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Why don't you like the article then? It's all about how the author attributes his success to his upbringing. He suggests that identifying psychopathic behavior

Why don't you like the article then? It's all about how the author attributes his success to his upbringing. He suggests that identifying psychopathic behavior earlier would allow parents and caregivers to help promote good coping mechanisms.

DoreenMichele 9y ago
It's also very othering and very blamey. It labels the guy a sociopath and comes from an assumption that this is all downside, some kind of defect that he needs to work at compensating for. Surgeons typically lack empathy. It is what allows them to cut into people. I could never do that job. The guy is probably an excellent scientist because he's a sociopath. The article doesn't address that fact.
- kerkeslager 9y ago
  > It's also very othering and very blamey. It labels the guy a sociopath and comes from an assumption that this is all downside, some kind of defect that he needs to work at compensating for. There's a lot of disparate things in these two sentences: 1. It's othering: so what? Everyone is unique and different, and any time you talk about those differences it's othering. If you view othering as a problem, then literally any conversation about differences between people is problematic. 2. Blamey? What is the article blaming him for, exactly? 3. I don't think the article assumes this is all downside. I also don't think you can ignore the fact that psychopathy has very serious downsides. 4. Psychopathy is absolutely something he needs to compensate for in order to be a prosocial member of society. The fact that he seems willing and able to compensate is amazing and admirable. > Surgeons typically lack empathy. It is what allows them to cut into people. I could never do that job. I'd love to see where you get your information that surgeons typically lack empathy. Maybe some do, but many don't and function just fine. I personally don't lack empathy, but I think I could cut someone open easily if it were to help them. I'm not a psychopath, I just have a strong sense of the difference between hurt and harm: I can hurt someone if it helps them rather than harming them. > The guy is probably an excellent scientist because he's a sociopath. The article doesn't address that fact. The article probably doesn't address that "fact" because there's very little to support a causal link.

DoreenMichele 9y ago

It's also very othering and very blamey. It labels the guy a sociopath and comes from an assumption that this is all downside, some kind of defect that he needs to work at compensating for. Surgeons typically lack empathy. It is what allows them to cut into people. I could never do that job. The guy is probably an excellent scientist because he's a sociopath. The article doesn't address that fact.

kerkeslager 9y ago
> It's also very othering and very blamey. It labels the guy a sociopath and comes from an assumption that this is all downside, some kind of defect that he needs to work at compensating for. There's a lot of disparate things in these two sentences: 1. It's othering: so what? Everyone is unique and different, and any time you talk about those differences it's othering. If you view othering as a problem, then literally any conversation about differences between people is problematic. 2. Blamey? What is the article blaming him for, exactly? 3. I don't think the article assumes this is all downside. I also don't think you can ignore the fact that psychopathy has very serious downsides. 4. Psychopathy is absolutely something he needs to compensate for in order to be a prosocial member of society. The fact that he seems willing and able to compensate is amazing and admirable. > Surgeons typically lack empathy. It is what allows them to cut into people. I could never do that job. I'd love to see where you get your information that surgeons typically lack empathy. Maybe some do, but many don't and function just fine. I personally don't lack empathy, but I think I could cut someone open easily if it were to help them. I'm not a psychopath, I just have a strong sense of the difference between hurt and harm: I can hurt someone if it helps them rather than harming them. > The guy is probably an excellent scientist because he's a sociopath. The article doesn't address that fact. The article probably doesn't address that "fact" because there's very little to support a causal link.