Can Antisocial Personalities Be Reconciled with Social Norms?

The world is no paradise. People harm each other. Even if the human psyche were free from all external negative influences, we would still make mistakes: that is our nature. Complete social harmony is a utopia. If it were achievable, there would be no wars, no rat races, or environmental devastation. However, modern humans, as rational, ‘thinking’ beings (Homo sapiens), have not improved our functioning despite the emergence of self-awareness, paradoxically or not.

Morality Does Not Equate to Ethics

For thousands of years, every civilization has had its internal norms and social rules that governed each of its members. The Ten Commandments and the Code of Hammurabi are examples of top-down systems of commands and prohibitions, with specific sanctions for their violation.

The modern world is not a monolith but a mosaic of diverse cultures and religions that have significantly influenced the formation of societies. While ethics as a discipline strives to define universal principles applicable to people across all geographies, emphasizing human dignity and the value of life, moral norms are a kind of agreement resulting from belonging to a specific belief system or religion.

In a single society, ethical and moral principles can sometimes be contradictory. Ideally, ethics should be the dominant category over morality. In developed countries, religious freedom prevails, allowing everyone the right to act according to their conscience, provided it does not violate established law and is not ethically reprehensible.

We All Make Mistakes

Certainly, everyone has at some point has violated societal norms. This might include simple acts like speeding, running a red light, not separating waste, or engaging in ‘tax optimization.’ Many may have also acted unethically. However, the psyche of a healthy individual is shaped in a way that we naturally abhor the conscious infliction of harm to others. Yet, in extreme situations, when we feel threatened, morality and ethics take a back seat, and our self-preservation instincts take over.

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A fascinating example of the impact of external influences on social behavior is the Stanford prison experiment conducted in the 1970s by Philip Zimbardo and a team of psychologists. Several students, previously qualified for a ‘study’ whose purpose and methods were undisclosed to them (the ethical standards for conducting experiments at that time left much to be desired), were unexpectedly placed in an environment closely resembling a prison (in reality, the basements of Stanford University’s psychology department). The participants were treated with utmost severity by ‘prison guards,’ subjected to both physical and psychological violence, and observed for their reactions as ‘prisoners.’

A revolt broke out on the second day, and signs of madness and psychosis were evident among the ‘inmates.’ However, the behaviors of the guards were of most interest to the experimenters. They could be categorized into three groups: those who were strict but fair, those who did not harm others, and those who derived satisfaction from demeaning and beating the inmates, even though no personality tests conducted during the selection process indicated such tendencies. The guard known as ‘John Wayne’ was notoriously infamous for his particular ruthlessness and cruelty.

A Heart of Darkness

Polish writer Joseph Conrad’s portrayal of the attitudes of African colonizers revealed the ruthless, dark side of human nature. Contemporary psychology explains antisocial behaviors in various ways. These can be behaviors originating from the most primitive part of the human brain. The sense of threat or competition for resources activates the survival instinct, which operates on the principle of ‘survival at all costs.’ The neocortex, responsible for higher mental functions, particularly the centers located in the frontal lobe of the brain, acts like a brake, allowing us to control our impulses and, consequently, our behavior.

However, there are instances when our behavior exhibits what is known as disinhibition. This can be a consequence of trauma to the aforementioned structures of the central nervous system or genetically determined impairments in their structure.

Without Fear, Without Empathy

The social functioning of some individuals can be so severely impaired that all attempts to control and change their behavior prove futile.

In the classifications of mental disorders and illnesses (DSM-V and ICD-10 F), a particular type of personality disorder is described. Depending on the system used, this is referred to as dissocial personality disorder or antisocial personality disorder. Statistics indicate that it affects about 2–3% of any given society, more often men than women (3:1).

This pathological personality structure is characterized by a persistent attitude of disregarding social norms. According to Polish psychologist Prof. Kazimierz Pospiszyl, common traits among those affected by this disorder also include deficits in the spheres of fear and learning, impaired relationships, and a so-called psychopathic thorn characterized by an impoverished emotional life compensated by narcissistic behaviors.

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This profile helps to some extent understand why dissocial individuals behave in a specific way and why attempts to influence a change in their attitudes meet with unsatisfactory responses.

Typically, in a healthy individual, the transgression of social norms is accompanied by the emergence of fear, expressed either as a sense of guilt or subjectively as pangs of conscience. A person with antisocial personality disorder does not experience this natural consequence of their actions. Moreover, the deterrent function of criminal sanctions does not affect them, leading to repeated and frequent conflicts with the law. Additionally, a deficit in learning means that such an individual does not adjust their behavior based on past experiences. They do not exhibit conditioning, essential in the learning process, which involves the sequence: antisocial behavior – unpleasant consequences – change in behavior.

Individuals with antisocial disorder are also deeply unhappy, although they do not show it, as they subjectively do not perceive themselves as such. This is expressed, among other things, in the inability to form satisfying relationships with others due to a tendency to exploit them and use them to satisfy often superficial needs. Furthermore, narcissism complicates any attempts to influence change, manifesting as extreme sensitivity to criticism, interpreted as a sign of underappreciation.

Treatment Possibilities

Unfortunately, like every personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder is extremely difficult to treat. Pharmacologically, it is possible to influence only the accompanying symptoms, such as mania or coexisting disorders: depressive episodes or addictions.

The main form of intervention remains psychotherapy. However, research in this area also does not show promising results. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), despite being the fundamental treatment method, often remains ineffective due to a deficit in learning (one of the main healing factors in CBT). There is also no research indicating the effectiveness of a psychodynamic approach due to the weakened identity structure of the patient. Additionally, an extra complicating factor in establishing a therapeutic relationship is often the therapist’s countertransference feelings: aversion, hostility, or even an unhealthy fascination with the patient.

Currently, efforts are being made to implement new integrative methods, such as dialectical behavior therapy, schema therapy, and cognitive-analytic therapy. However, it is still too early to speak of their effectiveness.

Hope

It is often said that hope dies last, and where ordinary, spontaneous human reflexes fade away, we can say that there is no more faith or love. However, perhaps we all want to believe that the continuous development of our species and the civilization we build will eventually make life perfect: without death, disease or conflict. Prisons will be empty, access to resources will be equal, and society will experience complete harmony. This, however, seems to be merely a fantasy. History shows that at the peak of power, a dramatic fall often occurs, for in every human heart lies a heart of darkness.

Translation: Klaudia Tarasiewicz