"Threads have a habit of derailing on this forum. Get used to it."
Sometimes it's when they get better.
I never claimed that sociopaths are CEO's.
Gangs do not consist primarily of sociopaths because most of the reasons people join them are not related to sociopathy or even AsPD for that matter.
Here are the reasons why people join gangs:
To get a sense of 'family'
Need for food or money
Desire for protection (a means of survival)
Peer pressure
Family history or tradition (if other members of the family are/were gang members)
Excitement
To appear coolMany gang members don't even have AsPD. There is more to having AsPD than simply committing crime, especially if the crimes were only committed for the purpose of survival (stealing food etc) or to simply fit in in order to be part of the gang.
Gangs have a heirarchy. Those ranked at the top are more likely to have AsPD/sociopathy. The lower ranked members are usually just regular kids trying to fit in for whatever reason.
My thoughts exactly.
I think that the traumatic "childhood" of African-American culture (having been kidnapped and forced into slavery) led to a sense of cultural PTSD that matches the behaviors present in Antisocial Personality Disorder.
I believe that inner city ghetto culture as a whole developed AsPD as a defense mechanism, which has led to glorification of violence, instant gratification, hypersexuality, lack of remorse at having committed crimes, accepting prison rather than viewing it as a deterrent, disregard for the safety of others who end up as collateral damage in gang wars, and in general having created their own social norms that would be considered sociopathic by other parts of society.
Sadly, psychologists say there is no cure.