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Comment by recalibrator | Hacker News Reader

If your day-to-day job consists of inflicting harm on animals, you should be tested for psychopathic tendencies. It should be mandatory.

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For what purpose?

Suppose this test indicated that one of the lab workers had 'psychopathic tendencies', what do you propose happens next?

Remove them from the job? I work in a company that does animal experiments and I have noticed that some of the scientists don't seem to have any empathy with the animals. They treat them like any other device they work with. In my view they could treat the animals much better without having a negative impact on the study but it's just not a concern for management or scientists.

I think it is a natural human reaction to physiologically distance yourself. If you didn't then there would be no scientific progress. That being said if a person were to go out of their way to be especially cruel or sadistic or unethical (obviously it depends on your definition of cruel) then I would say that the person needs to be removed and if necessary charged with a crime.

It's a coping strategy, that indicates that they aren't psychopaths.

People who deal in harsh conditions become more clinical and detached. Farmers, doctors, soldiers and call center agents all share similar behaviors in this area.

I never thought it about as a coping strategy. It's an interesting thought though. I know quite a few people who couldn't deal with animal testing anymore and did something else. I guess that leaves a certain kind of people. I still think there should be stronger rules for animal testing and how the animals are being kept. The cost for better treatment would be small compared to all other costs. I bet somewhen in the future people will look at animal cruelty (animal testing and meat production) the same way we look at things like slavery or chopping off a thief's hands now.

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