to be frank, i think it is too easy for people to rationalize their behaviour in modern societies like the US.
even starting off with a normal set of emotions, anyone, starting blank, can lose them easily if they ponder about their world and options a little and choose among the answers available.
it is easy to arrive at the conclusion, or may even feel necessary depending on your circumstances, that empathy and conscience for others other than 'important persons' are hindrance and even dangerous to one's well-being/well-fair.
in the end, however, empathy and conscience are usually not purely rational choices, but emotional as well.
however, again, it is not hard to lose this emotional foundation if one's family, for example, doesn't really believe or show much of a social conscience or empathy toward others.
like, among you here who claim to lack empathy and conscience, do your parents at least also lack it, or other family?
to what extent are you just following in their footsteps, and how can you untangle that from influence of nature or other nurture?
is that what a psychopath is? someone who identifies with their parents/family, consciously or not, or accepts what their society/family is implicitly or explicitly telling them is required to make their way in this world?
there really is no respectable or convincing person, group, or institution out there that promotes empathy and conscience, is there?
how easy is it for a person born normal and raised relatively normal where they are to develop some (usually) sub-clinical symptoms of the PDs?
very easy.
unless you consciously make an effort to be moral and develop some unique identity around that (which is sometimes, ironically, a narcissistic thing leading to the result not quite being the same), it is very easy if not encouraged to give it up in this day and age and in this world/societies we live in, is it not?
so my question is, how do you tell true psychopathy, from essentially normal development in a particular culture/society, or particular segments/classes?
because the values and expectations in many segments of society essentially promote psychopathy (sub-clinical); not the disorder, but certain aspects.
no abuse, no adversity...just different values and norms as a result of adapting to one's situation