Let's Go Get Sushi and Not Pay: Snarfsplainin' White Collar Crime

Dannyalcatraz

Schmoderator
Staff member
Supporter
I'm not arguing Bundy was stupid, only that he was impulsive and it held him back. Had he some self-control he could have completed law school and likely had a decent career ahead of him. But he couldn't control himself and even if he didn't get caught he probably wasn't going to have a decent career anywhere. Oddly enough, lawyer is supposed to be a good fit for a psychopath, but I doubt many of them would actually be successful at practicing law.
I understand and somewhat agree with your point about his self-destructive impulsiveness. BUT you said:
he couldn't complete college
Which is not true. Graduating “with distinction” is the exact opposite of that. And his intelligence was such that despite skipping classes, he still did well on his law school exams.

Obviously, his psychopathy-induced impulsivity clearly derailed his career. The kidnapping conviction torpedoed that. But if he hadn’t been caught for that, who knows? There’s all kinds of attorneys with serious issues in active practice, and local bar organizations are only beginning to recognize that in the past decade or so.

And just like the practice of medicine or law enforcement, once you’re in, the rules mean it’s hard to remove you.
 

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MGibster

Legend
Which is not true. Graduating “with distinction” is the exact opposite of that. And his intelligence was such that despite skipping classes, he still did well on his law school exams.
I'm pretty sure paying attention to what I type is a sign of psychopathy. I've got my eyes on you. You're right, I was thinking of law school and forgetting you need an undergraduate degree to go to law school. Another reason I'm leery of labeling a significant portion of CEOs as psychopaths is because I'm not sure those studies take into account environment they operate in. If I woke up every morning and went hunting for humans we'd probably say I was mentally disturbed. If I was a soldier in Iraq doing the same thing it's just my job.
 

Ryujin

Legend
I'm pretty sure paying attention to what I type is a sign of psychopathy. I've got my eyes on you. You're right, I was thinking of law school and forgetting you need an undergraduate degree to go to law school. Another reason I'm leery of labeling a significant portion of CEOs as psychopaths is because I'm not sure those studies take into account environment they operate in. If I woke up every morning and went hunting for humans we'd probably say I was mentally disturbed. If I was a soldier in Iraq doing the same thing it's just my job.
The difference would be in whether you enjoy the hunting of humans, or do it because it needs done.
 

Dannyalcatraz

Schmoderator
Staff member
Supporter
Another reason I'm leery of labeling a significant portion of CEOs as psychopaths is because I'm not sure those studies take into account environment they operate in. If I woke up every morning and went hunting for humans we'd probably say I was mentally disturbed. If I was a soldier in Iraq doing the same thing it's just my job.
Not all killers are psychopaths, not all psychopaths are killers.

James Fallon passed away Nov. 2023, and was notable as a borderline psychopath who was identified late in life, but apparently never did any of the things psychopaths are infamously portrayed doing in pop culture.


Just because one doesn’t have true empathy for others doesn’t automatically make you a killer. That’s one reason you’re starting to see con-men & grifters increasingly described as psychopaths. Ditto politicians & CEOs.

To paraphrase the old novelty mug, you don’t have to be a psychopath to be a CEO, but it sure helps.
 

Snarf Zagyg

Notorious Liquefactionist
Supporter
I get your explanations, and recognize that this is how things work. But I believe that this is toxic, and a big part of why the world is as effed as it is. Were I in charge, I would drastically increase the resources available to prosecute this kind of thing, and increase personal liability for the people running corporations committing crimes as well as removing the ability to get out of financial liability for criminal activity via bankruptcy.

"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal their bread."

I alluded to this issue in the last part of my post, and as I tried to make my posts more descriptive (the law as it is) as opposed to normative (the law as it should be), I didn't really go into this.

But the real issue isn't just about resources or priorities. That's nothing more than jazz hands at a charging bull.

Instead, it is important to think about what the law is, and why it exists. It codifies and reifies existing power structures. The law itself is written by those with power to codify existing hierarchies.

Again, I neither want to be too deep, or too depressing; but ...

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