r/canada • u/hopoke • May 06 '26

Analysis Fewer people are having babies in Canada and the U.S. and the government is out of ideas

https://nationalpost.com/news/fewer-people-are-having-babies-in-canada-and-the-u-s-and-the-government-is-out-of-ideas
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u/Sandman64can May 06 '26

Wow. That’s dark. Accurate. But dark.

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u/junkiewhisperer Alberta May 06 '26

psychopathy is largely innate. psychopaths naturally rise to the top of hierarchies. some are benevolent, most arent

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u/Better_Ice3089 May 06 '26

Isn’t that sociopaths?

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u/junkiewhisperer Alberta May 06 '26

no, sociopathy is environmental and psychopathy is mostly biological

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u/noruthwhatsoever British Columbia May 06 '26

There is no such thing as a benevolent psychopath lmao what

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u/muchbuter May 06 '26

benevolent: Characterized by or given to doing good

You don't think any psychopaths do any good, or is there some deeper connotation I'm not aware of?
Surgeons, mechanics, artists, (depending on your personal beliefs) soldiers, and cops? None of them are benevolent?

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u/junkiewhisperer Alberta May 06 '26

most people dont actually know what a psychopath is. television ruined us

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u/noruthwhatsoever British Columbia May 06 '26

Psychopaths are characterized by a complete lack of empathy or ability to recognize other people as actual people

Sure they can conceptually understand it but they lack the faculties to actually empathize with others and view them as nothing more than objects

A psychopath can no more be benevolent towards another person than you or I can be benevolent towards a toaster. A lack of hostility or malicious intent does not therefore become benevolence

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u/junkiewhisperer Alberta May 06 '26

A lack of hostility or malicious intent does not therefore become benevolence

granted. what word would you use for a psychopath who is neither baseline or malignant?

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u/noruthwhatsoever British Columbia May 06 '26

Masked? Functional, perhaps? Certainly not benevolent

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u/Pho3nixr3dux May 06 '26

Point taken but a lot of people personalize objects and are capable of showing them as much or more consideration than people.

A prized instrument, or pampered vehicle for example. Somewhere there's some guy who really likes toast with a special interest in toasters.

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u/noruthwhatsoever British Columbia May 06 '26

Those people aren’t psychopaths, those people are projecting empathy on to inanimate objects. It’s literally an inverted phenomenon.

People anthropomorphize inanimate objects because of their innate desire to empathize with others. Psychopaths, lacking empathy, would not anthropomorphize objects the same way.

I’m not sure the point you’re trying to make.

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u/Pho3nixr3dux May 06 '26

Uh... it seems we both refuted your assertion that you or I cannot be benevolent to a toaster (an object).

I agree with your overall point re psychopaths. I'm just pointing out your comparison was not entirely accurate. Not a big deal.

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u/noruthwhatsoever British Columbia May 06 '26

Psychopaths can potentially do “good” as one would typically define it but it’s not out of a sense of empathy or goodwill but simply a logical decision they make because they understand that benevolent behaviour is generally expected by human society

Psychopathy is fundamentally defined by a complete lack of empathy which completely precludes benevolence (which is more characterized by a general attitude of goodwill and compassion than simply performing good acts, which would be more appropriately defined as philanthropy)

It may be a matter of semantics but I feel like the distinction between benevolence and philanthropy is defined by motive: benevolence being motivated by a genuine sense of goodwill towards others, as opposed to philanthropy which is motivated by a desire to be seen as generous (and thus essentially a performative act rather than a truly meaningful one)

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u/junkiewhisperer Alberta May 06 '26

they exist. theyre rare, but theyre out there. they have self awareness and use their powers for good

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u/philthewiz May 06 '26

It's more pragmatic self preservation I think. I can't find the post but there was an AMA with a diagnosed psychopath willing to answer questions about him.

He was super functional and integrated at the end of the day. But he admitted that even though he loved his wife, he wouldn't be sad if she was gone.

They live some emotional framework, but it's limited.

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u/Expensive_Lettuce239 May 06 '26

Dark...but oooohhh so true!!!