Reply To: General thought on old coal mines.

[Brian H]

Rezwan wrote:
..
Sociopaths – 2-7% of the world population. I’m aware of that. It’s still a minority, (not “the” natural state, that would be 80% sociopaths). And even many of those sociopaths don’t engage in war because it’s not in their best interest and they can get more done by running successful corporations.

“Minority” is irrelevant. They congregate preferentially in the “manipulative” professions, like marketing and politics. They have natural advantages there, like the ability to emulate any required emotion, rationalize any attitude or proposition, and freedom from reluctance to “cross the line”. I think it would be a revelation to apply the Hare scale for psychopathy to politicians and their advisors. You’d come up with a much larger number than 7%. 70%? :cheese: As for “corporations”, there is a significant control factor there: you must achieve results, and psychopaths are notoriously weak at the day-to-day project goal-completion thing. (Too boring, which is the ultimate, and possibly only, pain for them.) That weeds out a lot of them before they get very far. Politics has a much purer focus on control and power, and is almost entirely focused on elevating those who can spin a good story and push the public’s buttons.

As for “justice”, to quote Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven, “Deserve’s got nothing to do with it!” BLAM The psychopath wannabe tyrant/conqueror plays the “deserve/justice” fiddle like a master.

“People sleep peaceably in their beds at night because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” To those who pretend otherwise, as the viper said to his dying transportation, “You knew what I was when you let me ride across the river on your back!” :vampire: