Why Psychopaths Need Excitement and Risk

Psychology Today | 08.05.2026 21:59
One of the key characteristics of most psychopaths is their “need for excitement.”1 According to psychopathy expert Dr. Robert D. Hare in his book Without Conscience, "Psychopaths have an ongoing and excessive need for excitement—they long to live in the fast lane or 'on the edge,' where the action is." 2