"Toto" and The Psychopath Test

     In this chapter of Jon Ronson’s, The Psychopath Test, the author focuses on a specific psychopath: Emmanuel “Toto” Constant. Ronson travels to the Coxsackie Correctional Facility to test out his newly learned psychopath detection skills from the use of Bob Hare’s psychopath checklist, which he learned how to use in the previous chapter of the book. Prior to his meeting with “Toto,” Ronson describes how Toto landed himself in the correctional facility in the first place. Constant (Toto) set up the paramilitary group FRAPH, with which he and his followers terrorized thousands of people in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where he was living at the time. They burned down houses, raped women, beat and shot people of all ages, and committed so many more horrible acts. Toto was to be put in jail, but with his conniving ways he managed to be put on what was basically house arrest in Queens, where Ronson visited him the first time, at his mother’s house. After that visit, the chapter jumps back to present time, where Ronson meets with Toto in the correctional facility. He asks questions specifically to bring out the psychopathic nature of Toto, and succeeds. Ronson is rewarded with Toto saying things like: “you select the kind of emotion you want” and “I don’t feel empathy. It’s not a feeling I have. It’s not an emotion I have… I don’t feel sorry for people. No.” Upon his departure from the correctional facility Ronson has determined that indeed, Toto is a psychopath.

     I really enjoyed these two chapters. Finally getting to know what was actually on the checklist for psychopathic behavior and how it all fit together was a relief, since they’ve been talking about it for so long and not actually saying what it was. I was surprised by some of the tests that Bob Hare had used on his volunteers to create his list, but it was the kind of time where those tests were still allowed. Perhaps the most interesting part of this reading, however, was hearing about Toto. I had no idea that had actually happened in Port-au-Prince! It’s such a horrible chain of events, and the fact that he got off with so little of a punishment due to his conniving ways amazes me. Ronson’s interview with him in the correctional facility was very interesting as well. The way that Toto flat out said he didn’t have emotions was surprising to me though. I thought he’d try to at least make himself seem normal? Unless he doesn’t realize the things that he says and does, and doesn't feel, are the traits of a psychopath?