Can Dogs See Dead People?

By Bill Knell

“I see dead people.” Uttered by actor Haley Joel Osment in M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense, it has become one of the most famous lines in movie history. Although the film was based on a fictional story, we have all seen those people on television who claim they can see or communicate with the dead. Would it surprise you to learn that dogs may also possess that ability?

One of the oldest known paranormal beliefs is that dogs have the ability to see or communicate with the dead. It would be easy to believe that people have come to that conclusion based on a dog’s natural behavior. We’ve all seen dogs stand still and stare or react to something we were unable to see or hear. However, there may be much more to it then that.

Most of the pet people I have known had some sort of a weird dog story to tell. The most common involves the death of a beloved dog owner. The dog owner would die and it always seems like his or her pet would know about the event before anyone else. My mother often recounts the story of Grandpa Bill.

For the last few years of his life, Grandpa Bill languished from a terminal illness. When he wasn’t in the hospital, he stayed with us. It was during those stays that Bill became very close to an Irish Setter adopted by my mother. Rusty and Bill were inseparable. Whenever he sat in our back yard to get some sun during summer afternoons, Bill would play with her by throwing a ball for Rusty to catch or using her favorite old sock as a pull toy. Rusty slept at the foot of Bill’s bed and would start barking anytime he coughed or experienced shallow breathing.

During the final days of his life, Bill was back in the hospital. It was during that time that Rusty started acting strangely. She would pace back and forth in front of the bed in a spare room where Bill slept when he stayed at our home. She would circle the lawn chair he used to sit in when he played with her in the backyard. It was really eerie! However, stranger things were yet to come.

Although we knew he wasn’t going to live much longer, it came as a bit of a shock when Bill finally passed on. We thought that he would probably live another few months based on what the doctors said, but that wasn’t to be. A nurse checked on him around three in the morning and found he had passed on. Around the same time and without explanation, Rusty awakened everyone in our household. She began to howl uncontrollably. Less then an hour later, we received the sad news of Bill’s passing by phone.

I was too young to remember most of what happened, but I do recall that my parents were freaked out by the whole event. My mother was a no nonsense kind of person who had no use for anything paranormal, yet she recounted this story several times to me in later years whenever the subject of strange animal behavior would come up. Anything but a storyteller, I always felt that she spoke of those events as a way of trying to understand them. I suppose we could just toss it all off to coincidence, but the odds do not seem to be with that considering how many other people have experienced similar events.

Most everyone who has ever lived in any kind of a suburban neighborhood has some sort of a story to tell about that one weird house that everyone would stay away from. In my case, it was about seven houses down from mine in a neighborhood on Long Island. All of the houses on our block had been built in the early 1950s. With slight exceptions of larger or smaller models, most of the homes looked like they belonged together. All except one. The weird house in our neighborhood had a dark wood exterior and was landscaped with small trees instead of bushes and hedges. It stood out and most of the neighbors were not amused.

If it’s a true saying that strange houses attract stranger people, you could prove it by the weird house on our block. From the moment they moved in, the first family to live in that house made no attempt to fit into the neighborhood. The parents and three children were weird. They hated to answer their door, had two dogs that were as mean as they were big and never kept up their property.

Within ten years of moving into the house, the family fell apart. After several biting incidents, the police took the dogs away. The older brother died of a drug overdose, the younger one stopped speaking, their sister always seemed to be taking on the role of mom, and dad as their parents seemed unable to cope with anything. After their father was hospitalized for alcoholism, mom gave up, sold the house and moved away to parts unknown.

Before anyone could move in, the house was given a major facelift. Gone was the excessive number of trees that had created a haunted mansion look. Gone was the nasty looking wood exterior that gave way to aluminum siding. The inside was gutted and replaced with lighter colors and modern appliances. By the time the new family moved in during the mid 1960s, it was like an entirely different house. However, some of the sorrow from the previous family may have been left behind.

