Quote:
Originally Posted by speakingtohe
I do respect your right to feel that the majority of people, intelligent or otherwise, who do cause harm to others in a big or small way, feel deep down that they are right. I merely disagree. I find it impossible that, with the exception of pschyopaths and fanatics, that they truly believe they are right.
Just saying
Helen
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Thanks; that's a better statement of my position than I've mustered.
I just think that human capacity for self-delusion is near-infinite and that the "smaller" the evil the easier it is to rationalize it away.
And it's not just criminals that do it; think of jerks and egotists. Politicians. Used car salesmen.
Those folks dish out small harms to the world like lawn sprinklers: It doesn't take long for the tally to add up to pretty substantial levels.
Few are actual psychopaths or sociopaths, though: they just lack empathy because they never stop to think about the consequences of their actions--they just never question themselves.
(Or would you consider those folks to be fanatical? I tend to reserve that for incipient mono-maniacs, but...)