23. Myron Peretz Glazer and Penina Migdal Glazer, The Whistleblowers (New York: Basic Books, 1989).
24. Waite, Psychopathic God, p. 396.
25. Victor, Hitler, p. 6.
26. Thomas Benfield Harbottle, Dictionary of Quotations (Classical) (New York: Macmillan, 1906), p. 198.
27. Rita Carter, Mapping the Mind (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1998), p. 93.
28. Peter W. Morgan and Glenn H. Reynolds, The Appearance of Impropriety: How the Ethics Wars Have Undermined American Government, Business, and Society (New York: Free Press, 1997), pp. 113, 115.
29. Ibid., p. 1.
30. Kathryn M. Borman, Meaningful Urban Education Reform (Albany: State University of New York Press, 2005); Barbara Oakley et al., “Improvements in Statewide Test Results as a Consequence of Using a Japanese-Based Supplemental Mathematics System, Kumon Mathematics, in an Inner-Urban School District,” in ASEE Annual Conference (Portland, Oregon, 2005).
31. Oppenheimer, House of Hilton, pp. 27, 28, 52, 53.
32. David R. Sands, “Researchers Peg Putin as a Plagiarist over Thesis,” Washington Times, March 25, 2006, http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20060324-104106-9971r.htm (accessed November 28, 2006).
33. Ana Marie Cox. “Matt Drudge,” Time, April 30, 2006, http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1186874,00.html (accessed February 26 2007); “Drudge Report Sets Tone for National Political Coverage,” ABC News, October 1, 2006, http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=2514276&page=1 (accessed February 26 2007); Jeannette Walls, Dish: How Gossip Became the News and the News Became Just Another Show (New York: HarperCollins, 2000), pp. 292–304.
34. Charles Krauthammer, “The Clinton Doctrine,” Time, March 29, 1999, http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/time/1999/03/29/doctrine.html (accessed December 16, 2006).
affective instability. Moods that shift inappropriately from hour to hour, or even minute to minute, without apparent justification. Often seen in borderline personality disorder.
allele. An alternative version of a gene. One allele of a gene for eye color, for example, might produce brown eyes, while a different allele of that gene might help produce blue.
altruism. Unselfish concern for others. See also posterior superior temporal cortex and nucleus accumbens.
Alzheimer's disease. The most common type of dementia in the elderly; it is characterized by misfolded and tangled proteins in the brain. An allele called APOE4 may increase risk for Alzheimer's, while APOE2 may reduce risk.
amygdala. The part of the brain that determines the emotional significance of sensory information. If necessary, the amygdala reacts with anger or fear, which is why it is sometimes termed the “fight or flight” center of the brain. Disrupted amygdala function may cause the negative emotions a borderline feels when first appraising a person or situation.
anterior cingulate cortex. The anterior cingulate cortex, at the front of the cingulate cortex deep in the brain, helps us to focus our attention and “tune in” to thoughts. It is a particularly important part of the executive attentional network that allows us to quickly resolve conflicting information; it also plays a role in producing feelings of empathy. Dysfunction of the anterior cingulated cortex contributes to impulsivity and may inhibit borderlines’ and subclinical borderlines’ ability to focus on something they do not wish to hear.
anterior insula. An area that is activated when we feel disgust—either because we've seen something repulsive, or we've seen someone cheating. This area is also associated with food and drug craving. Cigarette smokers who suffer a stroke that damages this area can completely lose their craving for cigarettes.
antisocial personality disorder. A syndrome in which people show a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others, occurring after the age of fifteen. It is characterized by traits such as deceitfulness, impulsivity, aggressiveness, and irresponsibility. Psychopaths form a subset of the worst of those with antisocial personality disorder—they are additionally characterized by a lack of empathy or remorse.
APOE4. An allele of the APOE gene that has been found to increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease. The risk is increased when a person has two copies of the gene. Alleles of other genes may amplify or reduce the risk in those with APOE4. The environment also appears to play a role—many neurologists, for example, feel that a concussion can kick Alzheimer's into gear in those with a genetic predisposition.
attentional network. The area of the brain that is able to focus on objects, people, and places. Key areas of the attentional network include the reticular formation, the thalamus, and the cingulate cortex. Both psychopathy and borderline personality disorder may be related in part to problems with the attentional network. See also executive attentional network.
autism. A developmental disorder characterized by severe deficits in social interaction and communication. Alleles of certain genes increase the risk of autism.
Baldwinian evolution. An indirect evolutionary process where changes in people's behavior cause changes in the environment, and these environmental changes consequently make changes in people's genes. Slash-and-burn agriculture, for example, allowed malarial mosquitoes to flourish in the ponds and puddles that replaced forests. This in turn allowed for the rapid spread of genetic mutations that help humans to cope more easily with malaria.
