The Mask of Sanity

An Attempt to Clarify Some Issues about the So-Called Psychopathic Personality

By Hervey Cleckley

Although highly controversial, Hervey Cleckley's Mask of Sanity provides one of the most influential clinical descriptions of psychopathy in the 20th century. At the crux of his argument, Cleckley claims that many psychopathic personalities go undiagnosed because they maintain a social mask that conceals their mental disorder and enables them to blend in with society. This classic has transformed the psychiatric definition of sanity and continues to provide insight on American society and psychological introspection.