Families of SOs Community Group
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Have you ever found yourself thinking why would a 10 year old child charged with a sex crime? Have you ever thought or known someone who thought people with mental illness scare you because . . . .? Do you know why these thought processes occur?
Suppose for a moment that reactions to sex offenders, even your reactions, were not premised on belief systems or moral objections, but instead were premised on a chemical reaction in a person's brain - a reaction that says this person should be punished whereas that person should not for doing the same or similar thing.
The recently published study by the University of Southern California, suggests that when people have power over someone it becomes difficult if not impossible for them to have empathy for those they see as being below them (as in authority, ego-power, chain of command, etc.) because of the chemical wiring in our brains. http://www.kspr.com/life/money/Does-power-make-you-mean/-/21052342/22608830/-/i2yk8bz/-/index.html
In other words, the study suggests that because we loose the chemical ability to empathize for those whom we cannot envision ourselves being we are more prone to act on a position of authority / power, whether such is real or perceived, e.g. moral authority, personal values, individual belief systems, ego's, and so on.
We can envision ourselves urinating in the public (regardless if you actually would or would not) and because of this, we are prone to be sympathetic towards those who do and are listed as a sex offender, where as we cannot envision ourselves raping a child so we are not sympathetic towards those who do - unless there is a personal involvement connection, e.g. a pre-existing and strong / healthy spousal, parent, or sibling relationship.
The same would apply to people with mental illness, mental retardation, and developmental disabilities, e.g. where a person cannot envision themselves having such disabilities (or they are not personally involved with someone else who has involvement) they react on their fear or indifference towards these people because they loose their ability to empathize for the person.
So, it may be possible that politicians enact laws based on this chemical reaction in their brain that voids their ability to envision what it would be like to be in the position of the person that the law is going to punish - this may also help to explain why politicians and other government officials have themselves engaged in sex crimes or sexually immoral behavior.
Likewise, it may also help to explain why there is a double standard in sex crimes being imposed on males yet are overlooked when it is a female. For example, because a man can envision himself with the female, say for example the gal who stripped nude in the President Cup golf tournament - to him what she did was not a sex crime because a guy could envision himself with the female (and yes, as in having sex with her) whereas if it were a guy who did that the same male would say it is a sex crime because he cannot envision himself having sex with the guy and thus, he loses his chemical ability to empathize with the male stripper.
Something to think about
Suppose for a moment that reactions to sex offenders, even your reactions, were not premised on belief systems or moral objections, but instead were premised on a chemical reaction in a person's brain - a reaction that says this person should be punished whereas that person should not for doing the same or similar thing.
The recently published study by the University of Southern California, suggests that when people have power over someone it becomes difficult if not impossible for them to have empathy for those they see as being below them (as in authority, ego-power, chain of command, etc.) because of the chemical wiring in our brains. http://www.kspr.com/life/money/Does-power-make-you-mean/-/21052342/22608830/-/i2yk8bz/-/index.html
In other words, the study suggests that because we loose the chemical ability to empathize for those whom we cannot envision ourselves being we are more prone to act on a position of authority / power, whether such is real or perceived, e.g. moral authority, personal values, individual belief systems, ego's, and so on.
We can envision ourselves urinating in the public (regardless if you actually would or would not) and because of this, we are prone to be sympathetic towards those who do and are listed as a sex offender, where as we cannot envision ourselves raping a child so we are not sympathetic towards those who do - unless there is a personal involvement connection, e.g. a pre-existing and strong / healthy spousal, parent, or sibling relationship.
The same would apply to people with mental illness, mental retardation, and developmental disabilities, e.g. where a person cannot envision themselves having such disabilities (or they are not personally involved with someone else who has involvement) they react on their fear or indifference towards these people because they loose their ability to empathize for the person.
So, it may be possible that politicians enact laws based on this chemical reaction in their brain that voids their ability to envision what it would be like to be in the position of the person that the law is going to punish - this may also help to explain why politicians and other government officials have themselves engaged in sex crimes or sexually immoral behavior.
Likewise, it may also help to explain why there is a double standard in sex crimes being imposed on males yet are overlooked when it is a female. For example, because a man can envision himself with the female, say for example the gal who stripped nude in the President Cup golf tournament - to him what she did was not a sex crime because a guy could envision himself with the female (and yes, as in having sex with her) whereas if it were a guy who did that the same male would say it is a sex crime because he cannot envision himself having sex with the guy and thus, he loses his chemical ability to empathize with the male stripper.
Something to think about
The chemical aspect can explain a great number of things in human behavior and especially when dealing with people in a position of authority, e.g. politicians, state bureaucrat employees, employers, judges, and so many others.
Likewise, it can also explain why there is no public outcry, not even among those labeled as RSO's and those who associate with them, to the severe civil rights abuses that SO's endure who are civilly committed, as they cannot envision themselves in the same position.
It is not to say people are heartless, but if the study is correct, then people should take heed and work to insure we do not loose our human compassion for those whom we cannot personally identity with by the ability to envision being them or in their situation.
Thanks for posting this!