You were out late the night before, do you bother arriving
on time to work the next day? Your female co-worker leaves her purse unattended
on her desk; do you help yourself to a few dollars?
People diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder have
problems with these types of scenarios, often choosing the self-serving option. They could
be described as “conscience-less.” To understand the problem of the Antisocial
Personality Disorder (APD), it is necessary to examine the role our conscience
plays in interpersonal relationships.
What exactly is a conscience? Free Dictionary defines it as “the awareness of a moral or ethical aspect to one's conduct together
with the urge to prefer right over wrong.” Various disciplines have
their own answers about how the conscience is formed. Freud believed we have psychologically internalized the parental figures of our childhood to develop a
“superego.” Christians say it is God’s voice or an internalized moral code that
directs us. All agree, however, that it is our internal sense of right and
wrong that guides our actions.
Every decision we make has a moral implication. And, it is our conscience that shapes our
actions. Martha Stout, in her book The
Sociopath Next Door, writes that “the presence or absence of conscience is a
deep human division, arguably more significant than intelligence, race, or even
gender.” Having a conscience humanizes us. We become safe to others because we
are trustworthy and predictable. When faced with a choice, we usually do the
right thing. It is not surprising, then, that those with APD often behave in shocking
and threatening ways, since one of the defining features of APD is the lack of
conscience.
What are the common characteristics of ADP and how does it
develop? We will explore those questions in the next article.
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