Microsoft Hatred FAQ

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Tue, 18 Oct 2005 11:53:29 -0700, David Schwartz wrote:

>>> Wrong. The only obligation Microsoft has is to their shareholders.
>>
>> If you genuinely believe that, you are a psychopath.
> 
>     That's almost as convincing as "that's what you think".
> 
>     DS


When you are repeating a fact with as much psychological research
supporting it as that one, it isn't necessary to justify it, any more than
it would be necessary to justify a statement like "parents love their
children". It isn't John Kennedy's fault that you aren't up to date.

Both statements are generalisations, it is true, and both are probably
true about the same percentage of time.

Oh, and if you think I'm saying something shocking by suggesting that
somebody is a psychopath, I'm not. Something like one in five of the
general population are psychopaths, a much higher percentage of
"go-getters" like company CEOs, generals, politicians, executives, etc.
Very few of them chop people up into small pieces and bury them in the
wall cavities of their house.

With training and/or a good dose of enlightened self-interest, most
psychopaths are perfectly capable of learning to not be selfish vicious
brutes who care only for themselves and perhaps a few others. Or rather,
to stop *acting* as selfish vicious brutes. Not caring about the harm done
by your corporate machinery is not a crime. Actually doing that harm is,
or at least should be, although sadly when we allow the psychopaths to
make the rules, they tend to make rules that allow themselves to prosper
at our expense.


-- 
Steven.