Game in the Brain

Sociopaths, are one of the most effective CEOs and Exectuives in the Free Market. Anyone unhindered by Empathy or Doubt, will certain game a system to maximize utility since there is no other priority to balance or complicate its objectives.

So do you want a product made by a Sociopath? If you are a Corporation and you own stock, you want a Sociopath??? or do you?

Lets look at the other side of this: what about Someone who has a conscience and will be confused and troubled by his conscience. He’s more likely to give in wage negotiations, more likely to have an “attack of conscience” and do something board members would not want to do. He might do something rash like avoid loopholes or pay taxes. He can slowly whittle down the provitability of the company with his compassion and extra baggage. When faced with a sociopathic competitor, he will be blindsided and severely handicapped by the strategies he will have to use.

You can’t beat sociopaths, they also have empathy and can predict your own weaknesses and your strategies. Although, like other professionals, a you can predict him if they are as cold in calculating a science geek may have a chance with deep thought and meditation techniques one can gain meditating with the Scientific Method.

Well there is one bright side to all this… If you have a conscience, and if you were able to overcome the degrees of separation Bias (the Hyperbolic Discounting Bias that applies to Empathy), maybe you will bank on the Executive with a soft heart.

I realize that a soft hearted Executive doesnt have to be incompetent. He can be very skilled and committed. Also he will try to avoid doing harm. The scary thing about a Sociopath is the Murphy’s Laws on grenade: When the trigger is pulled he is not your friend anymore.

Thats the thing pragmatic and honest thing: Sociopaths are not your friend, they are a Tool. They are more Dangerous than Skynet or an AI that does not have the 3 laws of Robotics built in. On the other hand, an AI with the 3 laws of Robotics and all the computational resources at its disposal will try to find the most bloodless solution.

Thats when I realized that given this deep scientific contemplation on empathy vs sociopathy, despite how advantageous a Sociopath may be, I’m too frightened for such a person to have any such power.
I also realized, what kind of Legacies or Products with such a selfish and driven creature create?

I’d rather use Linux, built by an open community, than something like Microsoft – designed under the leadership of a Sociopath who have to maximize Shareholder Value. the community is going to be more empathic to my needs and avoid harm, compared to M$.