No sociopath would raise the possibility that they are a sociopath because it would be counter-productive. It's virtually impossible for a sociopath to realise something is wrong with them. They just see themselves as skilled at getting things from people.
They don't have guilt or emotional attachment or anything like that, but they're good at putting on an act where it's going to be gainful for them. I had one in my life and it took me the longest time to work it out. When you press them on certain things, you realise something is missing from them, almost like a missing sense. It's bone-chilling when you realise they don't care whether you live or die, but only how each outcome could benefit them.
A good test is the thought experiment where five people are on a train line with a train careering at them. You are on a bridge with another person and you know that if you throw the person off the bridge into the path of the train, it will halt the train and save the five lives at the expense of one. What do you do? There are moral arguments either way, by the way, so there's no "right" answer.
However, the question stops sociopaths in their tracks because there's nothing in it for them either way and they really don't care about what happens to any of the people involved. They don't think like us and really can't work out what it is that a normal person would do. They can't argue the pros and cons. At all.
My own little sociopath refused to answer the question. When she finally did answer it was only because there was something in it for her to answer the question. Her thought process was that I was a nice (i.e weak, easily manipulated) person - so what would I do? She couldn't find it in herself to come up with a value judgement so she just guessed and hoped for the best. Her guess was that maybe no-one wants to die alone so she contrived an answer where all six people involved should die as her "stab in the dark" was that this was somehow better and that this is what I'd have wished for them.
And, no, there's no known cure. It's a scary disorder and I don't know why anyone would want to glamourise it or wish it upon themselves.
I appreciate your thorough response and feedback. You also gave a good illustration that made it easier for me to judge whether I'm a sociopath or not. Somebody told me that a good way to find out whether you're a sociopath or not is to watch a video like 1guy1cup or 3guys1hammer. Warning: If you don't know what these videos are about, DON'T even look up the description of what they are about! Even the description is horrifying. So I guess if I can't even bring myself to watch a gruesome video, then I'm not a sociopath.
Is throwing yourself in front of the train an option? I don't even know if I would be brave enough to do that in real life, but in the story it seems like the reasonable thing to do.
Is throwing yourself in front of the train an option? I don't know if I would even be brave enough to do that in real life but it seems reasonable in the story.
I think you word things just the same as I do but I do tend to jump in first sometimes. I promise it's not to make you meowy. That's just a side benefit. ;D
Oh, here's how I thought about the question, if you're interested. First I thought, do I know the guy walking by me? Do I know anyone on the train? If it's no, then I just thought well, I wasn't responsible for the train being out of control so why would I have any responsibility in stopping it by killing this guy? It wouldn't be my fault if the train crashes, I had nothing to do with it, I don't really see the point in killing a guy over something I had nothing to do with. Let the guy who designed or screwed up the train take the heat for the people dying.
That's one of the valid answers. You considered whether to help a friend, either beside you or on the train. That's not sociopathic behaviour.
The biggest moral dilemma for me is in getting involved. If I throw the man off the bridge, then I've killed him. It was my choice. If I left the five people to die without my intervention then I haven't strictly *chosen* to kill them, I just haven't killed someone else in order to save them.
As long as you can weigh the question up and see some right or wrong in each answer, that's fine. For instance, if you see five people dying as a bad thing, you're okay. It's where you can't bring yourself to care at all that you should be scared. Or, rather, we should. :)
Am I A Sociopath? I feel emotion and romance
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No sociopath would raise the possibility that they are a sociopath because it would be counter-productive. It's virtually impossible for a sociopath to realise something is wrong with them. They just see themselves as skilled at getting things from people.
They don't have guilt or emotional attachment or anything like that, but they're good at putting on an act where it's going to be gainful for them. I had one in my life and it took me the longest time to work it out. When you press them on certain things, you realise something is missing from them, almost like a missing sense. It's bone-chilling when you realise they don't care whether you live or die, but only how each outcome could benefit them.
A good test is the thought experiment where five people are on a train line with a train careering at them. You are on a bridge with another person and you know that if you throw the person off the bridge into the path of the train, it will halt the train and save the five lives at the expense of one. What do you do? There are moral arguments either way, by the way, so there's no "right" answer.
However, the question stops sociopaths in their tracks because there's nothing in it for them either way and they really don't care about what happens to any of the people involved. They don't think like us and really can't work out what it is that a normal person would do. They can't argue the pros and cons. At all.
My own little sociopath refused to answer the question. When she finally did answer it was only because there was something in it for her to answer the question. Her thought process was that I was a nice (i.e weak, easily manipulated) person - so what would I do? She couldn't find it in herself to come up with a value judgement so she just guessed and hoped for the best. Her guess was that maybe no-one wants to die alone so she contrived an answer where all six people involved should die as her "stab in the dark" was that this was somehow better and that this is what I'd have wished for them.
And, no, there's no known cure. It's a scary disorder and I don't know why anyone would want to glamourise it or wish it upon themselves.
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I appreciate your thorough response and feedback. You also gave a good illustration that made it easier for me to judge whether I'm a sociopath or not. Somebody told me that a good way to find out whether you're a sociopath or not is to watch a video like 1guy1cup or 3guys1hammer. Warning: If you don't know what these videos are about, DON'T even look up the description of what they are about! Even the description is horrifying. So I guess if I can't even bring myself to watch a gruesome video, then I'm not a sociopath.
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I think the fact that you gave me a warning is something in itself. Consideration for another human being, and a stranger at that.
I have no idea what I would do with that question, the only thing that I did come up with was to walk away and not do anything.
I have no clue what that means about me though lol XD
Is throwing yourself in front of the train an option? I don't even know if I would be brave enough to do that in real life, but in the story it seems like the reasonable thing to do.
Is throwing yourself in front of the train an option? I don't know if I would even be brave enough to do that in real life but it seems reasonable in the story.
Damn, you got there before I could! XD But then you do word things much better than me and more eloquently so I'm not really grumpy lol =P
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I think you word things just the same as I do but I do tend to jump in first sometimes. I promise it's not to make you meowy. That's just a side benefit. ;D
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Lol, well I kinda agree but I still think you are better at explaining things XD
And trust me, my being meowy can be a real benefit haha =P ;)
Oh, here's how I thought about the question, if you're interested. First I thought, do I know the guy walking by me? Do I know anyone on the train? If it's no, then I just thought well, I wasn't responsible for the train being out of control so why would I have any responsibility in stopping it by killing this guy? It wouldn't be my fault if the train crashes, I had nothing to do with it, I don't really see the point in killing a guy over something I had nothing to do with. Let the guy who designed or screwed up the train take the heat for the people dying.
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dappled
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That's one of the valid answers. You considered whether to help a friend, either beside you or on the train. That's not sociopathic behaviour.
The biggest moral dilemma for me is in getting involved. If I throw the man off the bridge, then I've killed him. It was my choice. If I left the five people to die without my intervention then I haven't strictly *chosen* to kill them, I just haven't killed someone else in order to save them.
Oh crap, your question tripped me up....now I'M freaked out....But if I was a sociopath I wouldn't care, right? Or what?
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As long as you can weigh the question up and see some right or wrong in each answer, that's fine. For instance, if you see five people dying as a bad thing, you're okay. It's where you can't bring yourself to care at all that you should be scared. Or, rather, we should. :)