[Psudo]

We live in a time where 90% of random people off the street are diagnosable with mental disorders. It is probably a symptom of hyper-awareness of mental disorders rather than some trait of modern society. In the past, people were judged in terms of character, righteous or malevolent. Today, they are judged in terms of rationality, sane or crazy. We have convinced ourselves that to judge by character inherently demonstrates bad character. This belief is idiotic and evil.

[Thanos]

I work in the oil patch therefore I know a lot of evil people. They aren't crazy. They're just assholes.

[Mr_Canada]

They say 1 in 100 people are psychopaths. Something like 1 in 25 for leaders and CEOs though.

[Murray_Smith]

Mr_Canada wrote:

They say 1 in 100 people are psychopaths. Something like 1 in 25 for leaders and CEOs though.

I think the term you meant to use was sociopath. Sociopaths are attracted to positions of power because then they don't have to conform to society's rules, and have an easier time acquiring power because they don't mind having to step on toes or back-stab others.

We are all evil by someone's standards.

[Mr_Canada]

I've always heard the two words used interchangably, although I'm unsure if that is correct usage. If you google it using the word psychopath it still gives you the same study results.

[Thanos]

It certainly explains where all the site superintendants and too many of the foremen I've dealt with over the last 17 years have come from.

[Psudo]

I think there's a division of opinion in professional circles about whether or not psychopathy and sociopathy are the same disorder or not. It's pragmatically safer to just say "borderline personality disorder," which is a general term that encompasses both terms and various related ones.

Or you could avoid the technical jargon and call them jerks.

[Mr_Canada]

Asshole, psycho, jerk, prick, fuckwit, dickhead, troll, boss...

[ShepherdsDog]

I think there is also a difference in opinion on how they come about. Supposedly, one is born that way and the other one is created out of early childhood trauma. I think it's sociopaths that are born without a sense of empathy and there is nothing that can be done. It's interesting that they also tend to be above average in intelligence, which tends to feed their arrogance/sense of contempt and sense of entitlement.

We tend to use the word psychopath when referring to the real crazies like serial murderers(Bernardo and Holmoka, rather than Vince Li) and the term sociopath when referring to someone who doesn't let anyone get in his way, like certain politicians, executives and bullies.

[GreenTiger]

Zipperfish wrote:

GreenTiger wrote:

True,
If you want to change public opinion against some foreign(or domestic) individual you present as being insane and/or unstable. it has been done for centuries.
A lot of the tyrants in the world in the 20th century have been clinically diagnosed with mental disorders. I don't think there are many objective pofessionals who think that Hitler, Stalin, ,Kim Jong Il, Kaddafy, Saddam Hussein were/are well adjusted folks.

I not a professional, but as far as Batista goes I think he was more of a corrupt pig rather than being mentally Ill.

It is a good question as to why some of these mentally Ill people end up as heads of state.

Well, thanks for proving my point. All the tyrants who were enemies o the US are "clinically diagnosed with mental disorders." But Batista was sane.[/quote

No, in fact I will say that Fidel Castro probably comes out as mentally sane as well as Batista (again I am not in the field so my opinions are less than professional). I was attempting to say that Batista while being a greedy corrupt thug pig, may not fit into the same class as Hitler, Stalin, Kim Jong Ill.

If someone out there does have a background in mental health would care to clarify whether these individuals are mentally ill or not I would concede to their opinion.

[Murray_Smith]

Mr_Canada wrote:

Asshole, psycho, jerk, prick, fuckwit, dickhead, troll, boss...

1. A contemptible person whose contemptible traits serve little usage.

2. A crazy person whom is an immediate danger to others.

3. A catch-all term for contemptible folks.

4. A contemptible person whom is liked by very few, but kept around to ward off assholes.

5. A person who does not know what he's talking about.

6. A stupid prick. Seldom has friends whom exceed his intelligence.

7. A significant percentage of posters here.

8. The last enemy of a video game level, often difficult to kill.