‘I have the ability to kill people without giving it too much thought’: SAS hero Andy McNab is brutally honest about being a ‘working psychopath’… and how he kills for money and ‘gets away with it’ would ‘
SAS hero Andy McNab has given a brutally honest account of being a “working psychopath” and admitted he would have no moral qualms about killing anyone for money.
The bestselling author and former soldier who commanded the Bravo Two Zero patrol during Gulf War I said he had the ability “to kill people without giving it too much thought” — something that could come in handy on the battlefield .
Speaking of Andy Coulson’s Crisis What Crisis? Podcast, Mr McNab described taking part in a 2010 Oxford University psychology study that looked at how people thrive in environments and where “good psychopathy” really helps.
But he also admitted his psychopathy could cause problems, saying: “It’s very clear, I have the ability to kill people without giving it too much thought.
The best-selling author and former soldier, who is now hiding his identity for security reasons, said he had the ability “to kill people and not worry too much about it”.
“One of the problems with psychopathy is that everything is like a game and you want to try things.”
Outlining his thought process when 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 $1 billion, you want 10 percent of it.
“Then you have to do the job and above all get away with it. It’s all part of the game.’
Mr. Coulson asked him if he had any “empathic barrier” that would prevent him from considering the moral ramifications of 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 look at it You really have to take it easy – is it interesting enough?
“Are you paying me enough? Is it appealing enough?
“Even if we look at the situation of being paid to kill someone or being asked about anything publication or film related, it’s the same process.”
Mr. McNab commanded the Bravo Two Zero patrol during the First Gulf War. Archive photo
Mr McNab, who has previously spoken of his psychopathy, also used the interview to criticize Prince Harry for killing 25 Taliban, arguing this makes him a more likely target for terrorists.
The author originally joined the army as a young soldier after a difficult childhood in which he was abandoned as a newborn in a Harrods bag on the steps of Guy’s Hospital.
In 1991, he commanded an eight-man SAS force called the Bravo Two Zero, which was deployed behind enemy lines in Iraq to destroy Saddam Hussein’s lines of communication.
During this ordeal, he saw three members of his squad killed while he himself was captured and tortured.
Mr McNab, who is hiding his true identity for security reasons, has previously spoken about how certain psychopathic traits can make people more resilient.