Spotting the psychopaths, sadists and narcissists in our lives and how to get rid of them

Toxic people are around us in our workplaces, our families and our dating lives. Research psychologist Leanne ten Brinke is here to tell you how to spot them, and get rid of them from your orbit.

Leanne ten Brinke is a research psychologist whose special area of expertise is what she calls 'dark personality types'.

These are particularly cruel, malicious, manipulative people who lack empathy, people who are psychopaths, narcissists or sadists.

Psychologists estimate than one per cent of any population shows serious levels of psychopathy.

They walk among us in our workplaces and in our relationships, they could be an gaslighting partner, a narcissistic parent or a colleague who's a bully.

There are also more serious cases, like abusive husbands or murderous mothers.

Leanne also makes the point that any one of us is capable of losing our moral bearings or enabling malicious people by cheering them on, hiring them or voting them into office.

But there are ways to resist them, and make your own life the better for it.

Poisonous People: psychopathy, narcissism, manipulation, sadism: how to resist them and improve your life is published by Simon & Schuster Australia.

This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison.

It explores toxic relationships, is my partner a narcissist, what to do about my narcissist mother, what to do about my toxic boss, how many psychopaths are there, sadism, serial killers, morality, amorality, Ted Bundy, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, sociopath, Patric Gagne, anti-social personality disorders, thriller, scammers, dating world, escaping abuse, peaceful living, finding peace.

To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.