By John Irvin “If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed.” —Albert Einstein While this is a genuine Einstein quote, he is often misquoted as having said, “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a…
By John Irvin One of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century, American journalist H. L. Mencken, once wrote, “For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.” Decades have passed since Mencken offered that insight, yet we continue to address complex issues with self-assured opinions that are somehow…
By Dr. David Charney I have a friend who is a senior executive in an important Intelligence Community agency who commented on my latest white paper focusing on Prevention. Here’s what he wrote: “I am very intrigued with the “broadness” of the psychology as you described. I am finding that the “psychological perfect storm” and…
Michael Morell, former acting Director of the CIA, interviewed Dr. David Charney on the CBS News Radio podcast “Intelligence Matters” on what drives people to commit espionage. Listen on iTunes or here: This episode will post Wednesday. All will find it fascinating. From a man who has interviewed, extensively, real world spies, including Robert Hansen. If…
Dr. David Charney was interviewed by Jeff Stein in Newsweek about the NOIR concept. In the article, the former head of FBI counterintelligence, Frank Figliuzzi, said of the concept: “I tried hard to find holes in Charney’s concept because I initially had a strong visceral reaction against the notion of leniency for a traitor. Yet…