Post #1935223

2026-04-27 02:33 UTC

There is no evidence that psychopathy is determined by a gene. Like most human traits, the environment makes a bigger impact on outcomes. Until we as a society/species stop rewarding psychopathy , things will keep ending up here. Genetics are irrelevant. However I do agree that capitalism cannot work. It is inevitable destruction. Also pretty sure capitalism wasn't the structure during French revolution. Wasn't it serfdom ? I mean. That's almost the same. But yeah.

Replies (1)

@Mountainaire@lemmy.world 2026-04-27 14:12

We need to stay fully objective here and acknowledge that [@devolution@lemmy.world](https://lemmy.world/u/devolution) is at least partly correct: > "Some genetic heritability studies have noted there may be baseline deviations in emotional processing circuitry (such as in the amygdala or reward centers of the brain) and neurotransmitter profiles (such as serotonin or dopaminergic deficits) in people meeting criteria for psychopathic traits that may eventually lead to callous behaviors and indifference towards social norms (but interestingly not always)." - https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/culture-shrink/202203/are-psychopaths-born-or-made Denser reading: > In the specific genes that may be involved, one gene that has shown particular promise in its correlation with ASPD is the gene that encodes for monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A), an enzyme that breaks down monoamine neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine. Various studies examining the gene's relationship to behavior have suggested that variants of the gene resulting in less MAO-A being produced (such as the 2R and 3R alleles of the promoter region) have associations with aggressive behavior in men.[77][78] > This association is also influenced by negative experiences early in life, with children possessing a low-activity variant (MAOA-L) who have experienced negative circumstances being more likely to develop antisocial behavior than those with the high-activity variant (MAOA-H).[79][80] Even when environmental interactions (e.g., emotional abuse) are taken out of the equation, a small association between MAOA-L and aggressive and antisocial behavior remains.[81] > The gene that encodes for the serotonin transporter (SLC6A4), a gene that is heavily researched for its associations with other mental disorders, is another gene of interest in antisocial behavior and personality traits. Genetic association studies have suggested that the short "S" allele is associated with impulsive antisocial behavior and ASPD in the inmate population.[82] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisocial_personality_disorder I didn't know this until now myself (I've seen the above article earlier but must have skimmed through it long ago and missed or forgot all that). However, there's also a lot about the environment further exposing or shutting down sociopathic tendencies, as I noted in another comment here. It could be more difficult to round up these people (who are masters at lying anyway) versus enacting your systemwide proposal to forcefully integrate empathy through all levels of society. The problem is applying it to the highest echelons where it matters most—and, frankly, who [@devolution@lemmy.world](https://lemmy.world/u/devolution)'s proposed guillotine should apply to the most either way; they'd both be hard to do... maybe together?

Open ##1935225