From psychopaths to behaving responsibly...(if it were only that easy)

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From http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-02/jws-fpt022306.php

Studies in corporate responsibility (CR) have found that many large companies seem to fulfil the psychiatric criteria for psychopaths1. New research suggests companies displaying psychopathic behaviour would benefit from a 'Prince of Virtues' approach to wake them from their '100-year sleep'. The research was conducted at the Turku School of Economics in Finland and will be published in the next edition of Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management.

Research author Dr. Tarja Ketola argues that working in large companies which employ psychopathic practices which breach people's basic values quickly becomes a huge mental burden for managers and employees. But she sees a solution in the form of using ethical principles employed by individuals in their personal lives.

"According to the natural law (lex naturae) all people all over the world share the same sense of morality, irrespective of their religion and background," says Dr. Ketola.

"Why then, should people keep their personal values separate from their work values? If key individuals or the majority of personnel within psychopathic companies realise that the same ethical principles they use in their personal life also apply in business life, the 'spell' will be broken and they will overcome organisational resistance to genuine corporate responsibility."

These results suggest that 'psychopathic' companies can move towards ideal responsibility by developing their economic, social and ecological responsibilities in harmony on the basis of virtue ethical values.

Dr. Ketola notes, "if these companies can stop schizophrenically separating their staff's personal values from their professional values, allowing people in organisations to integrate them into a natural harmonic unity, the corporate responsibility '100-year sleep' could be over."
Methinks Dr. Ketola be dreaming in her own '100-year sleep' of wishful ponderings...She needeth the Prince of Realism to throw some cold harsh truth her way.
 
She also could use a good hard study of Game Theory to realize that there 'ain't no way in hell' that is every going to happen. Or, to "throw some cold harsh truth her way". =)
 
It has already been mentionned on the SOTT page but have a look if you don't already know it (maybe some people haven't seen it yet) :

http://www.thecorporation.com/
 
I think you are totally right EsoQuest. At least Dr. Ketola has a clue as to the problem, if not the solution. That's something, I guess.

Personally--my thoughts--for what they are worth as to a root cause of the problem, which could lead to a possible cure: I've been toying with the concept of pyramid peoples/organizations vs. circle peoples/organizations. We have been raised from birth, taught that the hierarchichal system is normal, that it is the best and only real way to organize people/business/government and get things done. We accept this without questioning it--I think this is wrong, I think we need to question the basic structure of the hierarchical organization. I read somewhere that the hierarchy/pyramid is the same organization that the "demons" use (our 4th dimensional overlords--4d sts? The reptilians/snake/dragon beings? Jesus said Satan is the ruler of this world--could this be who he was referring to?) If this is true, and it seems very likely (that 4d sts use a very hierarchical organization eg. C-material suggests this I think), then it seems that this is the way they would want us to organize to make it easy to control us. In this structure there can be almost no room for personal autonomy, equality, creativity, freedom, dissent, disagreement, true mutual cooperation and respect, etc. if the hierarchical structure is psychopathic. If the person/persons at the top of the organization/pyramid are psychopathic then it sweeps downward rapidly--in my experience. "Normal" people can't take it--its too uncomfortable for any length of time--or they literally put their minds to sleep, or they have to go and usually vote with their feet or are forced out. Those at the bottom can't "see" what's going on at the top--the system is set up that way--they just know that the organization stinks. They are taught to blindly follow orders and not ask questions--what's the use? In other words the hierarchy is another form of "divide and conquer?"

I'll have to work on it, but I've read convincing evidence that the circle/equality type organization where teamwork is valued, and lines of authority are non-existent--structure is loose, and people gravitate naturally to the areas where they are must helpful/skilled/able to make a difference could be a better way to organize-with caveats. People are in a working together/helping each other out mode, for the common good. Autonomy and creativity are highly valued. As is mutual support and respect. "We're all in this together." "Let's just get the job done and then we can relax for a bit." Anyhow, that this type of organization could actually be what humanity--souled humanity anyway--was made for--to achieve and learn and accomplish what our potential as souled creatures is?

I think the key to making the circle system work is understanding ponerology, in that everybody has to be on "the same page" more or less for this to work. When the inevitable challenge to equality and mutuality comes--in all the many forms that unity and equality are broken up--at root by our 4d sts overlords I suspect--by psychopathic influences--divide and conquer. Everybody has to be able to recognize what is going on and counteract the negative influence before the integrity of the circle is broken up. Once the circle starts to disintegrate it is re-formed into a pyramid. Those at the top, the "smartest" the "natural leaders" start to do all the planning, keeping control of vital information--keeping the plans and secrets from everybody else--compartmentation--need to know--keep your salary a secret--this is between you and me--quid pro quo--alliances and betrayals (isn't this what "Survivor" was about--and of course those rendevous in the dark for sex--oh how titillating--almost better than real life--come on get a life!?) Don't ask questions, just do what you are told. We know what we are doing. Don't be late drone.

Thus the circle is obliterated. Plus we have been culturized (trained) to believe that the heirarchy is the natural and only way to organize. It's "human nature" Maybe original sin is 4d sts and the natural inclination of some to align with 4d sts thinking and organization and force this and their way of thinking, acting and treating others upon everyone else?

