--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB <no_re...@...> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, ruthsimplicity no_reply@ wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > For societal reasons and for personal reasons > > > having to do with compassion, I prefer to > > > believe that everyone has the ability to > > > change. > > > > I used to feel that way until I met a couple of psychopaths. One > > was a charming man who belittled his wife and raped his children, > > resulting in one daughter committing suicide. Very charming, very > > manipulative. He managed to convince all sorts of people early on > > that his wife and children were fucked up, not him. Finally, there > > just was too much evidence. He went to jail, but not for long > > enough. > > To suit who? Again, I have to say that this is, > from my point of view, a completely *emotional* > reaction. Not that I don't understand it; only > that I don't believe that an emotional reaction > to things that push our buttons is valid. You're > still *reacting*. Until you aren't any more, I > don't really see that you live in a place that > gives you the right to judge others.
So you don't judge anyone, find no one evil? > > > He finally got cancer and would "hold court" from his hospital bed. > > He was bad. He was evil. He had no desire to change. His life was > > not painful to him until he got sick and then the only pain was > > physical. He had no conscience to trouble him at the end. > > And that makes him lesser than others, right? Yes > > > Surely you have met evil people who see no desire to change? > > Why have compassion if they don't want it? > > Like love, compassion isn't ABOUT the person it > is directed to and whether they "deserve" or want > it; it's about what the person who feels it is > feeling. OK, I won't disagree with this. I have compassion for the human condition that creates such people, but I don't have much compassion for the psychopath. That said, I am not a proponent of the death penalty, so I do recognize some humanity in them. > > > I save my compassion for the people they hurt. > > Whatever gets you through the day. Well, actually a lot of other things get me through the day, but yes, I don't lose any sleep over it. :) > > > Even though they may be born with no conscience, and evidence > > of pathology likely appears in childhood, only adults get > > diagnosed as psychopaths. Children are not given up on. > > Big whoop. "We don't give up on kids, only adults." > You will have to forgive me for not being terribly > impressed with this point of view. How do you address the issue that the psychopath does not want help? With kids, you can try to teach them how to get along with people. With adults, they don't want your help and "help" doesn't work. I'll give you this much: I am OK with some research dollars invested in the issue. > > I *understand* that you believe that these people > are beyond helping. I tend to believe that you've > just given up on helping them. Well, as I would be no help to a psychopath, the question is of no real relevance to me. >
