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xchrom

(108,903 posts) Fri Oct 3, 2014, 07:24 AM Oct 2014

Has Neoliberalism Turned Us All Into Psychopaths?

http://www.alternet.org/economy/has-neoliberalism-turned-us-all-psychopaths

We tend to perceive our identities as stable and largely separate from outside forces. But over decades of research and therapeutic practice, I have become convinced that economic change is having a profound effect not only on our values but also on our personalities. Thirty years of neoliberalism, free-market forces and privatization have taken their toll, as relentless pressure to achieve has become normative. If you’re skeptical, I put this simple statement to you: meritocratic neoliberalism favors certain personality traits and penalizes others.

There are certain ideal characteristics needed to make a career today. The first is articulateness, the aim being to win over as many people as possible. Contact can be superficial, but since this applies to most human interaction nowadays, this won’t really be noticed.

It’s important to be able to talk up your own capacities as much as you can—you know a lot of people, you’ve got plenty of experience under your belt and you recently completed a major project. Later, people will find out that this was mostly hot air, but the fact that they were initially fooled is down to another personality trait: you can lie convincingly and feel little guilt. That’s why you never take responsibility for your own behavior.

On top of all this, you are flexible and impulsive, always on the lookout for new stimuli and challenges. In practice, this leads to risky behavior, but never mind, it won’t be you who has to pick up the pieces. The source of inspiration for this list? The psychopathy checklist by Robert Hare, the best-known specialist on psychopathy today.

8 replies

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Has Neoliberalism Turned Us All Into Psychopaths? (Original Post) xchrom Oct 2014 OP

Dunno. Thank heaven, I'm not a neoliberal. merrily Oct 2014 #1

alas, this article is so poorly written cali Oct 2014 #2

Huh? vi5 Oct 2014 #3

No. But it provides an environment for psychopaths to excel. FlatStanley Oct 2014 #4

actually, despite the ignorant ad hominem attack against those who disagree with cali Oct 2014 #5

There are many poorly written posts that do not receive such immediate attacks on the writing FlatStanley Oct 2014 #6

I'm persnickety perhaps, but I think it's important to communicate clearly cali Oct 2014 #8

The "best known psychopathist" should probably get out more. Iggo Oct 2014 #7

merrily

(45,251 posts)

1. Dunno. Thank heaven, I'm not a neoliberal.

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Fri Oct 3, 2014, 07:28 AM

Oct 2014

cali

(114,904 posts)

2. alas, this article is so poorly written

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Fri Oct 3, 2014, 07:30 AM

Oct 2014

that the author's point, ironically, is entirely lost in the verbiage.

This about sums it up:

"This description is, of course, a caricature taken to extremes".

vi5

(13,305 posts)

3. Huh?

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Fri Oct 3, 2014, 07:49 AM

Oct 2014

What the fuck did I just attempt to read. What a horribly written article.

FlatStanley

(327 posts)

4. No. But it provides an environment for psychopaths to excel.

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Fri Oct 3, 2014, 07:57 AM

Oct 2014

Like you said, the past thirty years has favored certain traits over others, not produced them.

Please excuse the ignorant ad hominem attacks by others here.

cali

(114,904 posts)

5. actually, despite the ignorant ad hominem attack against those who disagree with

Reply to FlatStanley (Reply #4)

Fri Oct 3, 2014, 08:02 AM

Oct 2014

you and have pointed out that this is not a well written piece, you're right. It has provided an environment for these types to succeed, but you're wrong about it only having developed over the past 30 years. It's accelerated over the past few decades, but the seeds of this were planted, long before that.

FlatStanley

(327 posts)

6. There are many poorly written posts that do not receive such immediate attacks on the writing

Reply to cali (Reply #5)

Fri Oct 3, 2014, 08:33 AM

Oct 2014

rather than the content. And because of going first to the attack of the OP without attempting to address the content I can reasonably conclude those commenters are ignorant.

I am not wrong in agreeing with the OP, and it was the OP who placed the thirty year time box. Not I.

So how far back do you think we should travel before we weren't providing an environment or psychopath's to succeed?

cali

(114,904 posts)

8. I'm persnickety perhaps, but I think it's important to communicate clearly

Reply to FlatStanley (Reply #6)

Fri Oct 3, 2014, 08:52 AM

Oct 2014

and there was way too much verbal sludge in this piece. Off topic, but I've been noting that more frequently in pieces from alternet.

You both agreed with the article and didn't. Evidently you don't buy the hyperbole in the title.

I think going back to the Gilded Age is one logical place to start, but there are others. The proliferation of MBA programs and the mentality that many such programs inculcated is another. That started about 45 years ago. Like so many things, it's not one discrete point in time, it's a confluence of things over a period of time.

Iggo

(47,558 posts)

7. The "best known psychopathist" should probably get out more.

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Fri Oct 3, 2014, 08:40 AM

Oct 2014

There's no way in hell that defines "us all."

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