• WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      Mental illness epidemic; narcissism, psychopathy, greed, vanity… the worst of humanity enabled to commit crimes for profit.

        • Schmoo@slrpnk.net
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          2 days ago

          Sounds like a system of rampant exploitation allowed to operate with impunity for decades bringing out the darkest parts of our nature. Humans are not fundamentally evil, nor are we fundamentally good. The potential for both exists in all of us and is brought out by circumstances. I believe that through determined efforts we can change our circumstances and bring out the better parts of our nature.

          • StinkyFingerItchyBum@lemmy.ca
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            2 days ago

            The potential for both exists in all of us and is brought out by circumstances.

            Generally agree, but there are hardwired psychopaths. Wikipedia says "A 2008 study using the PCL:SV found that 1.2% of a US sample scored 13 or more out of 24, indicating “potential psychopathy”.

            It goes on to say 18/24 is 0.1%

            • Schmoo@slrpnk.net
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              2 days ago

              I think it’s possible to be a psychopath and still live a good and moral life, it’s just more difficult.

                • Schmoo@slrpnk.net
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                  2 days ago

                  Even if you can’t feel empathy on an intuitive level, you can still learn it on an intellectual level and abide by a moral code. You don’t have to feel that something is wrong to know that it is wrong.

                  • StinkyFingerItchyBum@lemmy.ca
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                    2 days ago

                    But do they? My understanding of psychopathy is that they only mask with learned moral codes to hide in plain sight. These same people are very keen on seizing opportunities that meet their desires regardless of consequences to others or morality if they calculate that they can get away with it.

                    Prisons are full of stupid psycopaths because they can’t calculate this correctly and have poor impulse control. Boardrooms are full of the smart ones with impulse control who can mask successfully.

        • surewhynotlem@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          It isn’t. Humanity has methods for dealing with these problems. We used to exile people, frequently to their death.

          The problem is that we stopped doing that.