"Every generation needs a revolution..."

[Weedguru_Falkon]

Whether or not you want to believe it, there are probably more sociopaths running things than healthy people. Motivation isn't an issue like it is for others, nor is confidence. Add a little ambition and you've got success.

My last roommate was a sociopath from Alaska. He was one of the most intelligent people I know. Not in the sense where high intelligence creates an abnormal person, just his ability to reason, and his knowledge of having done a lot of shit in 40 years.. I loved that guy. Extreme pothead too..
I haven't read much ayn rand, but those are his types of philosophies.

[JTP]

You don't think it takes social skills to make it to the top? I highly doubt the majority of high level decision making people are socially disfunctional

They tend to be clever charmers (the ones that don't end up in jail). You don't realize what they are until too late. You don't need empathy to fake being kind to the right people. They only look out for themselves as it's all they're actually able to care about. The only exception is if they think they can use someone.

I'm not painting with a broad brush, either. Fuck sociopaths and psychopaths; I really would like them all dead. People with no capacity for guilt or empathy can't ever be good people.

[SpRi7e]

sociopaths in my opinion usually have greater social skills than not, but lacking empathy only means they aren't doing things for other people unless it benefits themselves as JTP said. Also, the empathy may even just be portrayed to them a little differently than most. A normal person with empathy might do something to benefit someone else, but most of the time they won't do it unless it EMOTIONALLY benefits themselves too, such as that good feeling people get when doing something 'selfless'. Would you do something for someone else without feeling good about it afterwards in some sort of way? My guess would be either most likely not unless you are forced to, or you're a pussy and can't stand up for yourself to say no to put it a little harshly. People with a 'lack' of empathy just do it for different reasons, not as much as a good emotional feeling, as much as what COULD lead to making their lives easier and to advance themselves.

As I said, those types of people probably have greater social skills as they need to learn to cope on getting 'ahead' with things, and lots of times, sociopaths who are intelligent enough usually get away with it until they push their luck and lose everything (which is the case most of the time). Many times, they learn to work around people's emotions, learn to play with them, and almost treat it like a game to get what they want, so in turn, they build amazing social skills.

Also, relating to that.. I wouldn't wish those people were dead at all.. no matter how pathetic they may be. The quote from scarface more or less explains it too.

"What you lookin' at? You all a bunch of fuckin' assholes. You know why? You don't have the guts to be what you wanna be? You need people like me. You need people like me so you can point your fuckin' fingers and say, "That's the bad guy." So... what that make you? Good? You're not good. You just know how to hide, how to lie. Me, I don't have that problem. Me, I always tell the truth. Even when I lie. So say good night to the bad guy! Come on. The last time you gonna see a bad guy like this again, let me tell you. Come on. Make way for the bad guy. There's a bad guy comin' through! Better get outta his way! "

[bakedbarista]

It states within our Declaration of Independence : "Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."

The government is no longer for the people; it is for the wealthy.

[Weedguru_Falkon]

^ I agree. It's an unfortunate state and the way the world is setup, leave millions hopeless...