Isn't 4d STS psychopathic? Isn't understanding the psychopath and psychopathic organization also understanding 4d sts?

Just some thought that I've had re: this problem.
 
I agree with your view on general principle.

I believe, however, Dr Ketola is referring to existing corporate bodies and their pyramidal hierarchies into which she believes can be infused "ethical values". To apply ponerology to the corporate level, however, you would have to redefine and reorganize the whole concept, essentially starting from scratch.

One would have to make the new "corporation" psychopath-proof. In addition, for a real circle people corporation to exist, one would have to consider that having OP's in that corporation might be contrary to its "circle-people" purpose. OP's tend to adopt a "food-chain" organizational structure when working together. Thus, to them "ethics" probably has a totally different meaning than it does for an individualized soul.

It seems to me that Dr. Ketola refers to ethics and morality as a kind of code of law to maintain stability in the pyramid structure.

I do believe as well that understanding the psychopath, the OP, the souled individual and 4D STS among other things is part of a large tapestry of interrelating elements needing understanding. One leads to another, and you can't just restrict yourself to any one element in isolation thinking it's enough to get by.
 
Cooperatives seem to describe the circle organization that you are thinking about.
http://www.alternet.org/story/23201/
A World Without Bosses? By Traci Hukill said:
To anyone who has slogged through a wage-slave job or had a domineering boss, a collectively run cooperative sounds like a workers' paradise. It has no hierarchy and no supervisors because everyone is an owner. Everyone makes the same amount of money and everyone is responsible for making the business work. Everyone does all the jobs. No one gets summarily fired. Decisions are made by consensus. At the end of the year, some money goes to charity and some is invested back into the business. The rest of the profits, instead of enriching one or two individuals, are returned to all the worker-owners -- a rising tide lifting many boats.
To me part of why the cooperative seems to work is the original forming of a Co-Op might limit the psychopathic influences. People are coming together to work together to better the groups goals. A psychopathic individual or someone self-serving would seemed to be repulsed by this idea. Also once the Co-Op is formed and starts to work, with proper communication and consensus decision making, individuals that are disruptive or cause trouble seem to be naturally identified. So individuals would seem to naturally identify and learn about the psychopathic traits of an individual causing trouble. If OPs are included initially in the Co-Op, they might go along and mimic the rest of the group - furthering the goal of sharing, etc for the common good.
Understanding ponerology, psychopaths, OPs in the setting of a Co-Op would seem to be invaluable and/or help explain the disruptive behavior of individuals.

Yossarian said:
I think the key to making the circle system work is understanding ponerology, in that everybody has to be on "the same page" more or less for this to work. When the inevitable challenge to equality and mutuality comes--in all the many forms that unity and equality are broken up--at root by our 4d sts overlords I suspect--by psychopathic influences--divide and conquer. Everybody has to be able to recognize what is going on and counteract the negative influence before the integrity of the circle is broken up. Once the circle starts to disintegrate it is re-formed into a pyramid.
 
Thanks for the feedback guys. The co op as described does seem to fit the "circle" organization that I was talking about.

Esoquest, I understand that my viewpoint simplifies the issues--too much. I'd say that my assumption for the circle people is that they are all "souled" (and working sincerely on spiritual development) with no op's, psychopaths, or "functional" psychopaths in the original circle. The complexity of the situation we find ourselves in makes this an unrealistic assumption, I think.

I have really been gaining LOTS from the discussion on "Organic Portals: The Other Race" : http://www.cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php?topic=457
and the other discussions re: OP's, psychopaths, ponerology, etc. on this forum. Admittedly, most of the postings represent a depth of insight that is over my head. I appreciate the work that is being done and the knowledge and experience that is being shared.
 
You know, I used to be an avid supporter for the co-op system, and still am in principle. Here in Greece, about 25 years ago many businesses converted into co-ops precisely how Mike described them. It was a disaster, simply because there was always a manipulative psychopath or psychopaths involved, and it seemed that most others considered the psychopath the example to follow.

A co-op means everyone cooperates because they are into it. It means that if there are a few bad apples the others identify them and remove them from positions of influence by common consensus. This is not what happened here. Right off the bat psychopaths were magnetized viewing such organizations as "easy pickings", feeding on the good-will of the rest.

Apparently, even this good will was only good in theory, because those that truly had it became the victims of the system eventually being ostracised through the psychopathically guided "common consensus" of the others. Unions similarly fell under corruption. Enter the wealthy industrialists claiming "you socialists had your chance", buying out ruined by corruption businesses, and employing the same psychopaths that ruined them this time as bosses in a rigid, strict and unfair managerial system.

IMO before any co-op can prosper, a real weeding out capability needs to be developed to keep corrupting psychopaths at a distance. In addition, I believe that some OP's can do well in a co-op system and some are defininitely inclined to a rigidly defined pecking order and can respect no less. A system is only as good as those making it work, and lack of compatibility between systems and the people who work them is a primary cause for failure in my view.

In short, a co-op is a great system as long as those in it are co-op capable.
 
EsoQuest said:
In short, a co-op is a great system as long as those in it are co-op capable.
Exactly. The co-op theory is excellent. The problems that arise in co-ops are due, in my opinion, to certain members acting in a predatory manner and corrupting the system from within.
 
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