Am I a sociopath?

[Thor]

Seriously, I mean I really couldn't give two sh%ts about what happened at Virginia Tech. I didn't know any of them and frankly I don't much care about them. Seems they are getting a little too much attention if you ask me. Sh%t happens right? The shooter is dead, stop your sniveling and get over it.

I can't make those people un dead.
neither I, nor anybody, can stop a similar act in the future.

So it boils down to how it's going to affect me personally.

But the level of collective tear jerking going on is weakness. It's hollywood. It's voyurism. What it isn't is sympathy. It's daytime drama albeit real.

It's inappropriate. I didn't know anyone involved. But the media tells me, the politicians tell me, I should be grief stricken. I am not, even though quite capable of it having been shattered by personal losses several time.

I would NEVER have lowered the flag to half staff for a homicide.

No, I don't feel obligated to cry, show sorrow or light a candle. When I grieve, NOBODY can assist me. NOBODY can make it better for me. So I do it privately and request no assistance.

 

[Nickel]

So because you feel it doesn't warrant sympathy, everyone else is what...stupid, for feeling sad that so many young people lost their lives? I've shed tears for those people. They could be my brother, cousin, father, etc. I am an empathetic person. Does that make me stupid? Certainly not.

I wouldn't call you a sociopath, I'd call you cold, or self absorbed. But I realize that this is my opinion, and wouldn't declare that because I think it, it is so.

 

[Fubar]

Please tell me you don't have a job interacting with humans!

 

[Thor]

So because you feel it doesn't warrant sympathy, everyone else is what...stupid, for feeling sad that so many young people lost their lives? I've shed tears for those people. They could be my brother, cousin, father, etc. I am an empathetic person. Does that make me stupid? Certainly not.

I wouldn't call you a sociopath, I'd call you cold, or self absorbed. But I realize that this is my opinion, and wouldn't declare that because I think it, it is so.

Self absorbed? I prefer practical.

In the end there is nothing you can do for those people.

 

[mv_princess]

Although I agree with Nickel, you are pretty cold. I feel bad those kids lost their lives. They didn't ask for that.

There is however something interesting you said. About the flags at Half mast. Now don't get me wrong, they should have been lowered for them, but what about the soliders overseas? We don't lower it for them. Why not?

 

[Coventry17]

Did you support the half-staffing of flags for the Oklahoma City bombing?

 

[Thor]

Please tell me you don't have a job interacting with humans!

I guarantee you I am not the only one on the board who feels this way.

 

[missperky]

No, I don't feel obligated to cry, show sorrow or light a candle.

Then don't, simple as that. What happened Monday didn't effect me personally, but I still found it sad.

 

[Nickel]

Self absorbed? I prefer practical.

In the end there is nothing you can do for those people.

Where did I imply that I thought there was something I could do for them?

 

[Thor]

Did you support the half-staffing of flags for the Oklahoma City bombing?

Good point, I'll have to give that some thought.

 

[2ndAmendment]

So because you feel it doesn't warrant sympathy, everyone else is what...stupid, for feeling sad that so many young people lost their lives? I've shed tears for those people. They could be my brother, cousin, father, etc. I am an empathetic person. Does that make me stupid? Certainly not.

I wouldn't call you a sociopath, I'd call you cold, or self absorbed. But I realize that this is my opinion, and wouldn't declare that because I think it, it is so.

I don't think he called anyone stupid. I think criticality of his post was pointed primarily inward.

Lowering of the flag to half mast is normally reserved for national mourning. Is this national in nature? I don't really think so. Is it inappropriate to lower the flag? I don't think so. The VT shooting is a tragedy felt by many. Each person must empathize or not as they choose.

 

[kwillia]

Seriously, I mean I really couldn't give two sh%ts about what happened at Virginia Tech. I didn't know any of them and frankly I don't much care about them. Seems they are getting a little too much attention if you ask me. Sh%t happens right? The shooter is dead, stop your sniveling and get over it.

