PSYCOPATHY, SOCIOPATHY AND THE CELTIC BOARD
- BY LIAM CARRIGAN
- Feb 25
- 4 min read
There’s just one problem: Einstein never actually said that. It’s a quote that seems to have been made up sometime in the early 1980s. Einstein is one of several historical figures over the years to which this particularly succinct and easily recalled quotation has been misattributed. You may also see it sometimes credited to the likes of Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde or United States founding father Benjamin Franklin.
Does the Celtic Board Show Signs of Psychopathic or Sociopathic Behavior?
In recent years, many Celtic fans have added the addendum: “See also, the Celtic Board.”
It may not fit the real-life definition of insanity. However, there’s clear documentary evidence that, for several years now, Celtic’s board have been in a downward spiral of diminishing returns and repetitive, self-destructive behavior..
Time after time the same mistakes are repeated. Indecision when negotiating transfers leaves us either paying over the odds for players, or in most cases having to settle for players who were far, far down our list of initial targets.
I guess the Celtic Board are lucky that Einstein’s quote isn’t real, nor is its contents part of mainstream scientific thought. If it were so, the board would probably have their own isolation ward at Carstairs at this point!
However, they do seem to display certain tendencies, as a collective rather than as individuals, that some could consider to be signs of highly questionable judgement or diminished awareness.
Statistics published as recently as 2019 suggest that around 20% of corporate executives working at the level of CEO and above show some degree of psychopathic or sociopathic behavior in the way they conduct their business.
Before I continue, a disclaimer. This piece is not written in any way to detract from or make light of mental health. Quite the opposite in fact.
I’ve spoken at length in the past about my own mental health battle, something that, indeed, is still an ongoing process.
I simply wish to posit the question and present evidence for you to decide for yourselves: Is Celtic currently being run by sociopathic or psychopathic individuals?
First of all, we should point out that the textbook definition of psychopathic and sociopathic behavior is very different from what you’ll see in the movies or on TV shows. The vast majority of these individuals do not end up committing criminal or violent acts. In the context of the Celtic Board, or indeed any other law-abiding citizens, we should think of psychopathy and sociopathy as deep-seated character flaws rather than anything more sinister.
So, what kind of behavior does a psychopathic or sociopathic personality show, and is there a pattern that matches the Celtic Board’s recent behavior? Well, I’ve prepared a short, and by no means extensive checklist.
Firstly, let’s talk about empathy. Psychopaths have none. They show no guilt, remorse or contrition for actions that damage others. Sociopaths on the other hand, whilst still lacking remorse do at least show surface level signs of empathy or contrition. These are superficial however, often performative rather than meaningful.
Depending on who we are talking about I think either could apply to The Celtic Board this season. Certainly, their collective punishments of both The Green Brigade and wider fan media point to a total lack of empathy. However, their minimal, largely performative attempts at “outreach” with various meetings and inconsequential promises to “look into it” whilst offering nothing of any meaningful consequence in terms of concessions point to at least a semblance of contrition.
That conclusion, however, is debatable.
Next up is the main divergence point between psychopathy and sociopathy: narcissism.
Whereas sociopathic behavior often manifests as outward aggression, recklessness and persistent, active, deception, psychopaths on the other hand, are deeply self-absorbed, manipulative, but may exude some semblance of charm, at least at the surface level.
In terms of psychopathy, I would argue that Dermot Desmond’s unhinged statement in the wake of Brendan Rodgers’ departure points to two of the three psychopathic traits mentioned above .
There is however, an obvious absence of charm, or indeed any regard for what anyone outside his immediate inner circle thinks of him. This may just be another facet of the aforementioned acute narcissism, but again, I’ll leave that up to others to decide.
I would add however that another, previous statement, allegedly drafted by an unnamed executive at Celtic was so lacking in human empathy, myself and numerous others assumed it must be AI generated.
Finally, we come to the really confusing element: personal success.
Numerous famous, and extremely wealthy individuals (Donald Trump and Elon Musk are perhaps the two most obvious contemporary examples) show the extreme narcissism and total lack of empathy that point to psychopathy. They also, however, have the one element of psychopathy that we cannot, legitimately, accuse the Celtic Board of possessing collectively: Continual success.
As much as I may personally detest these two individuals, there’s no denying that Trump and Musk are both very good at what they do. They are masters at manipulating both the people around them and the situations they find themselves in, to their own, considerable, financial benefit.
The Celtic Board can't even handle a room full of mildly annoyed shareholders!
So, in closing, do I personally think the Celtic Boardroom has any psychopaths in it?
No, I don’t. For one simple reason: they lack the competence and ruthless record of success, regardless of the collateral damage, that punctuates genuine psychopathy.
In short, they are neither smart enough, nor effective enough in their leadership roles to be considered truly psychopathic.
