Psychopaths are beneficial for society. Majority obey rules and help society function. They will do the work most won’t — especially not empathetic people — something that was especially necessary in historic contexts, but is today as well.
Wealth itself doesn’t harm empathy, it just functions differently.
“So what can be done, then? How can we ordinary, feeling, caring human beings protect ourselves from this segment of the population which has been driving us into disaster after disaster since the dawn of civilization before they get us all killed?”
If that was true, you wouldn’t exist. But to spin the narrative you do, you have to ignore the positive sides of psychopaths. The sort that are willing to make decisions an empathetic person can’t because of empathy. The sort that save lives while you’re unable to react from shock. The ones that ensure safety and continued existence of society, given empathy won’t protect you from others. To reduce history and bad things done to “lack of empathy” is to refuse to acknowledge that other humans, just like you and me, are completely capable of committing evil.
But, such narrative — to arrive to premade conclusion — is necessary. It’s also something psychopaths, or even most people can see through.
It’s not different than if I reduced empathy to people using children crying at the border to manipulate people like you into doing whatever they want. Think of the children, after all. In fact, “How can we … protect ourselves from this segment of the population … before they get us all killed?” applies as much to you, given it’d lead to genetic and national suicide. But you find that acceptable.
“I’m talking about changes as drastic as the end of anyone having any power over anybody at all.”
Society is mean y’all :( And this, right here, is why communism and modern leftism is a thing. Seeing reality for what it is isn’t easy. Humans are flawed; human nature, by default, will result in harm to others. We’re made to survive, after all.
“In such a culture children would learn from the youngest age what honest and sincere interaction looks like, with examples of deceit and manipulation clearly illustrated for them in all forms as something gravely disordered.”
Because evolution isn’t a thing, and because that in itself wouldn’t be used to manipulate? Tell me more about anti-fascism, anti-racism, and how it’s not supremacy masquerading as victimhood.
“One can also imagine a culture which values empathy, compassion and helping others instead of valuing wealth, accomplishment and conquest.”
I can. It’s called mountain of dead left by communism, or in best case scenario, a society devoid of what makes human human. Why bother at that point?
If one dealt with people who harm their own, it would solve itself. But, we stopped doing that. Instead, here you are, fantasizing about making humans less human to achieve some sort of utopian society. Are you sure you aren’t a psychopath? Because that to me, sounds psychopathic.