The new family consisted of a couple, a boy and girl under ten, and a cute Yorkshire Terrier they called nappy (short for Napoleon). These people were just the opposite of the previous occupants. They were friendly, took care of their property and got along well with all the neighbors. I knew the children and played with them when they came by my end of the block, but rarely visited their house. Most of what happened next I got from my other friends and people closer to the family then I was.

A couple of my friends were regularly invited to sleepovers at the house. During the sleepovers, Nappy would normally roam the house and eventually settle into his little doggie bed in one corner of the living room. However, on more then a few occasions the friendly little dog exhibited some very unfriendly and odd behavior.

Nappy would bound up the stairs to a finished attic with two bedrooms. This is where the children slept in bedrooms separated by a small hallway. Once there, he would inexplicably start to growl at the room to the right where the boy slept. This was also the room were the older brother from the previous family had once slept and where he had been found dead of a drug overdose.

Their dog’s odd behavior was first noticed by the children a few weeks after the new family moved in. Some of my friends who had slept over in the boy’s room told me that the boy and his parents were really freaked out by the whole thing. The girl had seen it, but since it wasn’t directed at her room, tended to ignore the incidents.

It seems that Nappy got along fine with the children and showed no animosity towards the sleepover guests either. That meant that his nighttime growling behavior was being directed towards an unknown source. I suppose that any number of simple explanations could be used to explain the whole thing away, but the dog’s growling wasn’t consistent. He didn’t do it every night and as often as not slept quietly without the growling when friends of the boy stayed overnight.

About a year after they moved in, the family moved out. This seemed strange considering the investment they had made in the property, but I doubt the reason for their move had anything to do with their dog’s odd behavior. There were some strange stories from my friends who spent more time at the house then I did. On a few of the sleepovers they said that the boy’s room always seemed very cold, despite a brand new oil burner having been installed in the house before the family moved in.

Like so many other events involving the paranormal, odd animal behavior is often categorized as explainable even if we do not know the cause. Because dogs cannot talk, we do not know exactly what they are reacting to. Can dogs see dead people? I guess we’ll have to wait until we’re dead to find out the answer to that question! Read more amazing stories about dogs at http://advice.azpuppies.com

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Title: Can Dogs See Dead People?
Topic: Pets
Author: Bill Knell
Author’s Email: billknell@cox.net
Author’s Website: http://www.billknell.com
Author’s Phone: 480-632-7909
Word count : 1456
Terms To Use Article: Permission is granted to use this article for free online or in print. Please add a link to or print my website address of http://www.billknell.com

A native New Yorker now living in Arizona, Bill Knell is a forty-something guy with a wealth of knowledge and experience. He’s written hundreds of articles offer advice on a wide variety of subjects. A popular Speaker, Bill Knell presents seminars on a number of topics that entertain, train and teach. A popular radio and television show Guest, you’ve heard Bill on thousands of top-rated shows in all formats and seen him on local, national and international television programs.

About the Author

A native New Yorker now living in Arizona, Bill Knell is a forty-something guy with a wealth of knowledge and experience. He’s written hundreds of articles offer advice on a wide variety of subjects.

Preparing for a wedding is a time of celebration and memories. The tradition of giving guest favors or small gifts lives on as a way to thank them for sharing in your special day. Some favors are used as part of the wedding decorations and then taken home by the guests at the end of the reception.

Other favors are useful items that will give the guests something they will use over and over and with each use will remind them of your wedding. Some of the most popular favors are candy, usually packaged creatively. Choosing a favor can be difficult, but if you figure out what type of favor you would like it can make it easier.

Giving favors a double meaning by using them as part of the decorations saves money and space. Table toppers such as candles, flowers, and glasses will be incorporated into the table decorations. Items like these can be personalized with the couple’s names and wedding date to make them a treasured keepsake.

