The most surprising thing I& #39;ve learned from being involved with nonprofits is that they are a magnet for sociopaths. One& #39;s naive reaction is "Why would nonprofits attract them? Nonprofits do good!" But the defining quality of nonprofits is to make no profit, not to do good.

Having to make a profit is pretty constraining. You have to satisfy customers or you go out of business. With a nonprofit, there& #39;s no intrinsic accountability. If you& #39;re a good scammer, the scam need never end. And seeming virtuous is easy when donors already want to believe it.

I& #39;m not saying, obviously, that most nonprofits are run by sociopaths. A disproportionate number of the best people I know run nonprofits. So don& #39;t let this phenomenon discourage you from working for or donating to nonprofits. But be aware of it.