3 ms·
Exactly what I thought. Especially given the above quote: researchers could study only the psychopaths’ behavior, in most cases through their criminal records
by prawks 13y ago
Exactly what I thought. Especially given the above quote:
researchers could study only the psychopaths’ behavior, in most cases through their criminal records
It's a fascinating disorder, really, in that the most severe cases are difficult to detect so long as they do not make mistakes.
- sliverstorm 13y agoThe most interesting part is how unlike a typical disorder it is. Your typical disorder removes capability; psychopathy removes empathy, which can be seen as a capability- but it could also be seen as a natural (well-intentioned) limiter.
- VladimirGolovin 13y agoIt's quite possible that this is not a disorder, but a stable evolutionary strategy.
- scott_s 13y agoI don't think it is evolutionary stable. I think a society of sociopaths would fall apart. We evolved to live in groups; we are social animals. Social animals need empathy, otherwise they are unlikely to cooperate and live in mutually beneficial ways.
- dmoney 13y ago"Psychopath" could just be the degenerate form of the personality type that evolved to lead those groups. In other words, a leader is a psychopath with better impulse control.