You see them in life, from business to global politics. Psychopaths are found in society, but how do you spot one in the crowd.

David Gillespie is the author of Taming Toxic People, a renowned novel about the phenomenon that damages businesses, brings about mental disease and discomfort and can bring civilisations to the brink of implosion – the psychopath.

David told Sofie Formica on Afternoons that the way we define a toxic person has a common theme in medical literature and case studies.

“Calling someone a sociopath is essentially calling them a psychopath but doing it a little nicer,” he said.

“From a purely biochemical perspective – there isn’t any difference. It’s describing the same thing, so whether you call them a malignant narcissist – or just a narcissist or a psychopath or a sociopath or a toxic personality or a bully, we’re all describing the same thing: a person who has a total lack of empathy.”

Tap PLAY to hear the full chat with the Brisbane author about the different types of toxic people in society.