# People **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 7, 2016, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people/765296 "2016-09-07T19:43:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Machinaforce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aeb1de/32.png) [@Machinaforce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machinaforce)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people/765296/81 "2016-09-10T07:15:14Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > What do you think the Olympics, professional sports, a small astronaut corps, and low admission rates to Harvard are? Advertisement opportunities. ---
**Author:** ![Machinaforce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aeb1de/32.png) [@Machinaforce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machinaforce)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people/765296/82 "2016-09-10T07:16:44Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Well, he said he’s not particularly happy. I wouldn’t be either, if I thought myself a terrible creature. (Well, I often do think that. And I can attest, it’s not so conducive to happiness.) Because humans are in sense awful ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people/765296/83 "2016-09-10T07:18:19Z")
> [@Machinaforce](#): > > Because humans are in sense awful We’re the goddamn worst. ---
**Author:** ![Machinaforce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aeb1de/32.png) [@Machinaforce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machinaforce)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people/765296/84 "2016-09-10T07:38:56Z")
Exactly. ---
**Author:** ![Chihuahua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@Chihuahua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chihuahua)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people/765296/85 "2016-09-10T12:03:16Z")
And I forgot to mention… What do you think happens when your boss figures out an Indian can do your same job for half the price? Is he supposed to keep paying you because of all that poetry in your soul? Last I checked, the market for professional poets is pretty small, and the only thing that matters in this world is what people can get out of you. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people/765296/86 "2016-09-10T13:42:31Z")
It would be nice if the OP replied to _everyone_ who took the trouble to debate him… ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people/765296/87 "2016-09-10T15:22:40Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > It would be nice if the OP replied to _everyone_ who took the trouble to debate him… You’re just a worthless human, not deserving of his precious time. ---
**Author:** ![Machinaforce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aeb1de/32.png) [@Machinaforce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machinaforce)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people/765296/88 "2016-09-10T15:36:47Z")
What exactly makes humans deserving of empathy anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people/765296/89 "2016-09-10T16:49:20Z")
Just an attention-getting device, folks. Ignore him and he’ll go away. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people/765296/90 "2016-09-10T17:23:59Z")
Deserve’s got nothin’ to do with it. ---
**Author:** ![Machinaforce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aeb1de/32.png) [@Machinaforce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machinaforce)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people/765296/91 "2016-09-10T18:28:47Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Deserve’s got nothin’ to do with it. Why does that have nothing to do with it? People seem to think empathy is automatic without wondering if whether or not people deserve it. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people/765296/92 "2016-09-10T19:36:36Z")
I have suspicions that some people fantasize about being supreme ruler of the world, sitting on a throne, filtering people as they parade in front of them, selecting most to be exterminated “Final Solution” style and ‘allowing’ a few ‘good’ ones to survive at their pleasure, ‘purifying’ the human race as it were - considering the power of deciding who is ‘deserving’ of survival and who is not to be the ultimate power experience. In other words, there’s a little - or a lot - of Nazi in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Machinaforce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aeb1de/32.png) [@Machinaforce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machinaforce)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people/765296/93 "2016-09-10T20:48:08Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I have suspicions that some people fantasize about being supreme ruler of the world, sitting on a throne, filtering people as they parade in front of them, selecting most to be exterminated “Final Solution” style and ‘allowing’ a few ‘good’ ones to survive at their pleasure, ‘purifying’ the human race as it were - considering the power of deciding who is ‘deserving’ of survival and who is not to be the ultimate power experience. > In other words, there’s a little - or a lot - of Nazi in the world. I have no interest in ruling ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people/765296/94 "2016-09-10T21:10:35Z")
> [@Machinaforce](#): > > Why does that have nothing to do with it? People seem to think empathy is automatic without wondering if whether or not people deserve it. Do you deserve it? ---
**Author:** ![Machinaforce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aeb1de/32.png) [@Machinaforce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machinaforce)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people/765296/95 "2016-09-10T23:29:48Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Do you deserve it? Does it matter whether or not I do? ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people/765296/96 "2016-09-10T23:35:31Z")
> [@Machinaforce](#): > > No, but if they expect some kind of emotional understanding or whatever then they are out of luck. People just aren’t interesting enough to be anything but tools. So, are you just the tool of other people? Do you have hopes, dreams, fears, anything like that? Do you believe that other people have those? Are your feelings worthy of empathy - in short, why should we NPCs care about you? ---
**Author:** ![Machinaforce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aeb1de/32.png) [@Machinaforce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machinaforce)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2016, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people/765296/97 "2016-09-11T00:08:05Z")
> [@raventhief](#): > > So, are you just the tool of other people? Do you have hopes, dreams, fears, anything like that? Do you believe that other people have those? Are your feelings worthy of empathy - in short, why should we NPCs care about you? Having hopes and dreams is irrelevant to being a tool. They don’t matter. I know others have them but it makes no difference. ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2016, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people/765296/98 "2016-09-11T00:21:56Z")
> [@Machinaforce](#): > > Having hopes and dreams is irrelevant to being a tool. They don’t matter. I know others have them but it makes no difference. Are you the tool of others? Does it bother you that there are people who feel about you the way you feel about them? ---
**Author:** ![Machinaforce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aeb1de/32.png) [@Machinaforce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machinaforce)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2016, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people/765296/99 "2016-09-11T00:31:25Z")
> [@raventhief](#): > > Are you the tool of others? Does it bother you that there are people who feel about you the way you feel about them? Most likely I am. Why would it bother me? People use each other all the time. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2016, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people/765296/100 "2016-09-11T14:12:27Z")
The OP is doing a very credible job of presenting as a classic full-bore sociopath/psychopath. Assuming he’s truthful here, there’s not much point in debating. He’s simply blind to something that is a large part of the typical human experience. His curiosity is to be applauded, but his motivation seems to be to assert that his way is better. That might be arguable, but one thing we do know is that particular profound level of blindness affects only a couple percent of the populace. So it’s definitely a minority trait. As such it becomes his responsibility to fit in as best he can rather than to agitate for the vast majority to bend to his way of thinking / living. One thing seems certain: this emotional/empathetic blindness isn’t an opinion he can be reasoned out of any more than is the emotional/empathetic sighted-ness the rest of us have. It’s a permanent feature of his experience of himself and the world. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people/765296.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people/765296.md?page=6)