Empathy and sadism

Esmoke wrote:Those things are all seen as socially acceptable and many have ptsd and other issues later on from killing someone. To do it willfully, on your own for your own selfish pleasure brings into different territory in my opinion. Shooting someone a hundred yards away because you think you are helping your country or even if it’s so they can’t get you vs keeping someone against their will and completely destroying them and discarding them like trash and going on with life like nothing has ever happened takes a high level of callousness few people possess

I'm not sure that serial killers are much different. Most suffer in some way. It's quite common for many of them to start becoming careless because, subconsciously, they want to be caught.

Sure, there are those who aren't, but I'd wager that those who choose a type to kill, such as prostitutes etc would be the ones who would suffer, as they're killing on principle, deluded or otherwise, and there's fallout, just as there would be for a soldier.

It might seem odd to liken a soldier fighting for his country with a serial killer killing hookers, but all that's different is the number of people who agree with the cause.

cant say i've ever come across any sadists. they must be a pretty rare breed. i imagine some are just acting out old trauma for relief. becoming their abusers and taking control and power. i could imagine the gratification involved would be pleasurable. childhood experiences can certainly cause some distorted feelings involving certain acts. recoiling from normal things and finding comfort in things more associated with abuse/pain. i don't think empathy is really much of a factor in that case. i don't think they need it or don't need it. it's an internal experience.

I don't see why sadism couldn't be fulfilling for someone with cognitive empathy but not no affective empathy.

justonemoreperson wrote:It might seem odd to liken a soldier fighting for his country with a serial killer killing hookers, but all that's different is the number of people who agree with the cause.

Totally off topic, but I was chatting to a little Irish girl a couple of days ago who was making the tired point that one person's terrorist is another persons freedom fighter. When I said I wouldn't even call someone who kills non combatants a terrorist as it implies these people have some sort of political position worth taking into account, rather these people are mass murderers and serial killers of the same ilk as Brady or Brevik, she threw quite a spectacular wobbler. Apparently I don't understand the plight of Ireland during the cromwellian invasion, which in some non specified way justifies bombing pubs several centuries later.

Greebo wrote: When I said I wouldn't even call someone who kills non combatants a terrorist as it implies these people have some sort of political position worth taking into account, rather these people are mass murderers and serial killers of the same ilk as Brady or Brevik, she threw quite a spectacular wobbler.

It's not often a comment on here makes me laugh out loud.

Thanks.

Akuma wrote:I dont think sadism has much to do with putting yourself into someone elses shoes but with an ability to either evacuate negative states into someone else and feling more calm as a result, or by feeling less powerless by being able to control somebody. So in a way sadism might override empathy in soem situations, but might also be a form of externalized non-empathy with yourself.

YES!!

Sometimes I catch myself disliking you because emotional dishonesty, but then again, each time, next, I find myself bowing down to your intellectual integrity.

I know, as far as compliments go, it's a bit of a mixed bag, but hopefully you can endure that.

justonemoreperson wrote:It's not often a comment on here makes me laugh out loud.

Thanks.

Us extroverts can be such ass kissers sometimes, can we not?

learned empathy cant teach one the joys of sadism?

contorted facial expressions?

screams of pain?

i call bs.

I think real sadism is driven from an emotional need to hurt, so simply "knowing" that the other person is suffering wouldn't give the same satisfaction as being emotionally immersed in the experience.

i disagree

and whats "real" sadism? whatever

could be a desire for control. regardless of if there "hurt". if they have contorted face then all the better, but it could just as likely be manipulative as it could be coming from there own emotional needs.

You may like it, but you're not going to get off on it. Real empathy makes the person physically experience the fear etc that the other person is going through. How is that not better? Otherwise, it's just a hobby.

i dont know how its not better i dont really go out of my way to hurt people. its not a need of mine.

but when it does happen, i do get off on it. and u know i get off on a lot. i love getting off.

its more like a funny game than something one should be emotionally invested in.

but i guess if someone is more empathetic it would be more of a need, given that this person has big underlying issues.