BDNF. “Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor” helps support the survival of existing neurons and encourages the growth of new neurons and synapses.
bioengineering. A relatively new discipline that integrates biology and medicine with engineering to solve problems related to living systems. Activities performed by bioengineers include research related to molecules, genes, cells, and tissues; design of pacemakers, prosthetic limbs, dialysis machines and medical imaging devices; work as patent attorneys; and creation of hospital and genetic databases.
bipolar personality disorder. A severe disorder that is characterized by cycles of manic “high” episodes, followed by depressive episodes. A shared genetic mechanism is suspected for the mood-shifting aspects of both borderline and bipolar personality disorders.
black-and-white thinking. See splitting.
borderline. A person with borderline personality disorder.
borderline personality disorder. A personality disorder that involves rapid mood swings, emotional instability, very troubled relationships, a chameleon-like ability to change attitudes or behavior, and other problems related to emotion.
borderpath. A person who shows the characteristics of both psychopathy and borderline personality disorder.
categorical approach. An approach to personality disorders that defines problematic traits for each disorder in yes/no fashion. A person is diagnosed with the disorder if a trained clinician checks enough yes's on those different defining traits. This contrasts with the dimensional approach.
caudate nucleus. An area deep inside the brain that is important for learning and memory. It becomes active, for example, when we are falling in love, donating to charity, or punishing cheaters.
cerebral cortex. A thin layer, about a tenth of an inch thick, of gray-colored brain tissue (gray matter) that coats the outer surface of the brain. The cerebral cortex is important in complicated brain functions such as thinking, language, consciousness, and memory.
chromosome. A thin, long molecule, like a microscopic thread, that has different genes scattered along it. There are 46 chromosomes in most cells in the human body—23 from the mother, and 23 from the father.
cingulate cortex. A vital, emotion-related part of the brain that helps us to focus our attention and “tune in” to thoughts. It is also known to be involved in bonding and social interactions. The cingulate cortex wraps around the corpus callosum deep in the brain. See also anterior cingulate cortex.
clinically significant. A symptom or trait severe enough that a trained clinician feels that it causes significant distress or impairment. An ordinary person is therefore not qualified to judge whether
a person has a clinically significant problem, no matter how flagrant the problem may be.
COMT. A key gene underlying general intelligence—it stands for catechol-O-methyltransferase. This gene works by serving as the blueprint for an enzyme that breaks down dopamine and other neurotransmitters. It turns out that the more slowly you metabolize dopamine, the smarter you are, so if you have versions of the COMT gene that don't process dopamine well, chances are you have a higher IQ.
corpus callosum. A bundle of nerve fibers that connect the left and right sides of the brain.
Cultural Revolution. A program launched by Chairman Mao in 1966, supposedly to rid the country of all types of elites. Millions were killed over the subsequent decade. The Cultural Revolution is widely felt both inside and outside China to have been an unmitigated disaster,
dimensional approach. This approach to diagnosing personality disorders contends that dimensions, or traits, are not simply present or absent in any given disorder, but can shade imperceptibly from extremely maladaptive to normal. This contrasts with the categorical approach currently used in diagnosing mental disorders, where the traits, and the disorder itself, are coded as simply present or absent. The dimensional approach is useful because it often relates more directly to what is going on neurologically.
DNA. The special molecules that, when strung in a row, form genes. When strung in a really long row, chromosomes are formed.
dopamine. An important molecule that serves as a messenger to help send signals from one area of the brain to the other. Problems related to the dopamine system have been strongly related to psychosis and schizophrenia.
dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is deeply involved in the ability to think logically and rationally about various topics. This is the neural area where a person's plans and concepts are held and manipulated. People with slight problems in their dorsolateral prefrontal cortex appear to act normally; however, they may confidently, even arrogantly, draw bizarre and irrational conclusions. Dysfunction here may also help cause the gaslighting, projection, and impaired ability to reevaluate negative stimuli seen so frequently in borderline-like behavior. Dorsolateral dysfunction also contributes to an inability to learn from punishment.
DSM-IV. An abbreviation for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the “DSM”—currently on its fourth, text revision edition—the DSM-IV-R). This is the standard reference used by health care professionals to help diagnose and define mental disorders.
emergenesis (emergenic). Emergenesis refers to genetic traits that, surprisingly, don't commonly run in families. Emergenic traits can include leadership, many different types of genius, and possibly psychopathological syndromes such as psychopathy and borderline personality disorder.
emote control. Emotional, as opposed to rational, reasoning. Strong evidence shows that human behavior is the product of both the rational deliberation that takes place in the front areas of the cerebral cortex, as well as emote control, which originates in the limbic system. Emote control is the default mode of human thought.
empathy. A trait that may be related to many areas of the brain, including the anterior cingulate cortex and the mirror neurons of the frontal and parietal lobes. People with Williams syndrome show great empathy, while people with borderline and schizoid personality disorders, and psychopathy, can show sporadic, reduced, or no empathy. As Dr. Jerold Kreisman and his coauthor Hal Straus note in Sometimes I Act Crazy: “The borderline is capable of great sympathy and comforting but often may lack true empathy, the ability to put himself in the other person's shoes, in appreciating how others are impacted by his behavior. Additionally, when they are hurt, their rage at those who have hurt them may be intense and cruel and devoid of concern or understanding for the other party.”
evil. Evil Genes uses the definition of evil from the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (Fourth Edition). “Morally bad or wrong; wicked: an evil tyrant.”