Some other decoration favor ideas include mini salt and pepper shakers, origami animals, and napkin rings. All of these will help add to the table decor and then be easily taken by the guests when they leave. Another idea that has been showing up at recent weddings is what is called a breakaway centerpiece. These centerpieces are made up of the individual favors. Usually they are either gift wrapped boxes stacked or small vases with flowers clustered together. You can use your imagination. Using favors as decorations will help you to get two things done at once. You will be able to give your guests a nice gift while also saving yourself some hassle.

Guests always appreciate a wedding favor they can use again and again. These favors can also be personalized to reflect the couples names and wedding date. To save money you can go to wholesalers that supply businesses with promotional items. These are usually things that are useful and you are sure to find something that will tie into your wedding. You could find pairs of chopsticks, paperweights, notepads, bookmarks or keyrings in the wholesale catalogs. Other useful items include wine bottle stoppers, candles, soaps, tea bags, mugs or small plants. Try to find something that will be of use to your guests as well as look good with your reception decorations.

Food items are on of the easiest wedding favors you can give. It is simple and inexpensive to buy candy or nuts in bulk, then put them in simple packages to give your guests. You will find guests like food items because it is something they can use and also something that will not need a special place in their home. Some gifts, like plants, can require work that your guests may not want to do. Candy or nuts is something that will show your appreciation and bring a little joy to your guests. You can use creative packaging and the actual colors of the candies/nuts to tie them into your wedding decorations. Food favors are always welcome and easy to do.

Choosing favors for your wedding only add to the many choices you have to make. It doesn’t have to be difficult or time consuming if you try to keep it simple. Make your favors part of the decor, something useful or a food item. Sticking to easy favors will help eliminate large amounts of time and money being spent on them allowing you to focus on other things.

Joe Palladino who is an established owner of an online wedding favors and bridal shower favors boutique located at http://www.HerWeddingFavors.com.

Easy Tips for Healthy Pets
(c) 2005 Dr GW Graham

Do you want a long and healthy life for your pets?

There are things in our pets’ environments that can rob them of precious health and long life. I’m
not talking about cars accidents and mean kids in the neighborhood. I’m talking about things inside the home. Things like:

1) Food
Food is meant to be good tasting and good for you.
The same applies to our pets. Unfortunately, both
people food and pet food are full of stuff. And
most of this stuff isn’t found growing naturally.

Manufacturers have taken the place of growers and
cooks. To make foods taste better things are
added.

To make foods last forever on the store shelf,
things are added. For example, tomatoes are now
designed to look good after a long trip to the
store. They are not grown to be nutritious and
safe.

On TV we see reports about how additives,
preservatives and stuff are making our children
unhealthy. The same thing applies to our pets’
food.

Preservatives keep food fresh by altering the
DNA of the creatures living on the food.
What do these preservatives do to the DNA of the
child or pet eating them?

See where I’m going?

Altered hormones, cell mutations (cancer),
sickness !!!

The only way to minimize this stuff in our pet’s
food is to make the food ourselves. There are
recipes all over the web for the kitchen literate.

http://www.simplypets.com
http://www.bullwrinkle.com

Most people don’t have the time to make their
pet’s food and treats. There are places where
good wholesome pet foods can be purchased.

http://www.waggintails.com
http://www.healthypetnet.com
http://GrandPaGraham.com

2) Chemicals in the home

What do you use to clean your counter tops? Where
do you store it? Can your pet get to it? Can your
kids get to it?

A large number of children and pets are poisoned
each year because household products are very
attractive to inquisitive minds. There are a lot
of products on the market that won’t harm anyone
if swallowed.

We had one 6 month old child find and swallow
a cleanser. The parents didn’t think he was old
enough to get to the open bottle.

http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=apcc
http://www.aapcc.org/

3) Mold in the home
Most people consider mold in the home an
unattractive nuisance. But it can cause allergic
reactions in children AND pets.

One house we investigated had two sick, allergic,
asthmatic kids. But they called us in when the dog
started sneezing.

