According to Mitchell Wilson:
>only a true psychopath WANTS to kill.
This is patently not true. Most people who kill are not psychopaths but are
driven to kill by a variety of factors. Many admit that they WANTED to kill
their victim, and went ahead and did so - but they WANTED to kill for a
whole host of reasons which overrode their sense of moral obligation not to
kill. They may or may not regret their actions. Even if they do regret
them, this does not make them psychopaths. Soldiers in wartime, abused
women, etc. kill other people - they may WANT to (eg for self-preservation,
revenge, etc) - and they may not regret their actions - indeed they may be
very proud of them - but they are not therefore psychopaths.
>could we communicate, as is our nature, were we to kill one another?
I would have thought this would have increased the importance and urgency
of effective communication! As a matter of fact, many people who kill - and
I assume you are referring to murder/unlawful killing here - are very
effective communicators.
As to the nature of human nature I am not as positive as you appear to be.
We have a history of intense intra-species violence and catastrophic
irresponsibility in relation to each other and the world in which we live -
and what makes it worse, we know better! Violence, selfishness, greed, and
apathy in the face of the suffering of others, are much more common than
altruism and generosity of spirit. If we DO have a "human nature", it is
surely one of which we have no grounds, thus far, to be proud.
Colin
>only a true psychopath WANTS to kill.
This is patently not true. Most people who kill are not psychopaths but are
driven to kill by a variety of factors. Many admit that they WANTED to kill
their victim, and went ahead and did so - but they WANTED to kill for a
whole host of reasons which overrode their sense of moral obligation not to
kill. They may or may not regret their actions. Even if they do regret
them, this does not make them psychopaths. Soldiers in wartime, abused
women, etc. kill other people - they may WANT to (eg for self-preservation,
revenge, etc) - and they may not regret their actions - indeed they may be
very proud of them - but they are not therefore psychopaths.
>could we communicate, as is our nature, were we to kill one another?
I would have thought this would have increased the importance and urgency
of effective communication! As a matter of fact, many people who kill - and
I assume you are referring to murder/unlawful killing here - are very
effective communicators.
As to the nature of human nature I am not as positive as you appear to be.
We have a history of intense intra-species violence and catastrophic
irresponsibility in relation to each other and the world in which we live -
and what makes it worse, we know better! Violence, selfishness, greed, and
apathy in the face of the suffering of others, are much more common than
altruism and generosity of spirit. If we DO have a "human nature", it is
surely one of which we have no grounds, thus far, to be proud.
Colin