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Louisiana mayor convicted of raping 16-year-old boy at her home while still in office
(www.theguardian.com)
this post was submitted on 04 Mar 2026
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Is almost everyone like this and we just didn't know? Or is our political class just dominated by people like this?
No, these people are rare. The problem is that their impact is outsized. One person can harm many over the course of several years. It doesn’t take a lot of bad actors like this to cause a lot of harm in society.
It’s been a few years since I read it, but the book The Sociopath Next Door did a lot to inform how I think of this.
In the book, the author gives the stat that about 4% of the population are sociopaths, which is defined as people who lack empathy and a conscience. She explains that often, sociopaths highly crave success, but posits that what defines “success” is largely dependent on one’s culture.
In the US, success usually looks like having a lot of money, fame, and/or power, so: actors, politicians, CEOs, etc. And when one doesn’t have empathy, that makes it easier to step on others in order to achieve that success. She explains that in other cultures, like in India, success is more about how one fits into and supports their community. So while they have the same driving motivation (success), the steps to achieve it are wildly different.
Based on that, I say with confidence that “almost everyone” is NOT like this. However, sociopaths are significantly more likely to become those who are rich, famous, and powerful. And this kind of abuse doesn’t phase sociopaths because they don’t have empathy.
I think the ven diagram is an almost a complete circle with the rich. You don't become a billionaire by caring about others.
it's probably notable that politicians are often people who are seeking power.