Spies have fascinated us for centuries, in fiction and in reality. What is it about people who will risk their lives to obtain secrets, and why do they do it?

The connections between espionage and global politics and espionage and national security are obvious. Intelligence-gathering is the key to both these relationships. Spies use ultra-modern electronic surveillance techniques along with the tried and true “hands-on” approach of tradecraft.

The historical impact of espionage is unquestioned—the prevention of terror attacks and preventing election interference are today’s top espionage priorities.

But, again, what type of person not only wants to do this but can do it?

Psychological Traits of Successful Spies

Spy agencies have always wanted the best and brightest to gather intelligence, interpret it, and execute covert operations. Over the decades some key attributes have become obvious.

• Exceptional emotional intelligence, or someone who can “read” other people and situations and have their hunches be accurate. The textbook definition of emotional intelligence is “the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.” Spies use this aspect of their personality to navigate complex social dynamics in, say, recruiting an asset. Emotional intelligence allows spies to build trust in the assets they’ve targeted.
• Adaptability, or being able to blend into various environments and assume different personas, what they need to be undetectable and to maintain a cover.
• Stress tolerance, or the ability to remain calm under pressure and make critical decisions when their lives may be on the line. Sometimes called composure, this can mean the difference between a successful operation or a failure.
• Superior decision-making skills, or being able to analyze complex information quickly, weigh risks and benefits, and then take decisive action.

A person with all four of these key characteristics is considered an ideal candidate to become a spy. Possessing these characteristics is not enough, however. Prospective spies have to be taught to use all these components.

How Spies Master the Craft

This is where specialized training comes in, namely using those characteristics to master the art of deception. Lying is the foundation of espionage, but to “fool” the other side, a good spy has to be able to blend lies and truth into credible narratives, especially when living under a cover persona.

At the same time spies are taught how to recognize the signs of lying in body language and facial expressions, they also learn how not to betray their own lies. Body language control, particularly involuntary movements, can easily show you’re lying, so to eliminate this giving a spy away, the spy mixes truth into a fictional cover story. That gives the cover a certain plausibility and reduces the chance of accidentally giving yourself away.

Another tool the spy has to learn to wield is psychological manipulation of human vulnerabilities. But this manipulation is used mostly to gain a potential asset’s trust. A spy may surveil a target for a long time before an approach. During that surveillance the spy studies a target to determine their weaknesses, motivations, and fears—all the things a spy can exploit in turning an individual to work against their own government. Those weaknesses, motivations, and fears also help to determine the spy’s cover. Associated with this tool is the ability to act coupled with a deep understanding of human nature and social dynamics.

Deceiving people is not as easy as it may seem. Spies have to continually practice and refine their deceptions.

Processing Information

One of my subject matter experts once suggested that I have my fictional spies bogged down in paperwork on occasion. Especially, they said, with intelligence coming in from so many sources, human and otherwise, you need to find a way to absorb all of it. Because you never know what tiny bit of information might end up being critical or live-saving.

Spies, then, have to have the cognitive skills to not only review intelligence but to find the meaningful parts. John le Carre called it finding the gold among the chickenfeed.

One aspect of this is pattern recognition or training your mind to see recurring themes and subtle connections. This way, you can find hidden trends and anticipate potential outcomes, whether in a government or a person.

Being able to process gathered intelligence ahead of an operation is important, but situational awareness, i.e., being able to process information in the field, is just as critical. Otherwise, a spy can’t assess and adapt to a changing environment on the spot.

All of this together is analytical thinking, synthesizing information, formulating hypotheses, and then drawing accurate conclusions. In other words, taking in raw data on the spot and being able to use it accordingly.

Leading a Double Life and its Emotional Toll

A spy survives by maintaining separate identities. The constant stress of this is overwhelming. I’ve shown this in my own fiction. The severe psychological strain can be alleviated by compartmentalization, a key survival skill, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to accomplish. It can be physically and mentally exhausting.

At times your operational persona stays too much in the forefront, meaning the person you really are gets few opportunities for self-expression and personal growth. When your identities conflict with each other, when you question which of these identities is your authentic self, the resulting internal struggle can mean a break with yourself and alienation from others.

Add in the moral dilemmas inherent in leading a double life, and the stress intensifies. Say you’re married in your original life. Not only can your spouse not know what you really do, but when you go to conduct an operation in your other persona, you have to put your promises and obligations aside because they don’t belong to the person you’re pretending to be. This puts stress on even a well-balanced relationship. Because spies are, of course, like any other human being, they will grapple with the ethics of their actions at some point and will question the consequences of their actions.

When this happens, spies use coping mechanisms—emotional numbing, substance abuse, doing risky things to feel alive. This offers only a temporary alleviation from those moral dilemmas and can bring physical harm. Again, I’ve covered this in my fiction, but I’ve also included the healthier ways to cope—therapy, support groups, or integrating the positive aspects of your double lives into your original self.

Inside the Heads of Spies will continue in Part 2 in two weeks.