Does your pet sleep in the laundry room? Lots of
mold there too.

Mold can cause:
* Allergies,
* sinus problems,
* itching,
* stomach problems,
* hyperactivity,
* skin and hair problems.

This list applies both to kids and pets.

But be careful about what you use to clean away
the mold. Bleach doesn’t kill mold but does burn
sensitive lungs.

Don’t use any product that your store owner or
pest control person won’t drink in front of you.

For more info on mold and what it can do to you
and your pet, go to:

http://www.themoldlab.com

Remember - if you use this article as your guide,
your pups and cats will love you for a long,
long time.

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About the Author

Dr Graham graduated from the University of Tennessee Medical Units at Memphis Tennessee. During a tour in the Army he helped develop many of the concepts dealing with Sick Building Syndrome. He currently is the CEO of
Tennessee Mold and chief researcher for Mold Lab Int’l.

He has linked moldy homes to ADHD, Lupus, CFS and several other inflammatory diseases. He is currently doing research into mold and Alzheimer’s, arthritis and MS.

This is a true story. A woman had Snow White and the Seven dwarfs in her yard as lawn ornaments. One morning she found that Grumpy was missing. The thorough search of the neighborhood and many inquiries were fruitless. Grumpy had vanished.

Weeks later he suddenly appeared again in his usual spot, the same grump’s expression on his painted-plaster face. But attached to him with duct tape was a photo album. One picture showed Grumpy in front of London’s Big Ben. Another showed him grumping in front of the Eiffel Tower. Picture after picture documented his trek around the world. Perhaps the pranksters hoped a free world tour would cheer up the little fellow. But it
did no good whatsoever. He returned as sour as when he left.

Isn’t it amazing that God is so patient with us? He invests a great deal in us, shows us His wonders, educates us in His ways. Through all of this do we remain unchanged, unaffected, untouched?

What does it mean to walk by the Spirit and to be led by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16,18)? Doesn’t it mean a submission to what God wants to do with us and in us? Doesn’t it involve at least a willingness on our part to do what we can to cooperate?

I’m not talking about subjective “leading” which is hardly more than blindly stumbling after impulses and impressions. I mean the BIG stuff: developing spiritual discernment between right and wrong and spiritual muscle to be like Jesus even in a hostile environment. The Spirit’s purpose is to conform us to the character and the life-style of Jesus Christ.

As we continue on God’s world-tour of life, let’s soften up and de-grumpify. God wants us to make it to the end, not just unbroken, but transformed by the journey.

Steve Singleton has written and edited several books and numerous articles on subjects of interest to Bible students. He has taught Greek, Bible, and religious studies courses Bible college, university, and adult education programs. He has taught seminars and workshops in 11 states and the Caribbean.

Go to his DeeperStudy.com for Bible study resources, no matter what your level of expertise. Explore “The Shallows,” plumb “The Depths,” or use the well-organized “Study Links” for original sources in English translation. Sign up for Steve’s free “DeeperStudy Newsletter.”

New dreams are much like unplanted saplings. Alive with the potential for magnificent growth, their roots wait for nourishment. Too often, however, their tiny buds dry up and die before we give their roots a chance to touch the soil.

We admire dreams in our minds, photograph them with our hearts, and fail to nourish them with the first requirement of all dreams realized. That is, we must get them out and into the soil of our daily lives; we must plant with the expectation for growth.

Like a tiny oak, a great dream will often have the potential to grow and thrive long past our own life
spans. Yet, it needs more than our admiration and good intentions; it needs our hearts to cherish it and our hands to get it growing.

When a storm breaks a branch, a dream will need our continued love, care, and commitment to keep it growing and thriving. Do we simply rip off the torn branches of a cherished dream? Even worse, do we pull a dream from the soil, leaving it to die? Do we continue to damage our own resiliency because, by habit, we run away each time a certain type of problem appears?

