The spath, when unmasked, fits that description. It is a mirror image of a human being. it is 180 degrees the opposite, yet resembles us in many ways, superficially, but with no depth.

It is because they are human that they must bear the consequences of their choices. Luckily, there is an omniscient being who can judge better than us, what kind of karma the spaths have reaped.

(Report abusive comment)

What about UNconscious people, they have no empathy or conscience, are they human? What about children born ancephalic (without a brain) are they “human?” should they be smothered at birth? They can’t develop empathy or care for anyone or know the difference between right and wrong? How about children with autism, they have no consciences or empathy, are they ‘human?”

Empathy and a conscience (an ability to feel remorse for “wrong” acts) are only two of the qualities that most people have in SOME degree. Dr. Baren-Cohen who researches autism (which children/adults have little or no empathy) shows that empathy is possessed by most of humanity on the “bell curve” of from very little to none (a few) up to the middle in which most people fall, or up to a few on the opposite end of having an over abundance of empathy, just like the “bell shaped curve” of IQ or height or weight, or just about any other characteristic in humans that can be measured.

He sums up the lack of empathy in an autistic person as “Zero+” and the lack of empathy in a psychopath as “zero negative” because the autistic person though they have no empathy, do not enjoy hurting others, whereas the psychopath, having no empathy has “a glee” in hurting others.

Many animals, especially primates, do show empathy and shame, so not being human, they still may bond with their mates and/or their young, and their herd, pack or group.

But even acknowledging that psychopaths are “humans” doesn’t mean that they should not bear the consequences of their behavior.

(Report abusive comment)

(Report abusive comment)

I think conscience and empathy are what make humans human.

Missing those, then they may have humanoid bodies, but they are animals and not truly human.

My vote is with Skylar. They’re monsters.

(Report abusive comment)

Quest, You are right too that they show no mercy!

Back when I was a teenager and “knew everything” I thought wars were fought for “truth, justice, the American way and mom and apple pie”—but since then I have come to realize that wars are fought for GREED almost 100% and power is a form of greed.

Some people (psychopaths), and even others to some extent, will do whatever they want to regardless of the consequences to others. Hitler, Mao, Fidel, kings and dictators of all descriptions and all times. Whole societies and cultures believe that some group of humans are “less than we are” and so it is okay to enslave and use them. Women were “second class” for a long time even in western culture and in some cultures today are STILL objects to be owned by men.

That little girl from Iraq whose husband cut off her nose and ears is a perfect example. His is a cultural psychopathy I think, but he also may be a genetic psychopath, at this distance and just reading about it there’s no way to tell but what he did was EVIL in my mind, and his father showing off her nose like a trophy was pure EVIL, but what can you expect too…they were raised that women are not valuable humans, just like cattle.

From the standpoint of my cattle (which I butcher for beef) they view me as a psychopath because I eat them without guilt. I was raised that way, it is my culture—but at the same time, I don’t torture them because I do know they are living creatures and don’t deserve to suffer.

I hope you never meet a grizzly either, I’ve seen some awful photos of the injuries of the people who did survive. I’m glad you do protect yourself though!

(Report abusive comment)

Definition #5 is probably a new definition that applies because our society has become so narcissistic that monster is becoming the new normal. BLAH!

(Report abusive comment)

(Report abusive comment)

It is very normal for groups of people (starting at the tribal level) to look at other tribes or groups as “bad” and having something about their make up that makes them “less than human” or “bad humans” (look at the German people’s views of the Jews, gypsies etc. during and before WWII) The de-humanization of the “other” makes it OK for us to hurt them or treat them poorly, or single them out for abuse.

Actually, the psychopaths de-humanize everyone else except themselves. They don’t have a functioning conscience or empathy so that makes them more easily able to do so.

I can step on a bug or kill a poison snake and not feel guilty about it at all–but my son D gets all over me for killing a poison snake because he says they are beneficial to the environment by eating rodents and other things that carry disease.

I tell him “I DO NOT CARE IF THEY EAT GODZILLA I have seen a poison snake bite and I do NOT WANT ONE and If they come into MY TERRITORY I will kill them.” PERIOD. So I have DE-VALUED poison snakes so that I have NO guilt about killing them. If I were to accidently kill a non-poison king snake though, I would be upset with myself because I VALUE them as rodent control and encourage them to live around here. They also eat poison snakes! If I come on one (a king snake) unexpectedly it may STARTLE me, but I won’t hurt it.

The radical Muslims have de-humanized non-Muslims and so to them it is okay, or even admirable to kill them. They were willing to kill themselves as they plunged planes into the Twin Towers on 9/11, but if we then turn around and DE-humanize ALL Muslims we are doing the same thing that they are doing, we are forming a “them” vs “Us” situation where WE are All OK and THEY are ALL NOT OK.

If a person had no arms and no legs it would not make them less than human, or if they are blind and had no arms and no legs, or were mute and had no arms and no legs and blind as well as deaf…where does “humanity” stop being human as you take away things that are “human attributes?”

How about the children born literally with empty skulls, they have no brain (just a brain stem like a snake that makes them breathe and be aware maybe of pain) are THEY human? Would it be okay to smother them? Put them out of their misery.

I think we have to be careful, and I just had this argument with a friend of mine a week or so ago about our tendency to de-humanize psychopaths because of their violence, their lack of bonding, their manipulation of others.

I used to fully believe in the death penalty, and I actually still do believe that there are some crimes for which someone who is guilty of them should be put to death—BUT at the same time I am not very trusting of our “justice’ system to do the right thing so I am actually against the death penalty now because after examining the number of INNOCENT PEOPLE that DNA evidence has shown were Convicted and sentenced to death or life without parole etc. that have been RELEASED from prison, I figure if they get life at least there might be a chance if they are innocent they might be released and have some portion of their life back, but if we execute them, there’s no home.

I think there is one innocent man on death row here in Arkansas now, bot 17-18 years and the two others he was convicted with that have had life sentences, are up for a review of the DNA evidence that looks like it will free them because they HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MURDERS they were railroaded for.

Recently a young man convicted of murder but given life was pardoned because DNA evidence showed he was INNOCENT and the cop that FRAMED HIM is on trial now. If he had been put to death, what could have been done for him?

I AM for harsher sentences and I think the fact that the VIOLENCE and other crime rates are LOWER THAN IN YEARS now is BECAUSE more of the psychopaths that are REPEAT offenders are locked up. (we have more people locked up now as a percentage of population than just about any country in the world) Put violent offenders in super max prison and throw away the key.

As much as I hate to admit that psychopaths are people/human, I think they are, and deserve a certain amount of “humane” treatment, but at the same time, I DO think that they must be controlled. If I had a dog that was violent and dangerous I would have NO problem putting it down, but I wouldn’t even put it down in an INHUMANE WAY. If a person is violent and I have to protect myself I will do it; and it is called “self defense,” and I won’t lose any sleep over doing what I have to do to protect myself. I won’t go out and seek revenge on someone though if they will leave me alone in safety in my own territory. Just like I won’t go out into the woods and hunt poison snakes, but if they come into my territory and I find them, I’ll defend my territory.

(Report abusive comment)

(Report abusive comment)

(Report abusive comment)