My EVE

Why is it the smartest people in the world always agree with me? Funny that,no?

The OP "seems" to make sense if one applies a mass-media acquired understanding of the elements he/she chooses to address. The big HOWEVER to all this is, fortunately (or no), nobody's exitting reality to boot this game. Everyone is as ensconced in this time/space frame as they were before they clicked that icon. Furthermore, if anyone believes they ARE in another reality (virtual, or no) when they enter the game, there's a diagnosis for that as well.

Absolving themselves from the consequences of their acts because people choose to imagine that nothing "real" is happening anyway is merely a form of self-delusion, and anyone who feels that's a necessary step to take before engaging in immoral or unethical behavior at least has the virtue of realizing it is a step from civil behavior into uncivil behavior. Quite literally, it is a step from cerebral cortex mitigated behavior into reptilian stem behavior, or a giant leap into the animalistic past.

The OP seems to confuse psychopathy with anti-social personality disorder. Though the two are related in many ways, the psychopathy is expressed in many different disorders. ASPD is expressed in many different ways. It used to be called sociopathy, and was associated strictly with violent criminals that had no remorse for their activities. However, the science has come to accept this behavior isn't limited to serial killers. It's found in the wide spectrum of societal positions as defined by activities, from the board room to the construction site if you will...and yes, in EVE, as well.

The truest marker of this behavior is does the activity engaged in generate activity in the frontal lobe of the brain, or can it be completed within the reptilian stem: The frontal lobe being where the "rights and wrongs" of behavior are mititgated. The reptilian stem being bereft of such considerations. The existence of remorse or feelings of "guilt" are the generally accepted markers.

One might pretend to attempt to imitate a psychopath, or ASPD, but it's difficult to be assured that being capable of such behavior on any level, under any pretense isn't symptomatic of possessing these disorders. Having a group of peers insist this is all mistaken thinking, or having the individual in question insisting it was all just pretense, or virtual, is inconsequential at best. No one possessing any of this array of disorders is likely to admit this as fact, either through ignorance, pure unawareness, or flat denial to further the aims these disorders demand.

ASPD is believed to prevail within Western society (from 60 upwards to 80% depending on what study you read) so it's not only highly unlikely, but it's rather naive as well to believe EVE doesn't have its share on a percentage basis. As the prevailing behavior exhibited by EVE players - or even the behavior celebrated by a large portion of EVE players, is precisely the type of behavior diagnosed as part of this spectrum of disorders, it would be unusual (or odd) if ASPD were not present in a density reflective of the general population.

Psychopathy, on the other hand, has a smaller spectrum insofar as is understood at present. However, it wouldn't be surprising if EVE had its fair share of those, as well. Be it ASPD or Psychopathy, it's futile to point out and castigate people for this behavior, as they are incapable of realizing or understanding the point you'd be trying to make. One must either accept its presence and live with it, or move on in hopes of finding somewhere they aren't present. Given the pervasive presence of ASPD especially, it's highly unlikely such a place exists, and if you think you've found one, you may be deluding yourself....or wishful thinking.

*Most of the QQ comes from miners, because they are the ones trying to pacify EVE, and are really the only people who get butthurt from losses and throw around accusations of sociopathy, because a PvPer is used to losing ships, thus this post is directed at miners*

I'm sorry man, but I do not empathize with people that feel bad because they lost some pixels (that they can easily get back) in a computer-game. Quite frankly, I think it's ******* ridiculous, as they know what the game is about, and are free to GTFO and move to another game if this game upsets them. The PvPers of EVE should have to bow down for the people who only care about the size of their wallet? Miners make money, but they are butthurt because they lose a barge (translates into capital), thus not earning their maximum potential profits. Now that right there is what you call greed. If you did not make money, your point would be valid, but the fact that you miners are still playing proves that mining is lucrative. But you won't settle with what you have, will you? You want more, mooOORE, MOOOOOORE! Combine this with the fact that miners like to stare at the same asteroids, doing the same static thing over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over, you might come to the conclusion that miners are greedy self-obsessive individuals suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder..

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And this is why you should not mix psychology with computer-games.

As commented on the blog:

In the real world I like to think I am a very decent person. Few would disagree. At least 1/4 of my work day is spent working pro-bono for local charities. I have found a wallet containing £1000 and handed it in whilst existing as a penny-broke student. I would do this again.

Yet, give me an option in Eve where I can break into the home of my enemy and drop kick their children from the 6th story of their building, and I would do this as a way of saying hello.

Few people seem to understand the separation between the virtual and the real.

Fun fact: I actually started Eve and had the mission to be the good guy, the ultimate hero. Always fighting for what is right. I actually applied to Eve uni with the goal of joining the ILN and fighting the evil griefers. Over the course of about 3months I underwent an in-character shift into a guy who does anything to get his payday. Han shot first? No, Han nuked it from orbit first, it was the only way to be sure.

I guess what I'm saying, is people who can't see the difference between in-character and in-real-life personality traits usually have very poor perception (I'm sure some are on the Autism spectrum, especially the ones who cry over their lost space pixels). Psychology teaches us that whenever we create an avatar we create another "self" - whether our intent is to play an idealized version of ourselves or not is irrelevant.

Screw you for making the point better, man. Screw you.

Seriously though, schadenfreude isn't a synonym for sociopathy. It's difficult to take seriously claims that someone who enjoys the suffering of others has a psychological condition that prevents them apprehending the suffering of others.

Liked the original post. Nicely explained!

I will say though that the instance you mentioned may be something that psychopaths do, but people who are not psychopaths will also do it, and not all psychopaths would actually resort to such behaviour. So a better term to use would be anti-social behaviour.

Although I'm nitpicking I think it's an important distinction!

By the end of your article you identify instances of what you call real psychopathy in Eve. This contradicts your earlier argument that it does not exist. It makes no difference that you attempt to delineate the line that you say has been crossed. Other people would put that line at different places, and, frankly, with more logic and fewer words than you use.

A person who plays this game with no sense of personal honor is likely to have a weak sense of honor in the world. The game glorifies betrayals, thefts, scams, bullying in local chat, name calling, gay-baiting, misogynistic language, and general nasty behavior. That this crosses the line into real life is demonstrated clearly by the recent Fanfest. There is little to argue here.

Psychopath is a very extreme word and I would not use it to describe what goes on in most of the game. But with the guy in Sweden stating publicly that he prepared himself for a massacre of 77 people by playing World of Warcraft and Call of Duty, you can be that this discussion in the real world is not over.

A person who role-plays a bad guy in Eve does not have to bully people, steal from them, betray his online friends, or anything of the kind, in order to role-play a bad guy. There are lots of pirates in Eve who still have a sense of friendship and honor. But there are many who do not. A bad person in Eve is probably a bad person in the real world. Your post has actually affirmed this connection in its closing.

It seems perfectly reasonable that someone who spends all day trying to scam people in Jita would be more likely to cheat (at small things at least) IRL. There is no hard line between the fantasy and reality other than what you put there yourself, and everyone is different.

No he didn't

But that's not so much a big scam as just being freaking hilarious! :)