buybuydandavis comments on Notes on Psychopathy - Less Wrong
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Are depressed people believed to be master manipulators? Anxious people? Are either of them believed to have no problems with brain function?
I'll give another reason to believe that psychopaths might be better able to help themselves, this time from the summary conclusions:
Psychopaths are different in the head. The usual appeals are crafted for the usual heads, by the usual heads.
But I'd refine the summary, noting that while psychopathy may succeed in evolutionary terms, something has not succeeded for their sample of psychopaths because they're in prison, and unlikely to wish to be there.
Has anyone tried to make them better, and more effective psychopaths, psychopaths that wouldn't end up in prison?
I would guess that there are few therapists with a willingness to do that, with the psychological and intellectual capabilities to pull it off. I find the "usual head" quite crazy myself, not very convincing, and likely largely incapable of understanding a paper clip maximizer.
Yes, because that sounds like a great idea...
I see no indication there that they were trying to make them better and more effective psychopaths, as opposed to less psychopathic.
As part of their treatment, were they told "we're going to make you the best psychopath you can be"? I doubt it. And I doubt the psychopaths perceived that either.
How are better social skills and better anger management not making them more effective (if indeed they can be trained at all)?
"Better" according to a psychopath? Or better according to the people trying to "fix" the psychopaths?
They don't want to be in prison either.
That's not saying much, though. "Had no demonstrable effect on non-psychopaths" = the program was no good. Aren't "anger management" programs widely stereotyped as useless?
Dunno. But how else are you going to find out whether it works but by trying it? In which case you are morally responsible for the consequences, in this case, the rather bloodless description 'significantly higher rates of recidivism'. (Many Bothans died to bring us this information...)