Liberal Forum

If suddenly the entire Human race was infected with a virus that killed off that part of the brain responsible for human empathy, could this possibly elevate our species?  If everyone was a psychopath, its not like anyone would be able to take advantage of another based on their emotions or presence of empathy.  It could be like the entire world walking around with a loaded, cocked-and-locked pistol. So, this would either:

1.  Make us all more polite and respectful to one another so we don't get our heads blown off, or

2.  Everyone will immediately shoot everyone else just because they can.

Or, is there a different scenario?

Skans » Yesterday, 10:22 am » wrote: ↑

Yesterday, 10:22 am

If suddenly the entire Human race was infected with a virus that killed off that part of the brain responsible for human empathy, could this possibly elevate our species?  If everyone was a psychopath, its not like anyone would be able to take advantage of another based on their emotions or presence of empathy.  It could be like the entire world walking around with a loaded, cocked-and-locked pistol. So, this would either:

1.  Make us all more polite and respectful to one another so we don't get our heads blown off, or

2.  Everyone will immediately shoot everyone else just because they can.

Or, is there a different scenario?

A polite and respectful psychopath...?
Maybe Ted Bundy could pull that off. But, he was a rare psychopath.
More likely it would be like The Purge.
Bear in mind a psychopath and his voices aren't having fun and the rest are ones that are panicking because all the crazies are running amok... makes for a slightly tense population.

Skans » Yesterday, 10:22 am » wrote: ↑

Yesterday, 10:22 am

If suddenly the entire Human race was infected with a virus that killed off that part of the brain responsible for human empathy, could this possibly elevate our species?  If everyone was a psychopath, its not like anyone would be able to take advantage of another based on their emotions or presence of empathy.  It could be like the entire world walking around with a loaded, cocked-and-locked pistol. So, this would either:

1.  Make us all more polite and respectful to one another so we don't get our heads blown off, or

2.  Everyone will immediately shoot everyone else just because they can.

Or, is there a different scenario?

I do not believe we would survive as a species. Our entire survival strategy is cooperation. We would no longer be yuman. We would be an entirely different species.

Yuman beans are tribal creatures. The men give the women and children first dibbs on the seats of the life boat (unless they are libertarians, who don't owe anybody anything ever).
 

DeezerShoove » 13 minutes ago » wrote: ↑

13 minutes ago

A polite and respectful psychopath...?
Maybe Ted Bundy could pull that off. But, he was a rare psychopath.
More likely it would be like The Purge.
Bear in mind a psychopath and his voices aren't having fun and the rest are ones that are panicking because all the crazies are running amok... makes for a slightly tense population.

Psychopaths don't hear voices. They just lack empathy. They are useful to yumanity, ironically. But in the same way that yeast is useful to bread. Yeast doesn't make bread. It helps flour make bread. 
 

DeezerShoove » 33 minutes ago » wrote: ↑

33 minutes ago

A polite and respectful psychopath...?
Maybe Ted Bundy could pull that off. But, he was a rare psychopath.
More likely it would be like The Purge.
Bear in mind a psychopath and his voices aren't having fun and the rest are ones that are panicking because all the crazies are running amok... makes for a slightly tense population.

Well, everyone would now be a psychopath.  No empathy.  No real emotions for others.  But, they are all the same, and they know it.  They are intelligent, not mindless zombies. Psychopaths do care about themselves, so we can presume they will still act in ways that would place self-preservation relatively high on their list of needs, wants and desires. Or, perhaps not.  Maybe it would be like The Purge. I don't know how it would play out.
 
 
 

Skans » 29 minutes ago » wrote: ↑

29 minutes ago

Well, everyone would now be a psychopath.  No empathy.  No real emotions for others.  But, they are all the same, and they know it.  They are intelligent, not mindless zombies. Psychopaths do care about themselves, so we can presume they will still act in ways that would place self-preservation relatively high on their list of needs, wants and desires. Or, perhaps not.  Maybe it would be like The Purge. I don't know how it would play out.

People do not behave in their societies' best interests even now. And people are literally helpless and hopeless without the tribe - without society. So what is best for society is at the meta level best for the individual. Yet individuals - even reasonably moral and non-psychotic ones - often act to further their own personal interests over those of their societies. Put psychopathy into the mix and you have a virulent extinction soup. 

The question you are asking is not taking into account the fact that working as empathetic members of a community tied together by their shared humanity is an integral and indispensable aspect OF that humanity - that without empathy, we would not be yuman beans. We would be something other than yuman beans. This is not a meaningless distinction - a mere quibble for quibbling's sake. It gets up UNDER your question and topples it like a turtle on its back. You might as well ask what if frogs couldn't jump. The answer would be, they wouldn't be frogs. They'd be something else. 

Cannonpointer » Today, 7:42 am » wrote: ↑

Today, 7:42 am

Psychopaths don't hear voices. They just lack empathy. They are useful to yumanity, ironically. But in the same way that yeast is useful to bread. Yeast doesn't make bread. It helps flour make bread.

Yes, worthy of consideration.  Need to think on this some. Too much yeast and you get something that doesn't even resemble bread, right?

 

Cannonpointer » 24 minutes ago » wrote: ↑

24 minutes ago

People do not behave in their societies' best interests even now. And people are literally helpless and hopeless without the tribe - without society. So what is best for society is at the meta level best for the individual. Yet individuals - even reasonably moral and non-psychotic ones - often act to further their own personal interests over those of their societies. Put psychopathy into the mix and you have a virulent extinction soup. 

The question you are asking is not taking into account the fact that working as empathetic members of a community tied together by their shared humanity is an integral and indispensable aspect OF that humanity - that without empathy, we would not be yuman beans. We would be something other than yuman beans. This is not a meaningless distinction - a mere quibble for quibbling's sake. It gets up UNDER your question and topples it like a turtle on its back. You might as well ask what if frogs couldn't jump. The answer would be, they wouldn't be frogs. They'd be something else.

