear lack of genuineness of feeling when a narcissistic person engages with relatives, friends and acquaintances. Mostly, a narcissist considers himself to be above the law, and does not like to abide by society’s rules. Resorting to lies and cheating in order to satisfy self-interest is a common behavioural trait. The financial criminal Bernard Madoff’s infamous Ponzi scheme brings home the point. Did you know that most of the connections he used to advance his Ponzi scheme were his often unsuspecting friends and personal connections? For a person with this level of self-centeredness, the purpose of building relationships is just to fulfil an objective. Madoff did not care about the long-term implications of his actions on his friends and relatives. Do you know what also lies behind these highly cunning and sophisticated financial conmen? Arrogance and the belief they deserve all of their ill gains. Lack of empathy is another dangerous characteristic which one must look out for in a narcissist. Navarro met many criminals who were convicted of heinous crimes like abandonment or killing of their baby. The utter lack of empathy...

Ever met a person who jumps from one end of the spectrum to another in an instant? Perhaps, displaying a happy and vivacious disposition in one moment and acting like a victim the next? Such natures fall under the mentally unstable category. Joe Navarro believes that there’s far less research on the damage caused by emotionally unstable personality types on people around them. Ever encountered a charmer who seemed like a sparkling conversationalist in the beginning and became downright hostile in no time? The company of an emotionally unstable person often feels like one is being on a roller coaster ride. The unpredictability of how they might react might pique your interest for a while. But, eventually. you’ll feel emotionally drained by someone who displays such extremes. Remember, an emotionally unstable person requires and seeks emotional fulfilment from others but is incapable of nurturing others in return. So, it is tough to maintain a long-term healthy relationship with people who display emotional instability. An individual who displays emotional instability lives life like a wound collector, remembering each incident when he/she felt mistreated/ hurt. Hypersensitivity is a defining trait of such people. individuals with unstable dispositions are often hypersensitive and will not handle criticism well. This hypersensitivity to criticism or feedback results in an escalated sense of victimisation. They always see others responsible for their immediate issues or problems. Another trait - being highly manipulative. Have you ever met a person who resorts to manipulation in no time? He/she will indulge in all kinds of trickery to gain attention and get what they want: guilt-trip, crying, seduction, etc. Lying to get their way is a high probability and they are known to deceive and lie with ease and charm. Their neediness to remain the centre of attention makes an emotionally unstable person dangerous and unpredictable. Being in a relationship with such a deceptive personality is harmful. Sometimes it might even be too late to get out. Take the horrendous case of the death of Saturday Night Live comedian Phil Hartman. It is now believed that his wife was an emotionally unstable person. She had to be constrained on multiple occasions and even threatened to kill his former wife. Hartman was shot in a murder-suicide circumstance. His wife was an addict and shot him when he threatened to leave her if she did not improve.Phil’s tragic demise is a stark reminder of...

Next-up, is a person who displays a high degree of distrust or suspicion of others - this is someone with a paranoid personality. We all know an old aunt/uncle who is oversuspicious about a new neighbour. Always poking around to find something to complain about - children playing boisterously in the pool, a dog’s bark or even an innocent stranger in the building! So, how does an individual become paranoid? Well, turns out, we are all biologically gifted with an inner warning system that warns us against a possible dangerous situation/threat. It's just that a paranoid person’s warning system is stuck in overdrive 24-7. Such a person will eventually start to perceive danger/threat from all quarters- colleagues     , classmates, foreign ethnic groups, media, the government, even relatives, and so on. Excessive mistrust and suspicion about everyone's motives and intentions will keep the paranoid personality type in a state of high alertness and offensiveness. Every new person or noise acts as a trigger and is perceived as questionable. Such a person can be quite secretive and believes that everyone has an ulterior motive. US President Nixon for example used to keep an ever growing list of enemies. He trusted no-one and had no one he felt he could safely confide inThe case of Jerry Kane and his son Joseph Kane brilliantly gives another glimpse into the mind of a person with a paranoid disposition. The father-son duo from Arkansas believed that their lives were not under the purview of government laws. They wanted interference or control. Over time, this led to a deep sense of paranoia among government officials. Even the smallest cue could trigger an outsized reaction. The situation reached its climax when they opened automatic weapons fire on police officer Bill Evans and Sergeant Brandon Paudert who had pulled them over for a small traffic violation. The officers died.Adolf Hitler is another example. His autobiographical Nazi manifesto 'Mein Kamph' (1925) was a collage of paranoid grievances he held against Jews which resulted from his incoherent, selective reading of history. The Holocaust was the end result of this paranoia. A paranoid person often connects unrelated events to form a story that justifies their actions – inconvenient facts are often disregarded. Any guesses on what kind of people who join cults? Yes, you guessed it right, paranoid people are just the type of follower cultists are looking for. Such people are...