executive attentional network. A part of the brain rooted in the anterior cingulate cortex that is fundamental to the ability to regulate responses to individual objects and people, particularly in conflict situations where several responses are possible.
gaslighting. A form of psychological abuse that involves denying facts. Repeated exposure to gaslighting can cause a person to become anxious, confused, and depressed.
gene. Genes are recipes made up of strings of molecules that tell cells how to form proteins.
genotype. The genetic recipe deep inside the body's cells that provides the instructions to produce, for example, red hair. Also refers to the genetic makeup, as opposed to the physical appearance (phenotype), of a person.
gray matter. The parts of neural tissue that are not covered with a white insulating substance called myelin. This contrasts with white matter, which are the parts of neural tissue that are sheathed with myelin. Autistics, who have trouble lying, have more gray matter in their brain, while pathological liars have more white matter.
Great Leap Forward. An economic and social plan implemented by Chairman Mao from 1958 to 1968. It was meant to transform China into a modern, industrialized communist society, but instead was effectively a “Great Leap Backwards,” responsible for famines that killed millions.
hippocampus. A part of the brain that is involved in the processing of emotions and memory. This organ seems to be associated with a person's ability to “catch” contextual cues. Abnormalities in the hippocampus may explain why those with borderline personality disorder don't seem to be able to pay attention to important but placidly unemotional task-relevant information. Instead, their brains seem to key in on emotionally related cues—especially if these cues are negative.
identity disturbance. A poorly understood trait often seen in borderline personality disorder—it means “a markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self.” People with this trait can show a chameleon-like ability to change attitudes depending on who they are with, which leads others to conclude that they are duplicitous. Such individuals can be so inconsistent in their behavior and attitudes that they appear deeply hypocritical, as for example the person who is a strong proponent of conventional sexual values for others while being personally promiscuous. The identity of a person with this trait often revolves around a cause.
imaging genetics. A medical imaging technique that involves figuring out the size, shape, and function of organs such as the amygdala and cingulate cortex and then evaluating the same person's genes to see how they compare.
intermediate phenotype. Phenotype generally refers to a trait you can see on the outside of a body, such as red hair. Intermediate phenotype is related to a trait or part on the inside of the body, such as the liver or the amygdala. Many times it's easier to see if a gene has an effect on the intermediate phenotype inside the body than on the phenotype visible outside the body.
junk DNA. Molecules of DNA that seem to serve no useful purpose and lie around generally being bored. Occasionally, however, they turn out to control important activities in the cell.
limbic system. An older part of the brain, in evolutionary terms, that all mammals share; it is an area below our level of awareness. The constant feeding of limbic impulses to the conscious cortical areas means that the limbic system is heavily involved in emotional, rather than logical, thinking. Dysfunction in the limbic system can lead to emotional dysregulation, resulting in moodiness, depression, anxiety, and feelings of emptiness.
long/long. Long versions of certain genes produce lots of serotonin transporter (SERT) molecules—like a copy machine that is turned on for a longer period of time. Long/long means that a person inherited a double dose, from both the mother and father, of the long form of those serotonin transporter-related genes. This in turn can lead to nice, calm behavior—except that it can also lead to heart problems. See also short/short.
Mach-IV. A test pioneered by psychologist Richard Christie that gives an indication of a person's
Machiavellian tendencies. One can be either a high or low Mach, but most people fall in the middle.
Mach (high and low). “High Machs” are those who are found by the Mach-IV test to show a substantial number of Machiavellian traits, while “low Machs” have few Machiavellian traits. Most people are in between.
Machiavellian. A person who is charming on the surface, a genius at sucking up to power, but capable of mind-boggling acts of deceit for control or personal gain. Ultimately a Machiavellian, as the term is used throughout Evil Genes, is a person whose narcissism combines with subtle cognitive and emotional disturbances in such a fashion as to make him believe that achieving his own desires, and his alone, is a genuinely beneficial—even altruistic—activity. Since the Machiavellian gives more emotional weight to his own importance than to that of anyone or anything else, achieving the growth of his preeminence by any means possible is always justified in his own mind. The subtle cognitive and emotional disturbances of Machiavellians mean they can make judgments that dispassionate observers would regard as unfair or irrational. At the same time, however, the Machiavellian's unusual ability to charm, manipulate, and threaten can coerce others into ignoring their conscience and treading a darker path. A synonym is successfully sinister.
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A type of imaging where water molecules in the brain are nudged to cause them to burp out electromagnetic waves similar to those that our eyes see as light. Since different types of tissue have different amounts of water, we can use clever technical legerdemain to “see” the different tissue types on photographs that look very similar to x-ray images. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) involves sequences of MRIs that are equivalent to a motion picture.
malignant narcissism. A syndrome where features of narcissistic personality disorder are thought to be coupled with antisocial and paranoid traits; the term is frequently used as a diagnosis for evil political dictators. In contrast to the tens of thousands of scientific studies found through the Medline search engine in relation to other personality disorders, malignant narcissism has no scientific studies whatsoever.
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