Risk

Risk can always be an opportunity for a sociopath.

Camouflage

The insecure personality sometimes uses apathy as camouflage.

Socialized Group-Think

Socialized group-think is the result of applied behaviorism. A conspiracy is hardly needed where everyone involved have been preselected according to the requirement for all to think the same way.

Psychopaths

Per Jobs fit for a psychopath?

1. Chief Executive Officer
2. Lawyer
3. Media (Television/Radio)
4. Salesperson
5. Surgeon
6. Journalist
7. Police officer
8. Clergy person
9. Chef
10. Civil servant

These professions have the lowest rate of psychopaths:

1. Care aide
2. Nurse
3. Therapist
4. Craftsperson
5. Beautician or stylist
6. Charity worker
7. Teacher
8. Creative artist
9. Doctor
10. Accountant

See Also.

The Ideological Brain

The Republican Brain is a recent book about the apparently scientifically researched backed assertion that conservatives are less likely to accept science.  I've found it to be true, but rather than a defect of conservatism in and of itself, I believe it is more likely to be a case of a defect of the (authoritarian) ideological mindset.  Currently, in the United States, the ideological mindset has adopted conservatism over all other (authoritarian) ideologies, because it is simply the only mass alternative available.  As a control, rather than using liberals (who are too wishy-washy to every really be considered adherents of a hard ideology), I would propose Marxists (who historically rejected science that was counter to their theories) or maybe Islamic fundamentalists.  Of course, this would be rather difficult in the U.S. since the former do not exist in any significant numbers and the latter would never identify themselves as typical Americans to provide a valid control.  One argument for my thesis is based on recent surge in the relative popularity of Ayn Rand.  Her books purposely used the same formula as Marxist literature.  Regardless of the actual rhetoric, it therefore shows that such a formula really appeals to an ideologue.  (That Atlas Shrugged is more about individualism is irrelevant.  It is still authoritarian in that the successful individual becomes a dictator--as opposed to the dictatorship of the proletariat.)

It's all about telling others what to do...

On Sanity

Sanity is defined according to herd norms which necessarily vary according to the age, culture and society. Indeed many modern human would likely be judged insane by pre-industrial standards. Our obsession with time is a case in point. Yet by present precepts, those older notions might appear counter to apparent survival instincts. A driver in heavy, fast traffic cannot always wait to act. Horses will refuse drunken commands, but an automobile has no more intelligence than a rock. Constant attention is required. The maladaptive appears to be relative. Even extremes may vary. Yesterday's mystic or berserker is today's lunatic. Balance depends upon circumstances. The civilizing process stunts certain traits while promoting others. However, paradoxically, certain atavistic characteristics are occasionally called upon for survival or even the supposed benefit of society. A certain level of agitation is necessary to ensure these traits are not submerged too deeply. Unfortunately, the conflicting stimuli may drive some over the edge, resulting in simmering resentment and pointless violence. For those who feel the urge to snap, a certain hope may sustain them through the dark night. In its present form, our civilization is doomed. The time for revenge must wait. The official power structure must do everything in its power to convince us otherwise...

Inflated Egos

Inflated egos beg to be popped.

Introspection

Too much introspection is self-defeating: do you really need to know?

Drugs

Not all drugs are substances.

Yes, It's True...

The rich are different from you and I, they're heartless scum.

Learning

Although some may possess the ability to simply absorb abstract information, for most (excluding those with a learning disability), one must want to learn something for it to stick.  The necessity of desire is obvious to those whom it applies, for many of the minority that can do otherwise it is an alien concept.  Erroneously, it therefore becomes an issue of just not trying hard enough.  The question of why should someone expend effort on something non-applicable to their daily existence is never considered.  Like most talents, It seems natural learners do not necessary develop insight into its process.

Objectionable People

Rather than be identified with objectionable people, self interest is often discarded.

Sudden Death

Sudden death is a real shocker when it is self inflicted.

Monsters

Why we invented monsters. Some are real.

Trading

Trading one addiction for another leads nowhere.

Power

Power breeds arrogance by justifying itself through inflation. However, a tipping point is reached when power believes itself infallible and therefore invincible: thus do dictators fall. At that level only a true paranoid survives.

Periodic Maintenance

Absent periodic maintenance even the strongest link will fail.

Is Life Necessary

Is life necessary for the perception of time?

Does entropy happen?

Is entropy experienced?

Will a rock know itself?

Can concrete be abstract?

Discovery may abound, but do you really want to know?

Did you really think it would not be exploited?

Are the depths really worth the price?

Do all great things have a hollow core?

Sometimes a revolution is not worth the price?

Then again, what is?

Unity?  Please.

(I'll be moving and without internet for a time.)

Altered State

If an altered state of consciousness is a normal condition, then it is no longer altered.

Creativity = Insanity?

Dopamine System in Highly Creative People Similar to That Seen in Schizophrenics, Study Finds:

High creative skills have been shown to be somewhat more common in people who have mental illness in the family. Creativity is also linked to a slightly higher risk of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Certain psychological traits, such as the ability to make unusual pr bizarre associations are also shared by schizophrenics and healthy, highly creative people. And now the correlation between creativity and mental health has scientific backing.

"We have studied the brain and the dopamine D2 receptors, and have shown that the dopamine system of healthy, highly creative people is similar to that found in people with schizophrenia," says associate professor Fredrik Ullén from Karolinska Institutet's Department of Women's and Children's Health, co-author of the study that appears in the journal PLoS ONE.

 This explains a great deal about certain people: They're only "healthy" because they're functional.