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Quote by Robert D. Hare

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Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

This book delves into the complex nature of psychopathy, providing insights into the behaviors and thought processes of individuals who exhibit this disorder. It discusses the challenges faced by those who interact with psychopaths and examines the societal implications of their actions. more

Author

Robert D. Hare
Robert D. Hare

Robert D. Hare is a renowned university professor, born in 1934. He has extensive research in the field of psychology, particularly in criminal psychology and personality psychology. Professor Hare is known for his work in psychological measurement, especially for his research on psychopaths. more

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“I think we have put a lot of emphasis on, of course, material wellbeing. By human economic betterment we mean material betterment. That’s economic enterprise, and that’s what Adam Smith worked out in his second book. But the first book had to do with human social betterment—all the things we do to make our lives better because we grow up in a social world. We learn in growing up that some actions are hurtful to others and they resent it, and some actions are beneficial to others, and they feel good about that and they tend to reward the beneficial actions. Those two sources account for a lot of the norms that we live by. Also, Adam Smith understood that—and I think this is remarkable—he understood that the downside was potentially far greater than the upside. So there is a fundamental asymmetry between gain and loss. And he didn’t just postulate that; he derived it from the idea there is an asymmetry between our joy and our sorrow. He got it from more fundamental considerations. Psychologists did not discover that until some 150 to 200 years later.”

“Whether or not you choose to incorporate your illness into your core identity is totally up to you. That’s also something that may change over the course of time as your illness evolves and perhaps becomes more chronic in nature. Regardless, you are not reducible as a person to your mental illness alone, nor does your illness define your inherent worth.”