I think you are onto something.  I am not concerned as to whether humans would be humans or something more "shark" like.  The question is whether a society of pure psychopaths could survive, or if not, how long would it take for the last one to die off?
 

Skans » 9 minutes ago » wrote: ↑

9 minutes ago

Yes, worthy of consideration.  Need to think on this some. Too much yeast and you get something that doesn't even resemble bread, right?

In your example, it would be nothing BUT yeast. And what ya get is mold. 

But, yeah. Too much yeast, and ya get shot out runny liquidy bilge. 

Unless ya counteract the too much yeast with too much salt. Then ya get some salty **** bread, I expect. Never tried it - but that's what I expect you would get. Salty bread. 
 

Skans » 11 minutes ago » wrote: ↑

11 minutes ago

I think you are onto something.  I am not concerned as to whether humans would be humans or something more "shark" like.  The question is whether a society of pure psychopaths could survive, or if not, how long would it take for the last one to die off?  Could they, or would they even breed?  Sure, they will have sex. Women would get pregnant.  And, then what?

Well, the woman certainly wouldn't have any reason to put in the necessary effort to bring a child to adulthood. I mean, whose kid IS it? No one's.  It's on its own. 
'
So, the answer is one generation. That is how long before extinction of the species. Millions of individuals might take longer than that to die off - but the species would not last a single generation. Because yuman development is dependent on a great deal of empathy. The way it currently works is that mothers have unlimited patience and empathy, and society as a whole has both a cultural agreement and innate individual tendencies to give developing yumans every benefit of every doubt and meet any inconveniences they pose with forbearance. Take that away, and a lot of pimple-faced squeak-voices are just gonna get offed in some quiet corner. Not to mention every kid is gonna get *** raped every time they leave the house their parents don't provide them.
 
 
 

Cannonpointer » Today, 7:40 am » wrote: ↑

Today, 7:40 am

I do not believe we would survive as a species. Our entire survival strategy is cooperation. We would no longer be yuman. We would be an entirely different species.

Yuman beans are tribal creatures. The men give the women and children first dibbs on the seats of the life boat (unless they are libertarians, who don't owe anybody anything ever).

J. Bruce Ismay, the chairman of the White Star Line, survived the sinking of the Titanic by jumping into a lifeboat. He claimed he boarded after helping load other lifeboats and ensuring no women or children were nearby. However, some accounts suggest he boarded before this, and he was criticized for his actions. 

 

Mrkelly » 15 minutes ago » wrote: ↑

15 minutes ago

J. Bruce Ismay, the chairman of the White Star Line, survived the sinking of the Titanic by jumping into a lifeboat. He claimed he boarded after helping load other lifeboats and ensuring no women or children were nearby. However, some accounts suggest he boarded before this, and he was criticized for his actions.

Very likely a libertarian. They're known cowards and liars.  
 

Skans » Yesterday, 10:22 am » wrote: ↑

Yesterday, 10:22 am

If suddenly the entire Human race was infected with a virus that killed off that part of the brain responsible for human empathy, could this possibly elevate our species?  If everyone was a psychopath, its not like anyone would be able to take advantage of another based on their emotions or presence of empathy.  It could be like the entire world walking around with a loaded, cocked-and-locked pistol. So, this would either:

1.  Make us all more polite and respectful to one another so we don't get our heads blown off, or

2.  Everyone will immediately shoot everyone else just because they can.

Or, is there a different scenario?

I think the world is awful right now because everyone is a psychopath.  Either ya got TDS or MAGAtosis.  The ambulance chasing lawyers are going to get phooking rich when the launch the  you might be entitled compensation 1-800-SUE-TRUMP  Hot Line.

Cannonpointer » Today, 7:42 am » wrote: ↑

Today, 7:42 am

Psychopaths don't hear voices. They just lack empathy. They are useful to yumanity, ironically. But in the same way that yeast is useful to bread. Yeast doesn't make bread. It helps flour make bread.

I would be willing to bet some psychopaths hears voices. It may not be the thing that defines them as psychopaths but I'm sure many psychopaths are crazy as ****.  
Meanwhile, their accursed brethren would be doing the aforementioned self-preservation thing and being panicked out of their psychopathic minds.

Mrkelly » Today, 9:31 am » wrote: ↑

Today, 9:31 am

J. Bruce Ismay, the chairman of the White Star Line, survived the sinking of the Titanic by jumping into a lifeboat. He claimed he boarded after helping load other lifeboats and ensuring no women or children were nearby. However, some accounts suggest he boarded before this, and he was criticized for his actions.

Analogous to you jumping into Kameltoe's lifeboat when Bidentanic hit the incoherent berg.      

RebelGator » 36 minutes ago » wrote: ↑

36 minutes ago

 
Analogous to you jumping into Kameltoe's lifeboat when Bidentanic hit the incoherent berg.    

 Cute kd

dumb as **** 

but cute :LOL:

Skans » Yesterday, 10:22 am » wrote: ↑

Yesterday, 10:22 am

If suddenly the entire Human race was infected with a virus that killed off that part of the brain responsible for human empathy, could this possibly elevate our species?  If everyone was a psychopath, its not like anyone would be able to take advantage of another based on their emotions or presence of empathy.  It could be like the entire world walking around with a loaded, cocked-and-locked pistol. So, this would either:

1.  Make us all more polite and respectful to one another so we don't get our heads blown off, or

2.  Everyone will immediately shoot everyone else just because they can.

Or, is there a different scenario?

What do you mean IF? Power of suggestion is the disease that drives ancestors away from accepting their own ancestry each added generation forward.