‘I’ve got the ability to kill people and not worry about it too much’: SAS hero Andy McNab gives brutally honest account of being a ‘functioning psychopath’…and how he would kill for money and ‘get away with it’
- READ MORE: Andy McNab pays tribute to the heroes of Bravo Two Zero
SAS hero Andy McNab has given a brutally honest account of being a ‘functioning psychopath’, admitting he would have no moral qualms about killing someone for money.
The bestselling author and former soldier, who commanded the Bravo Two Zero patrol during the First Gulf War, said he had an ability to ‘kill people and not worry about it too much’ – something that could be useful on the battlefield.
Speaking on Andy Coulson’s Crisis What Crisis? podcast, Mr McNab described taking part in a psychological study at Oxford University in 2010 which examined how people succeed in environments and where ‘good psychopathy’ really helps.
But he also admitted his psychopathy could cause problems, saying: ‘It’s very clear cut, I’ve got the ability to kill people and not worry about it too much.
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The bestselling author and former soldier, who now hides his identity for security reasons – said he had an ability to ‘kill people and not worry about it too much’
‘One of the problems with psychopathy is that everything’s like a game and you want to give things a go.’
Outlining his thought process if he was given a target to kill, he said: ‘You ask, how much is it worth to the guy who’s going to pay you? If it’s worth $1billion you want 10 per cent of that.
‘Then you’ve got to do the job and, most importantly of course, get away with it. It’s all part of the game.’
Mr Coulson asked him if he had any ’empathetic barrier’ that would stop him from considering the moral impact of taking another life.
‘No, the amygdala doesn’t work,’ said Mr McNab – referring to the part of the brain associated with emotional processes.
He continued: ‘It’s not about kill kill kill. You’re looking at it. You’ve got to be really basic about it – is it interesting enough?
‘Are they paying me enough? Is it appealing enough?
‘Even whether we’re looking at the situation of being paid to kill somebody or being asked about anything to do with publishing or film it’s the same process.’
Mr McNab commanded the Bravo Two Zero patrol during the First Gulf War. File photo
Mr McNab, who has previously spoken of his psychopathy, also used the interview to criticise Prince Harry for disclosing he had killed 25 Taliban, arguing this made him a more likely target for terrorists.
The author originally joined the Army as a boy soldier after a difficult childhood, which included being abandoned on the steps of Guy’s Hospital in a Harrods bag as a newborn baby.
In 1991, he commanded an eight-man SAS squad designated Bravo Two Zero, who were dropped behind enemy lines in Iraq on a mission to destroy Saddam Hussein’s lines of communications.
During this ordeal he saw three members of his squad killed, while he himself was captured and tortured.
Mr McNab, who hides his true identity for security reasons, has previously spoken about how having certain psychopathic traits can make people more resilient.
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