When I lie, I feel so guilty after awhile that I end up telling the truth.

[driver8]

These criminals in the WhiteHouse lie every day and yet they have no trouble sleeping at night.

How in the hell do they look at themselves in the mirror?

[babylonsister]

1. What have YOU been lying about, and the goblins will get YOU

if you don't watch out! :hug:

[annabanana]

9. (one of my very fave poems!)

It was my party piece when I was little (that and Rickity Tickety Tin by Tom Lehrer - depended on the audience).

[magellan]

2. They're sociopaths

They don't have a conscience like you or I. Here's one site's definition of sociopathy:

ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY, SOCIOPATHY, AND PSYCHOPATHY
snip...

Sociopathy is chiefly characterized by something wrong with the person's conscience. They either don't have one, it's full of holes like Swiss cheese, or they are somehow able to completely neutralize or negate any sense of conscience or future time perspective. Sociopaths only care about fulfilling their own needs and desires - selfishness and egocentricity to the extreme. Everything and everybody else is mentally twisted around in their minds as objects to be used in fulfilling their own needs and desires. They often believe they are doing something good for society, or at least nothing that bad. The term "sociopath" is frequently used by psychologists and sociologists alike in referring to persons whose unsocialized character is due primarily to parental failures (usually fatherlessness) rather than an inherent feature of temperament.

Lykken (1995), for example, clearly distinguishes between the sociopath (who is socialized into becoming a psychopath) and a "true" psychopath (who is born that way). However, this may only describe the "common sociopath", as there are at least four (4) different subtypes -- common, alienated, aggressive, and dyssocial. Commons are characterized mostly by their lack of conscience; the alienated by their inability to love or be loved; aggressives by a consistent sadistic streak; and dyssocials by an ability to abide by gang rules, as long as those rules are the wrong rules. As Stout (2005) indicates, it only takes three of the following to be defined as a sociopath, and some common sociopathic traits include:

Egocentricity; Callousness; Impulsivity; Conscience defect; Exaggerated sexuality; Excessive boasting; Risk taking; Inability to resist temptation; Antagonistic, deprecating attitude toward the opposite sex; Lack of interest in bonding with a mate

The site also says "the American Psychiatric Association estimates that 3% of all males in our society are sociopaths and Stout (2005) estimates 4% of the population."

I think they're all congregated in the GOP at the moment.

[sweetheart]

12. That's more than republicans

Its our industrial society and how it impacts people, forcing them to run
the hamster wheel constantly surrendering their own conscience to that
of an amoral corporation, for pay, and learning that the way of american
business is to sell your conscience to the highest bidder.

And then when you switch jobs, you drop all your old relationships, your
old life and move to a new city and forget the past ever happened trying
to re-tool your conscience to another environment.

In the video "the corporation", i think its choamsky that points out the
incredible increase in mental illnessses due to working class stresses.

PMS can be a lot like this too:
"Egocentricity; Callousness; Impulsivity; Conscience defect; Exaggerated sexuality; Excessive boasting; Risk taking; Inability to resist temptation; Antagonistic, deprecating attitude toward the opposite sex; Lack of interest in bonding with a mate"

Medicalizing states of mind;
a road map to complexity where
you are abandoned once you get there.

[azurnoir]

3. They believe

the (their) ends justify the means.

4. I think relating to them as human beings is a major error

We want to trust people, but obviously that kind of thinking is wrong with Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld.

If philosophers had the power of politicians and politicians had the minds of philosophers, then maybe we could get away from the evil state. (paraphrased from Albert Schweitzer on ethics and the state).

If you believe in the wellbeing of the soul, then these people are in some deep trouble with their souls, very very sick.

[pitohui]

5. practice makes perfect

deception is a tool, some people feel guilty abt using the tool, some don't

some use the tool for good -- "of course those pants don't make your butt look fat, you look incredible"

and some use the tool for evil

don't let guilt take a tool out of your toolkit you made need for survival

as far as sociopaths, a certain percent of people are born w.out conscience, they have no trouble looking in the mirror or getting a sound night's sleep

[pirate_pantaloons]

10. I disagree

for health reasons...saying your butt doesn't look fat could cause problems..i'd prefer someone who is honest and mentions the health risks.

[newyawker99]

15. Hi pirate_pantaloons!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Kiouni]

6. I believe it's

easy to get into the big government mind set that they are control and seeing the big picture clearly, so they make decisions based off that idea. you can rationalize it but if you are so far off the path and moron you might not get it right, and end up doing some cya. but i can see the thought process.

[madokie]

7. The difference being you are a true person true to your teachings

that wrong is wrong no matter what is wrong, that right no matter how right is still right. I had learned early in life that lying is too much work, to much to remember.

[B Calm]

8. They are no different than any corporate managment! Lie Lie Lie

[C_U_L8R]

11. Lyng is the least of their sins

Usually the Republican lies are covering up
a much greater atrocity or crime.
It's just easier to catch em in the cover-up & the lies.

We're not talking about real geniuses here.
Sure they put a lot of effort into masking their crimes...
but it's nothing a good detective can't unravel.

[notadmblnd]

13. They have no consciences

nt

[Hubert Flottz]

14. Their "Morals" are oral...

The truth is, some people will do anything to get what they want, no matter what that something is, or no matter who it hurts. It's called having a criminal mind, I think.