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Some systems reward sociopaths (and punish altruists), some don’t. War obviously does; so does capitalism. Some perceptive people I know keep telling me their b
by calibraxis 11y ago
Some systems reward sociopaths (and punish altruists), some don’t. War obviously does; so does capitalism. Some perceptive people I know keep telling me their boss is foolish for being cruel; yet the boss is clearly winning, making millions hand over fist.
(Obviously, there’s latitude; one can certainly lavish comforts on lieutenants and elite troops for example.)
- tootie 11y agoUgh, the term sociopath being applied to capitalists just dilutes its meaning. You really just mean narcissists. People with unreasonable amounts of self-esteem and confidence in their decisions. They frequently fail to consider other people's feelings, but it doesn't mean they are incapable.
- chrisbennet 11y agoHe said capitalism rewards sociopaths, not that capitalists are sociopaths. Simply competing without empathy for other people has been shown be rewarding in many cases. Look at the "robber barons" of an earlier era or "vulture capitalists" who break up companies to sell off the pieces at the expense of the workers who are left jobless.
- wpietri 11y agoThe amount this is true depending on what one means by "capitalism" or "war". Ditto "politics", where there are also plenty of examples of sociopaths succeeding. All of those are systems we build, not mysterious natural things beyond our control.