No, not if we are authentic. We might rest, but we will eventually return to our truest dreams, knowing we will be welcomed. We will realize that there will always be winds to strengthen us; there will always be hurts to teach us healing and forgiveness.

We learn that if we are to finally move forward, we must begin to understand storms as well as our own
mistakes. Like oaks sprouting new leaves, we are all in the process of creation and growth. It is a law of life and an unavoidable life lesson.

A sapling will be strengthened by winds, and it will grow to its fullest potential; yet, as people, we must
choose to grow. As English novelist, George Eliot, wrote, “The strongest principle of growth lies in the human choice.”

In storms, we can find blessings that we would not think to search for on sunny days. We can nurture torn limbs and grow new limbs when some are lost. We can continue to provide the love and care necessary for our dreams to grow–as long as we keep the roots in the soil.

In so doing, we, as well as our dreams, can grow as tall as our potential allows, reaching as high as our
Creator intended for us to reach, bringing the legacy of our gifts to future generations.

Wishing you blessings and success,

Steve Brunkhorst

© Copyright 2006 by Steve Brunkhorst. This article was adapted from A Handwritten Journal of Love. All rights reserved worldwide. Reprinted from Achieve! 60-Second Nuggets of Inspiration. Find many helpful achievement resources by visiting http://www.AchieveEzine.com

And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing,
lest ye make yourselves accursed … Joshua 6:18.

On a hazy night in ‘46
Satan met with his unholy tribe;
Now listen, you devils, he said with glee,
The entire world is about to transcribe.
They’ve invented a box they call TV;
Its shape is square, it has pictures and sound.
They practically kneel to its image;
Those fools think it’s really profound!

Can you imagine what this means to us?
Why, we’ll hardly need to lift our forks!
They don’t know how slick we are -
Those dolts believe we’re a bunch of dorks!
I can hardly believe this stroke of luck.
We’ll load the Board of Directables;
We’ll convince the world that evil is good
And have them think we’re respectables.

Dear me, Satan purred, I can hardly wait
To twist and turn and rationalize;
National Enquirer will have to fold -
We’ll steal the rights to sensationalize!
There’s one big fly in my appointment, though -
Some folks are saying I started this!
How can they accuse me of such a deed?
I’ve always treasoned with a wily kiss.

Only the foolish would be so blatant;
Why, I even cringe at some of the trash;
Surely we don’t need to throw it so hard…
We want them to fall, but not with a crash.
At first we’ll stress the family virtues:
Honesty, faith, and all that stuff;
We’ll give them new minds and hearts and goals
All pumped and primed with a lot of fluff.

And then we’ll start undressing the angels;
Stress that nudity is artistic fare.
We’ll make those goodies feel out of place.
Good heavens (or hell!), why be so square!
So do your worst, you little devils -
Make sure there’s a box in every home.
We can’t let slip this glorious chance
To write their names in our swelling tome!

All breeds and sizes of dogs can be taught easily to speak, and the way to go about it is to call your dog, show him a treat and say “Speak.” He will not understand what you mean and will probably at first jump for it, and then sit down and eye it attentively; finally, he will get impatient and utter a sharp bark, which is what you have been waiting for, and the instant he does so reward him with the treat.

A dog which is slow in barking can be encouraged to do so by your imitating a bark, as the chances are he will reply to it, and if you reward him he will learn to bark as soon as he hears the word “speak.”

After a dog has been taught to bark once, you can teach him to bark any number of times, for when he has learned to expect a reward after barking once and you do not give it to him he is apt to bark again or until you give him a signal to stop.

Dogs are very observing and the signal to stop barking can be so slight that your friends will not detect it, such as a movement of the foot or hand, a dropping of the eyelids or a shifting of your gaze, and if you keep up a running fire of conversation and address your dog as if he were a human being his performance will be much more impressive and perplexing.

