# What purpose does sociopathy serve?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-purpose-does-sociopathy-serve/616726>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 25, 2012, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-purpose-does-sociopathy-serve/616726 "2012-03-25T01:09:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-purpose-does-sociopathy-serve/616726/21 "2012-03-25T20:38:34Z")

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Do we know for sure that it’s not simply a modern phenomenon for sociopaths to be somewhat tolerated by the rest of human society? Maybe it only exists today because we don’t drive out the misfits with flaming torches and pitchforks quite so much nowadays.

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