@tsuyukihime
It's not armchair psychology, as I pulled what I could from both the
NHS and
various other sites. I'm not pulling it out of my ass, though there are issues in trying to diagnose fictional characters because of a lack of ability to cross reference and to get a full psychological evaluation. (You obviously can't sit them down and talk with them, so you have to pull references from in-text)
Using the NHS for signs and symptoms,
We can examine his behavior and rationale to see if he actually fits the criteria:
A person with antisocial personality disorder may:
[ol]exploit, manipulate or violate the rights of others
lack concern, regret or remorse about other people's distress
behave irresponsibly and show disregard for normal social behaviour
have difficulty sustaining long-term relationships
be unable to control their anger
lack guilt, or not learn from their mistakes
blame others for problems in their lives
repeatedly break the law[/ol]
"1" Is explicitly demonstrated in this chapter in how he blackmails her, and how he used the fact she was staying at his house to solicit sex from her
"2" Is shown in how he is unable to understand why his seven girlfriends left him, and why no one wants to be around him
"3" is pretty self evident in how he seeks to perform more extreme behaviors like sex and hedonism to satisfy his own
"4" is also stated outright as to why he asked Sayu to leave and why his seven girlfriends left him
"5" is the only one not explicitly shown, but is left to be made as an inference in certain circumstances
"6" is shown in his inability to understand why the first girlfriend who left him threatened to kill him and why she, and the others, left him
"7" is somewhat the case as he does blame Sayu for ruining his relationships and doesn't take responsibility for infidelity
And "8" is shown by what he did by having sex with a minor and what he is about to do.
A diagnosis can only be made if the person is aged 18 years or older and at least 3 of the following criteria apply:
[ol]repeatedly breaking the law
repeatedly being deceitful
being impulsive or incapable of planning ahead
being irritable and aggressive
having a reckless disregard for their safety or the safety of others
being consistently irresponsible
lack of remorse[/ol]
These signs must not be part of a schizophrenic or manic episode – they must be part of the person's everyday personality.
He pretty definitively shows all of these signs except for aggressiveness or irritability, as far as we can tell by the information we have so far.
Additionally, not only does he fall into the age range that is generality diagnosed with ASPD (Late Teens-Late Forties) but he also displays the superficial charm those with Psychopathy/Sociopathy (which are characterized under Antisocial Personality Disorder) are known to show, and potentially even the intelligence as he was able to maintain significant relationships with at least seven different girls at the same time.
The NHS website shows a list of treatments that can be effective at treating Antisocial Personality Disorder, but they are by no means universal as each case is different and it varies from individual to individual.
It is not logical to assume that respecting the rights of people and acknowledging how mental illnesses like ASPD can be treated to potentially help people to reintegrate into society, even if some underlying symptoms remain, rather than acting purely out of a primal urge for revenge or sadism. Instead, respecting the rights of even the most vile of individuals, and understanding what can cause people to act in seemingly destructive ways.
It's not blind optimism, it's understanding human psychology and science and applying it to find a way to help people. I will have no blood on my hands because I'm not saying he should run free without Police oversight, rather, I'm saying he should see a court-appointed therapist so his specific case will be treated in junction to a lesser sentence as he seems to be unable to differentiate or understand right from wrong. This is not blind optimism, sunshine and rainbows, or intentionally dishonesty to the nature of people, but rather the understanding that people have rights to be treated certain ways, and that helping those suffering from a mental affliction they cannot control is more optimal than throwing people into the asylum to worsen any issues they may have.
I find it interesting that your argument earlier was based in pathos and how apparently calling this character mentally ill is demeaning towards the mentally ill, despite every case of mental illness being different and those with anti-social mental illnesses are also mentally ill, yet you know disregard the lens of empathy in order to demonize this character.
If nothing else, I think of Laozi and one of the core quotes in the center of the Tao Te Ching:
What is a good man but a bad man's teacher?
What is a bad man but a good man's job?
If you don't understand this, you will be lost, however intelligent you are.
@Amenohi
I would clarify that there is a difference in high-functioning psychopaths/sociopaths, which tend to become CEOs or excel in business or politics, and low-functioning psychopaths/sociopaths. He's closer to high functioning, but lacks the cognitive abilities and social understanding to integrate into society fully, so doesn't quite know why what he is doing is wrong, I don't think.
I agree that Sayu shouldn't be the one to help him, though I think a girl might be able to, as I think the gyaru is able to keep him somewhat grounded if she weren't so dismissive and aggressive towards him. She's grounded enough in reality and is able to reign him in and keep him on his leash enough that she might be able to break through to him in some sense, though