I once used to work as a doctor in a public hospital that was led by a psychopathic boss an otherwise well-known physician, professor of medicine, and administrator. It took me quite a long time to realize that this guy was a human monster, one of those "snakes in suits" described by dr. Robert Hare.
He was superficial, arrogant, egocentric, and hypocrite. Completely devoid of any human feelings or conscience, he was incapable of empathy or remorse. Impatient and extravagant, he often took completely wrong decisions, harmful for his patients and his staff. He didn't care about his people or his institution; all he wanted was to boost his own ego. He didn't love stable, written rules; he would make and then break his own rules, depending on his personal moods or interests, and he changed these rules nearly every day, just as he pleased. He was involved in dirty business, in the detriment of the hospital, and he regularly accepted bribery from companies, clients, and employees.
Self-assured, he would take advice from nobody, and he truly believed he was always right, even in spite of anyone else's opinion, and against all evidence and common sense. However, he never assumed responsibility for his acts, and always blamed the others for his own mistakes. He was shrewd, deceitful, sneaky, and he enjoyed using manipulation, lies, humiliation, and terror to control people and to suit his selfish desires. By using his abilities, his money, and supported by his strong family and allies, he managed to achieve incredible power and influence in many high areas: academics, health care, politics, and business. He seized lots of titles, functions, qualifications, and awards. But many of his so-called "scientific works" were frauds: signed by himself, but actually written by his co-workers, plagiarized, faked, or mediocre.
He acted courteous to his superiors and, to those who didn't know him well enough, he may have looked quite normal. Wearing "the mask of sanity", he was able to mimic humanity in a convincing way and to impress almost anyone, at least at first sight. Many people even admired him from a distance, as a distinguished scientist and as a bold and ambitious leader. However, he never had any true friends and nobody ever loved him, no matter how badly he may have wanted to. (He had been married twice: his first wife divorced him shortly after their marriage, and his second wife hated him and was also trying desperately to leave him).
You can imagine how hard it was for anybody to cope with such a "snake". My own pride as a doctor, my moral standards, and my constant concern of improving the quality of medical care in our department, made me particularly susceptible and intolerant at everything this guy was doing. Of course, as I was gradually learning about his immoral and illegal acts, I was growing more and more disgusted and outraged by him. My other colleagues, as well as his patients and his students, were either too tolerant or too scared to say or to do anything against this man which only made me even angrier. Everybody suffered in silence from his incompetence, moodiness, harassments, abuses, lies, threats, insults, and arbitrary decisions. I myself have been repeatedly humiliated and deceived by this guy who, by the way, often used to say that he was "my friend". I felt I could not tolerate such behavior. But what I found most outrageous and frightening of all was the way he interfered with my work, by indicating several wrong medical diagnoses and therapies to my patients, and forcing me to accept them and take full responsibility for his mistakes, against my will and my beliefs. But he had to prove that "he was the boss", and everybody knows that "the boss is always right, even when he is wrong"! Useless to say I was not the only one to endure such treatment.
What could I do? Where could I go? Whom could I have complained to? The guy was everywhere: he was head of the department, director of the hospital, chief of the teaching staff, and member of the leadership of the university and of virtually all major scientific and health care organizations in the city and in the country! Not to mention his political and economic power, as well as his family and his friends in high places! Compared to him, I was nobody. The battle was obviously unequal. My only advantages were my determination and a certain kind of respect he still had for me. Indeed, he envied me and hated my guts, but somehow he also admired me and needed me for my professional skills and for my honesty. He knew I was trustworthy and hard working, and he had often used me to solve difficult cases or to write scientific books and papers, for which he had unduly taken the credit.
Considering my tiny advantages against his huge power, I tried various strategies to deal with this psychopathic man. Let me describe these in a somehow "technical" manner:
First strategy: open discussions. I tried to speak with him, using scientific arguments and common sense, to show him my good will, make him see he was wrong and convince him to avoid making hasty decisions and accept dialogue. I had no luck at all with this strategy, because the man simply had no respect for things like science, truth, honesty or people's lives. I realized I had no way of pleading to his conscience or to his feelings, because he had none. He just kept on acting impulsive and moody. His "views" were constantly different from mine, even in minor matters, but, of course, he was the authority on everything, not me. He did such things just to harass me, to make me bend in front of him, and to show everybody that he alone was the holder of the absolute truth and power. He often told me (and also spread it around) that I was "too cheeky".
Second strategy: looking for friends. I decided to try and speak to my colleagues, make them see that what our boss was doing was very wrong and unacceptable, and that we had the right to defend our patients, our institution and ourselves. I was hoping to get some attitude from them, some allies. I used to tell them: "If there's at least two of us, we are already more than one!" But, alas! All I could get were some pathetic whispered complains. Everybody was either incredibly frightened, naive or manipulated! Even his wife, who knew him well and detested him, was manipulated by him. When I tried to approach her as a possible ally, she said: "I know how you feel. However, he's also done a lot of good things for you" Unbelievable! I felt utterly disgusted.
Third strategy: minimize my requests. I told him: "Let me take care of as little as two or three patients, as you please, but just let these be my patients. Let me make my own decisions, as I believe it's right!" No way! He would leave me alone for a short while, then start harassing me again; he just couldn't accept losing control of the slightest thing. And, besides, his point was not so much about controlling things as controlling me!
Fourth strategy: fool him. I told him once: "You have a lot of power, money and prestige. Don't you think that treating people like you do will lower your authority and your reputation? You don't need to "show your muscles" all the time". This shrewd strategy had a small effect: from that day on, he cooled down a little bit, and obviously tried to better control his temper. His temper yes, but not his personality. That he could not change, even if he wanted to.
Fifth strategy: prove him he needed me more than I needed him. I refused to accept several tasks he ordered me, just to offer myself freely, soon after, to help him with some dull works. He wasn't impressed and didn't get my message. He may have even thought I was a fool.
Sixth strategy: open conflict. One day I caught him with a big lie, and I proved this in public! I humiliated him without mercy in front of his subordinates! Everybody was stunned, and the guy himself was like wild! At the end, I told him I quit and I left his office slamming the door! What a scene! "That ought to teach him a lesson!" After ten minutes only (!) he called me back to talk to me about some new research he was planning. He spoke to me in the most natural way, as if nothing had ever happened! The guy was just incredible! His tempers could only last that long! Maybe his rage had been faked in the first place! Later on, he called me again, tried to give me some stupid explanations and told me he loved me. How about that? However, he did not apologize. I cooled down, but I was determined to leave anyway.
Seventh strategy: I left. Yes, I finally quit, resigned, walked out. I was free!
Do you think I lost the fight? Maybe. But, more importantly, I felt that my conscience was victorious. Even when I left, I felt stronger. I knew that I didn't take any moral compromise. I refused to betray my beliefs and to submit to this guy. He would have probably loved to hear me say: "You are my master, I am your slave reign over me for ever". But I was proud I never let him have me. And, anyway, I did try everything I could.
Still there may have been one last strategy I didn't try: kill him. But this would have made a different story...