>In psychology there's the assumption that mood disorders and antisocial delusions can be distinguished from non-pathological "being an asshole." Any decent ps

>In psychology there's the assumption that mood disorders and antisocial delusions can be distinguished from non-pathological "being an asshole." Any decent psychiatrist readily accepts that nearly all psychological diagnoses are based on quite arbitrary criteria. The problems you describe arise from how the rest of society engages with psychiatry. Clinically, a diagnosis is a crude but useful shorthand for reasoning about how best to help someone who is experiencing distress or functional impairment. Socially, that same diagnosis is a credential - something that might entitle you to time off work, a welfare check or legal clemency. Moral decisions about who deserves compassion and support have been delegated to clinicians. This isn't something that psychiatry can fix.