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Originally Posted by alansmithee
I agree, but as you said, it shows apathy as opposed to an intentional attempt to inflict suffering. And I also know that cruelty to animals is one of the hallmarks of many forms of conduct disorder, including anti-social disorder. But from what I have understood, this is more because a person has difficutly in sympathizing with others (in essence, they don't register suffering of others). But someone intentionally trying to inflict cruelty would need to register the suffering to get their enjoyment. Now, a more sadistic purpose could develop, I won't dispute that. But it's a jump at the current time, IMO.
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The opposite of sympathy and empathy is selfishness. If one derives pleasure from hurting others (people, animals), isn't that one of the most pure forms of selfishness?
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Originally Posted by alansmithee
And here I couldn't agree more. And this was largely my point: people who want to condemn children for cruelty immediately want to use cruelty themselves on those very children. And they seem to see nothing wrong with that.
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I enjoy agreeing with someone I often don't agree with.
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Originally Posted by feelgood
If you guys recalled, I posted something similar, except my stepbrother who's 13, was about to throw a brick onto the top of my cat. Granted, he didn't do it but I could easily tell that he stopped himself short of it and I can goddam well tell you this: I will not. fucking. hesitate. to do the same to him. Regardless of the fact that he's human and the cat is cat.
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If you saw a 13 year old boy hit a cat with a brick, you'd hit the boy with the brick in turn? I really hope that you're exaggerating. Hitting any living thing with as brick, whether for punishment or to derive pleasure, is absolutely 100% wrong, not to mention illegal. If the boy would have hit the cat, that would have been animal abuse, and if the police were involved somehow they'd just drop off the kids at his parents house and tell the parents to talk to the kid. If you were to hit a 13 year old boy with a brick, that's aggravated assault - assault that involved a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm (i.e., not merely to frighten), and you'd be facing possible jail time. (
http://www.ussc.gov/2005guid/2a2_2.htm)