I can't make those people un dead.
neither I, nor anybody, can stop a similar act in the future.

So it boils down to how it's going to affect me personally.

But the level of collective tear jerking going on is weakness. It's hollywood. It's voyurism. What it isn't is sympathy. It's daytime drama albeit real.

It's inappropriate. I didn't know anyone involved. But the media tells me, the politicians tell me, I should be grief stricken. I am not, even though quite capable of it having been shattered by personal losses several time.

I would NEVER have lowered the flag to half staff for a homicide.

No, I don't feel obligated to cry, show sorrow or light a candle. When I grieve, NOBODY can assist me. NOBODY can make it better for me. So I do it privately and request no assistance.

You lack compassion. Though it is a flaw I don't think it in itself can be classified as psychopathic.

Compassion is an emotion that is a sense of shared suffering, most often combined with a desire to alleviate or reduce such suffering; to show special kindness to those who suffer. Compassion essentially arises through empathy, and is often characterized through actions, wherein a person acting with compassion will seek to aid those they feel compassionate for.

Compassionate acts are generally considered those which take into account the suffering of others and attempt to alleviate that suffering as if it were one's own. In this sense, the various forms of the Golden Rule are clearly based on the concept of compassion.

 

[Fubar]

I guarantee you I am not the only one on the board who feels this way.

No doubt! That's what separates you from them-you told the whole world. Feelin lonely, left out-lookin for "attention"?

 

[Thor]

Where did I imply that I thought there was something I could do for them?

Sorry, that should have read in the end there is nothing I can do for them.

 

[Nickel]

I guarantee you I am not the only one on the board who feels this way.

Seriously, what's your point? You don't feel sad. La-di-da. Move along. :shrug:

 

[hvp05]

But the level of collective tear jerking going on is weakness. It's hollywood. It's voyurism. What it isn't is sympathy. It's daytime drama albeit real.

You are correct here - to a point. Much of the coverage is overdone and exploitation. This is evident everytime (enter random network name) says, "Tune in to ____ for all your late-breaking campus massacre coverage!" And every station's morning and afternoon talk shows have reporters dispatched at every remotely relevant location.

But the supply would not be as plentiful without the demand. And I can't solely blame the networks for covering stories the people want to hear.

I was interested to watch some of the memorial ceremony yesterday. But, again, the media can go too far; like repeatedly putting the lens on people and asking them to air their feelings and emotions... and then wondering why healing is so drawn-out.

 

[Thor]

You lack compassion. Though it is a flaw I don't think it in itself can be classified as psychopathic.

Compassion is an emotion that is a sense of shared suffering, most often combined with a desire to alleviate or reduce such suffering; to show special kindness to those who suffer. Compassion essentially arises through empathy, and is often characterized through actions, wherein a person acting with compassion will seek to aid those they feel compassionate for.

Compassionate acts are generally considered those which take into account the suffering of others and attempt to alleviate that suffering as if it were one's own. In this sense, the various forms of the Golden Rule are clearly based on the concept of compassion.

I would disagree I am extremely compassionate. But why waste energy on emotions over something I can neither change nor prevent.

Just seems like a waste of time to me.

 

[mainman]

I would disagree I am extremely compassionate. But why waste energy on emotions over something I can neither change nor prevent.

Just seems like a waste of time to me.

Curious... What was the last thing you felt compassion for that you could not have changed or prevented?

 

[missperky]

I would disagree I am extremely compassionate. But why waste energy on emotions over something I can neither change nor prevent.

Just seems like a waste of time to me.

Are you compassionate when someone you know dies?

 

[Fubar]

I would disagree I am extremely compassionate. But why waste energy on emotions over something I can neither change nor prevent.

Just seems like a waste of time to me.

It's called Karma baby, Karma-not the red/green stuff here-the Karma of life-feeling for others around you-good, bad or ugly.