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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Neocon who wrote (60125)	9/27/2002 5:10:22 PM
From: epicure	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

We internalize standards out of self interest. I would say sociopaths actually cannot act out of self interest- if they could act out of self interest, they would probably conform, because that is how you reap the greatest rewards. Non-conformity almost never gets you brownie points and extra goodies. Sociopaths who can pretend to conform probably do pretty well though.

To: Neocon who wrote (60125)	9/27/2002 5:57:00 PM
From: The Philosopher	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

Only sociopaths act exclusively out of self- interest. I don't think that's the distinction. I think everybody acts out of what they perceive to be their self-interest. It's just that sociopaths lack the ability to recognize that their self interest goes beyond their present self-desire. They're unable to distinguish between legitimate long-term best interest and immediate self-desire. The mature person recognozes that saving money toward a new car is better than spending it now on a toy they really don't need. It may seem to be against self-interest to deprive yourself of a toy you want, but in fact it's balancing immediate desires against long-term best interests. Most of us who are parents believe it's in our self-interest to sacrifice for the benefit of our children. That's a biologically based imperative. And it makes us feel good, which we like. So I think the sociopath and you and I and X and Jewel and everybody else here are alike in pursuing our self-interest. It's just in the range and scope of our ability to understand what our self-interest really is that we differ.