As an illustration, if you are exhibiting your dog to an audience and want him to speak, don’t simply say “speak,” but address him something like this: “Now, Buddy, all the ladies and gentlemen present are very anxious to hear you speak.” Put a slight emphasis on the word “speak” and your dog will catch it, but it will appear to the audience as if the dog understood the entire sentence and not only the one word “speak.” Of course, when training the young dog you should use only the word “speak” and that distinctly and free from other words, so as not to confuse him.

If your dog knows how to speck on command, you can try to teach “singing” - which is to teach him to howl on command. It is not expected that your dog will produce any melody but only repeat in a mechanical way a series of whines and barks.

Teach him to “sing” in the following manner. Try to imitate a whine yourself and try to get him to imitate the noise you make and to a certain degree, reach the pitch and style of noise make by you, be it a howl, whine or bark and with constant practice, a dog can and will learn to follow your tone quite accurately.

As your dog learn to follow your barking, say “sing” instinctively to associate this action. Praise and treat plentifully during training to encourage him further. Exercise him on a regular basis will help him to learn to sing in no time on your command.

“Speak” and “Sing” are useful lessons in curbing a nuisance barking dog. Let your dog understand that barking and whining is only allowed on command. Simply ignore your dog whenever he barks and whine for your attention. Vice versa, give him lots of praise or treats when he barks on command. If your dog understands this lesson, he will no longer be a nuisance barker and be a good quiet boy for a long time to go.

About the Author

Moses Chia is a dog lover and owner of DogsObedienceTraining.com - The dog training resource site for a happier and healthier dog. You are welcome to reprint this article if you keep the content and live link intact.

Gatlinburg in Tennessee is the city with streets of art galleries and quaint shops selling local arts and crafts. It is also home to the world-renowned Arrowmont Craft School. This is where craftspeople from around the world improve their skills and have exchanged craft skills for the past 75 years. These attractions draw visitors to linger in town before heading to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. This park is famous for activities such as hiking, fishing, camping and water-rafting, all in a well-preserved natural environment.

Why do couples pick Gatlinburg as their honeymoon destination? This is probably due to Gatlinburg’s picturesque mountain cabins, chalets, suites and cottages which meet all the requirements for a romantic Gatlinburg honeymoon getaway! In fact, Gatlinburg honeymoon packages usually consist of romantic chalets on secluded mountain tops, continental breakfasts and dinners. As well as hampers of delicious delicacies and bottles of wine which are thrown in as additional treats.

These remarkable chalets, cabins and cottages are built on the Gatlinburg Ski Mountain Chalet Village, a resort of exquisite beauty overlooking the Smoky Mountain Ski Resort. Here, facilities for ice skating, seasonal skiing, swim pools, and tennis courts are all made available to resort guests.

Each package offers its own unique attraction. For example, the Honeymoon Haven Package includes breakfasts and dinners for two at an area restaurant as well as an exciting honeymoon basket for a 7 night stay in a romantic chalet.

Hidden Hideaway Package provides absolute seclusion in a romantic chalet for three nights and includes raw food for couples to cook their own dinner. For extra treats, the Never Ending Love Package is a 7 night stay in a romantic chalet and includes dinner and breakfast for two at a restaurant; half adozen roses, a heart shaped cake, as well as a large bath basket with candles and a bed of roses.

Additionally, the Gatlinburg honeymoon suites offer different selection of choices, consisting of the Presidential suites, Jacuzzi suites, Grand suites and Lodge suites. Clarion Inn and Suites, Rocky Water Motor Inn, Buckberry Creek and Brookstone Village are among the luxury suites you can choose to spend your honeymoon in.

Most suites of these hotels feature generous bedrooms with large dining spaces, fireplace suites with private balconies facing scenic mountains, guest laundry services, private baths and Jacuzzis to complete the perfect honeymoon. Also, the Gatlinburg Clarion Inn and Suites, an Award Winning Hotel seems to be the ideal choice for romantic Gatlinburg honeymoons getaways, with packages that include the Luxury King Suites, Penthouse Suites and Deluxe Suites.

