It is a comforting fiction to segregate psychopaths as the other 1% of an abstract population, who live over there. Psychopathic potential resides in every human soul; it may be that such tendency is the default state of human beings. If you have doubts regarding the inherent psychopathic nature of humanity, just observe an infant in its natural state; the only reason the infant does not enact its evil upon you is solely due to its lack of ability and not because of any restraints from virtue.
All men have the potential to turn into a psychopath. In our civilized society, childhood indoctrination, multiple layers of social inhibitions, and different legal avenues for conflict resolution keep the cannibals at bay. Even with these measures, however, some, for inexplicable reasons, continue operating in their psychopathic mode. In a more elegant times, these dregs would have been pressed into the military regiments of the Crown to channel their obtuseness for a more constructive purposes.
In our modern era, in which childhood indoctrination is being undermined, sociocultural inhibitions demolished, and legal authority hampered, we will likely witness increased breeding of psychopaths. As such, it is incumbent upon all civilized men to conceptualize and connect with his inner psychopath. When faced with a psychopath, the civilized man ought to be able to become one himself, in order to preserve civilization.
I don't agree with that idea. Normal children have the ability to develop a conscience and emphathy. Empathy seems to be something that we have an innate wiring for. It does require loving interaction with a caregiver to develop, though.
The idea that we're gradually turning into psychopaths because of a growing lack of "cultural indoctrination, sociocultural inhibitions, and legal authority" has no evidence to back it up. On the contrary, violent crime has been on the decline for many decades.
@soo.chong163 I'm almost tempted to agree with you here. And practically, also agree with everything you've just said.
If it were not because after having gone myself through so many filters since my birth and surpassed all the purity tests. Thanks to having been so fortunate to have had a great family of humble, unusually very conscious free thinkers and formidable loving rebels. Thoughtful, attentive and smart parents. Who trained me well by letting me be as I was naturally and without restrictions. And also because in that way they succeed in made me such so kind, generous, empathetic, charming, friendly & lovable being. That kind of being with a splendidly odd sense of humor that speaks up to by his elbows, such as I am right now...
If it were not because all of that. ¡I would agree with your comment at 100%! }:)
"It is a comforting fiction to segregate psychopaths as the other 1% of an abstract population, who live over there. Psychopathic potential resides in every human soul"
I am not sure I agree with this. Psychopaths are more hereditary i.e. they are born psychopaths, there is a genetic component. Normal people who suffer through a difficult environment are more likely to become sociopaths or develop narcissistic personality disorder as a coping mechanism. Such people can be as destructive as psychopaths and as incurable.
Surprisingly, group therapy can socialize some NPD people so they are not beyond hope. However treatment of psychopaths and sociopaths often just teaches them new manipulation skills and further heightens their capacity to do wrong. Thereby treatment merely makes them them more dangerous and thus, treatment is worse than a waste of time. Hence banishment or execution to remove them from the gene pool are valid considerations.
Sociopaths can form bonds with people they are close to and can feel guilt if they harm these people. A person who has lived through a difficult life and developed sociopathic tendencies might have a chance of being socialized, if intervention happens early enough. However if this person reaches the age of 25 to 30, socialization may never be possible.