Mr Thompson:
The identification and measure of psychopathy can be easily measured.
If when confronted with reality, an individual or group of individuals chooses to deny reality and substitute or retain their fantasies (so as to stubbornly maintain their now upended ‘beliefs,’ not unlike the flat earthers) these people can be referred to as psychopaths. Simply because people ‘question’ 9/11 or the Holocaust under the guise of ‘academic study’ does not mean people who engage in such activities are not psychopaths. Wearing a coat and ties does not mean the person who rapes a woman is less of a danger- or evil- than the person who is not so attired.
It is also true that there are different degrees and severity of psychopathy. Nevertheless, those who refuse to acknowledge reality are psychopaths. It is also true that if left untreated, the psychopathy (like all pathologies) will only worsen.
In the assertion that there are those in the west who seem determined to commit suicide, it is worthwhile to note that healthy people do have such inclinations.
Psychopaths do.
As a society, our embrace of narcissistic tendencies was not only left unchecked, it was encouraged. Media, politics, pop culture, education, the law (dial 1-800 let’s sue and get rich!) and to a great extent, even religious theologies celebrated that narcissism (God became our junior partner. Instead of answering to Him, many theologians came to believe and espouse the idea that He should answers to us).
The slide from narcissism into psychopathy was inevitable- and easy. The climb back into reality will be much more difficult.
We are reaping what we have sown.