Of all the dangerous personalities mentioned in this book, a predator causes the most harm to society. Most serial killers fall under this category. Look out for some of the common traits in a predator- the lack of remorse, guilt and conscience. They thrive to satisfy just one goal- the exploitation of others - people, places and all kinds of situations. Whereas  there are people for whom a normal person deeply cares about - loved ones, friends and even strangers in distress, predators do not care for anyone  at all. At most, some of them might pretend to care. But in reality, if their needs are not met, they’ll resort to anything to get what they want - others are seen just as opportunities or obstacles in satisfying their needs. So, if a predator craves sex, he'll resort to rape. Similarly, if a predator needs a car, he/she will just steal it. The fabric of society which admires ethics, morality and conscience is simply beyond a predator’s comprehension.In fact, a person with a predatory disposition is skilled at detecting signs of weaknesses in people and deliberately targets the vulnerable, the injured, the elderly, the children or the gullible, individuals who simply can’t defend themselves. Do you think most predators are behind the bars? No. People of this personality type live and breathe amongst us. Many terrorise us under the mask of an abusive partner, a cranky neighbour, a sadistic manager and even an egomaniac religious figure. The gruesome case of Peggy Carr and her kids depicts the point. It so happened that Peggy's neighbour, George J. Trepal, a chemist and a member of a high IQ society called Mensa, decided to poison Carr and her kids and placed thallium in their Coke bottles. The motivation behind poisoning? Noise created by children outside! A predator like Trepal sees killing as a kind of quick fix and is incapable of showing kindness or patience as a personality trait. The likes of Al Capone, Jack the Ripper, Ian Brandy, and “Dapper Don” John Gotti fit the definition of predators who exploit and hurt people for different reasons. Just take a look at the video of Dennis Rader, the unpopular BTK (bind, torture, kill) serial killer. His shocking revelations about his killings in a matter-of-fact manner make it chilling. Psychologists call this a 'flat effect' and believe that most predators are simply not wired...

We have discussed four different categories of dangerous personalities. But, in reality, the human mind is far more complex. Most dangerous criminals might display a combination of different personality types. It’s important to keep that in mind so that you don’t affix a particular personality for someone whilst missing out on other clues

We do have examples of notorious characters who display more than one dangerous personality trait. History has witnessed tyranny brought down by such individuals who destroyed millions of lives. Take Joseph Stalin as an example. His narcissistic need to gain power and adoration was apparent in his behavioural traits like naming cities after himself and the multiple honorary titles he gave himself, etc. Furthermore, Stalin was known to be an extremely paranoid person. His paranoia turned him into a highly toxic and dangerous person. A totalitarian who kept full control of his military, security services and population, Stalin’s mistrust of everyone and the resultant paranoia led to the massacre of more than 30 million people and the forced shifting of entire populations, particularly minorities. He reportedly killed one-fourth of his top military brass after World War II due to extreme suspicion. 

Adolf Hitler is another example who befits this category.

People with multiple dangerous personalities can rise quickly on the world stage - often resorting to violence to become popular and consolidate their power.

There are thousands of suicide centres and a considerable number of battered spouses centres. Bit apparently, no centre can provide help in gauging someone's personality! While some professional policemen or psychiatrists get the requisite training to assess a dangerous personality, a commoner must learn to remain alert to new people and develop situational awareness to protect oneself from a dangerous personality. It is a skill that can be improved by observing and learning. First, observe yourself and think if you allow strangers easily into your personal life. One should now allow anyone to enter one's life without due diligence, background check and assessment. If you wish to remain safe, never let your guard down easily. Or "do not speak to strangers" (taught in childhood). For an adult, talking is inevitable but "do not trust a stranger easily" is a fair warning! Especially, remain alert if you encounter someone not respecting your boundaries. Gaining knowledge about dangerous personalities like a paranoid disposition will come in handy in preparing you to recognise behavioural traits. All the above chapters in the book come with a checklist to assess a dangerous personality. The checklist is prepared to educate the reader about common traits of a dangerous personality- manipulation, lies, stealing, pulling emotional strings, not respecting boundaries, and so on. Navarro also emphasises the importance of trusting your gut feeling. Imagine meeting a sweet talker who says all the nice things but still makes you uncomfortable. It is important to know the difference between niceness and goodness! Did you know that Ted Bundy, the notorious serial killer, offered women to help with carrying groceries? Jerry Dunsky, a paedophile, ran sports programs for troubled youth. So, never equate niceness (might have a selfish agenda) to goodness (usually comes from a genuine heart). Goodness is a personality trait that becomes apparent when someone does good and helps others consistently. Learn to observe your body's reactions to someone- skin's flushing, hairs prickling, gut-clenching and even general unease around someone. Such signals are the marvellous work of our internal warning system that humans have perfected during evolutionary development. So, learn to trust your gut or the signals your brain is sending to your body when you interact with a stranger! Lastly, location and time matter, as we were taught in childhood. An independent adult, especially a lady might not like the idea, but one can go from a low-risk...

While it’s certainly cool to binge-watch a crime series on Netflix, protecting oneself from a potentially dangerous person in real life is more important. Dangerous Personalities: An FBI Profiler Shows You How to Identify and Protect Yourself from Harmful People (2014) by ex-FBI profiler Joe Navarro and Toni Poynter explains the traits displayed by four dangerous personality types. Each category explained in the book comes with a checklist to look out for. While it is not easy to spot a narcissist or a predator right away, the authors suggest a certain degree of caution while meeting new people or being in an unusual situation. It is healthy to observe someone before you get too close to them. It is also crucial to analyse a person's impact on your life and temperament. The book is a perfect guide for anyone who's in an unhealthy partnership and is inclined to take the necessary steps to end a toxic relationship before it's too late for help.