Finally, Gatlinburg has different honeymoon attractions to offer during different seasons. Springtime is great for hiking trips up the Great Smoky Mountain, especially during the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage event. There is a myriad of activities for every couple. Couples can go hiking, swimming, rafting, take tours as well as shopping during the summer time. In the winter, during mid November through March, couples get to experience the Winterfest Festival. This features millions of lights displayed throughout the county. Lastly, there is the yearly Gatlinburg Christmas Parade held in early December.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

Translated in Dutch is says: Woon je in Hoogezand-Sappemeer of Waterland en heeft u BKR verleden. Lenen met en BKR codering is nog nooit zo eenvoudig geweest. Koop een nieuwe caravan met geld lenen zonder bkr toetsing, 450208 euro is geen obstakel om te financieren. Van Edam-Volendam tot Uithoorn, geld lenen met een BKR registratie is altijd mogelijk.

A bank in Citrus Heights California or so can have a total totally different actual loan rate for a 5000 dollar credit loan then a merchant bank in Beverly Massachusetts and that makes a large clear gap in your yearly pay backs. It doesn’t matter if you live in Burnsville Minnesota or in Muncie Indiana a secure online investigation will redeem you often a lot of pain. At present you can suss out interest rates quickly on the internet and meet if there are possible traps you should be aware of. Investigate to see if the moneylender who is willing to give you a money loan is honorable. That’s why now you need to investigate and fancy if you can have a loan at a just percent rate. Lots of of the banks wil show you a rate of interest that looks upright but doesn’t feel well or so after a while. Be bright today to check up if you have a nice bargain or if you don’t with the merchant bank that offers you a bank loan. 10.5 percent interest rate may look so ok but will that be immutable after you have to repay your money loan.

Your colleague in the adjacent cubicle took credit for you big sale; she blackmailed the receptionist and got her fired; she sweet-talks the boss every day and he falls for it. She feels no remorse for all the trouble she causes. She has no conscience. Her empathy seems fake. She causes trouble in the office but she keeps getting rewarded for it. Upper management loves her. You think to yourself, “What a psychopath.” Actually, you may be right. Psychopathy in the workplace is alive and kicking.

We all know people like this in our workplace - our colleagues, our co-workers, our boss, upper management, the salespeople - but few of us even considered that these people may, in fact, actually be psychopaths.

The clinical definition of psychopath is: A person with an antisocial personality disorder, manifested in aggressive, perverted, criminal, or amoral behavior without empathy or remorse.

Dr. Robert Hare, a professor of psychology, estimates that 1 out of every 100 people is a “subclinical psychopath,” someone who leaves a path of destruction and pain without a single pang of conscience. Further, psychopaths are attracted to positions of power and there are some researchers that believe that 1 in 10 corporate executives are psychopaths.

Dr. Robert Hare and Dr. Paul Babiak recently wrote a book about corporate pyscopaths called “Snakes In Suits.” The book explains how corporate psychopaths climb the corporate latter by being deceitful, stealing other people’s ideas, taking credit for other people’s work, yet doing this in a smooth manner.

So, psychopaths may naturally be attracted to the business world. Often, their personality is seen as appropriate; they exhibit traits such as aggressiveness and assertiveness which is often the characteristics of a good leader.

Psycopathy in the workplace may be a problem that most people have not even considered. If Dr. Hare and Dr. Babiak are correct in their assumptions it at least begins to explain some of the white collar crime that is taking place in Corporate America - embezzlement, extortion, fraud, bribery, corporate scandals. Perhaps recognizing the problem is the first step in avoiding another type of Enron situation?

Tino Buntic’s website, TradePals, provides free sales leads to business professionals and entrepreneurs across The United States and Canada. Visit the website at http://www.trade-pals.com