From: Zeb Haradon (zharadon@inconnect.com)
Date: Sun Oct 10 1999 - 19:33:21 MDT
>
>The Standard Diagnostic Nomenclature of the American Psychiatric
>Association includes in its description of "sociopathy" "the inability
>to experience shame or guilt" and "the absence of internalized
>ethical or moral standards of conduct", i.e. conscience, and in
>general "displays an amorphous hostile disregard of society".
>
I remember looking up the term 'sociopath' in an introductory psychology
book and finding a similar defintion. The only significant difference I
recall between the definition I read, and the one you cite, is that the one
I read claimed that sociopaths disregard traditional ethical and moral
standards in favor of morality of their own invention which suits their own
needs. It also mentioned an experiment in which a sociopath is given a brief
electric shock, and told that in 5 minutes they will recieve another one.
Their stress responses were measured during those 5 minutes of waiting, and
were found to be much lower then the control group of non-sociopaths.
I was somewhat surprised that this is regarded as a form of mental
deficiency. I have since aspired to become a sociopath.
The only thing I can't figure out is why so many sociopaths lack
responsibility, and a respect for the rights of others (i.e. why they often
end up becomming mass murderers). As an aspiring sociopath, I haven't had
any problem resisting the urge to murder or rob from people. Would any
responsible sociopaths like to comment on this?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zeb Haradon
My personal web page:
http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~haradon
Some "pyramid schemes" I take part in:
http://www.epipo.com/sine.asp?iamsethh
http://www.gotoworld.com/getpaid/default.asp?rid=1031032148
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