--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The reason I want to explain that you're…" description: "\"The reason I want to explain that you're probably never going to get revenge a sociopath and you're also probably not going to redeem this person, is t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e4/martha-stout-9173_brain_the-reason-i-want-to-explain-that-you-re_2866659.png" --- # The reason I want to explain that you're probably never… ![“The reason I want to explain that you're probably never going to get revenge a sociopath and you're also probably not going to redeem this person, is that it is not a project that will ever succeed. At present, if a person does not have a conscience, we know of no way to instill one - not even a…” quote by Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e4/martha-stout-9173_brain_the-reason-i-want-to-explain-that-you-re_2866659.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e4/martha-stout-9173_brain_the-reason-i-want-to-explain-that-you-re_2866659.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e4/martha-stout-9173_brain_the-reason-i-want-to-explain-that-you-re_2866659.png) > “The reason I want to explain that you're probably never going to get revenge a sociopath and you're also probably not going to redeem this person, is that it is not a project that will ever succeed. At present, if a person does not have a conscience, we know of no way to instill one - not even a little bit. It's not like something you can take off the shelf and put into somebody's brain. It makes me so sad to hear people say, "I think I can see just a little bit of a conscience."” [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People without conscience cannot be reformed; attempts to instill conscience are futile, leading to sadness when others claim otherwise. **In simple terms:** Conscience cannot be easily taught to sociopaths. Key Takeaway Accept limits of changing deeply antisocial behavior. Themes psychology morality rehabilitation Mood somber thoughtful Type clinical philosophical When to use this quote - clinical practice - legal system - personal relationships Key Concepts ethical limits human behavior Questions to Reflect On - Can any interventions foster empathy in sociopaths? - What ethical responsibilities do we have toward them? A Different Perspective The claim may ignore nuanced therapeutic possibilities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) [Conscience Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience-know-650893/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Psychopath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychopath/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Revenge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revenge/) [Revenge Sociopath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revenge-sociopath-3899030/) [So sad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/so-sad/) [Sociopath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sociopath/) [Sociopath Probably](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sociopath-probably-3899031/) [Succeed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/succeed/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I would hesitate to tell people to stop being kind or sympathetic to sociopath. But just like loyalty, some things that can be taken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/i-would-hesitate-to-tell-people-to-stop-being-kind-or-sympathetic-to/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [Sociopaths love power. They love winning. If you take loving kindness out of the human brain, there's not much left except the will to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/sociopaths-love-power-they-love-winning-if-you-take-loving-kindness/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [An intelligent sociopath can learn the rules about what's good and what's bad, what people see as good and bad. But they don't get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/an-intelligent-sociopath-can-learn-the-rules-about-what-s-good-and/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [Sociopaths differ fairly dramatically in how their brains react to emotional words. An emotional word is love, hate, anger, mom, death, anything that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/sociopaths-differ-fairly-dramatically-in-how-their-brains-react-to/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [In Western culture, particularly North America, a lot of rules are descriptors for sociopathy: a general acceptance of lying as long as you win,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/in-western-culture-particularly-north-america-a-lot-of-rules-are/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [Sociopaths are not afraid of very much, except for physical harm and dying - really primitive, basic kinds of fears. The problem with being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/sociopaths-are-not-afraid-of-very-much-except-for-physical-harm-and/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [Another thing that's fun for sociopath is speed, literal speed, going very fast in your car. Not that everybody who goes fast in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/another-thing-that-s-fun-for-sociopath-is-speed-literal-speed-going/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [Sociopaths are often extremely charming. They are people who are better than you and me at charming people, at being charismatic. I've heard this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/sociopaths-are-often-extremely-charming-they-are-people-who-are/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [Being sociopath is not what most people would consider to be winning. Most of us have some kind of positive goal in mind when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/being-sociopath-is-not-what-most-people-would-consider-to-be-winning/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [“And sociopaths are noted especially for their shallowness of emotion, the hollow and transient nature of any affectionate feelings they may claim to have,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/and-sociopaths-are-noted-especially-for-their-shallowness-of-emotion/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [The perfect victim, from the sociopath's point of view, is the person who is smart enough and capable enough to do him some good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/the-perfect-victim-from-the-sociopath-s-point-of-view-is-the-person/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [Sociopaths are just like everybody else in that some of them are really brilliant, some of them are really stupid, and most of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/sociopaths-are-just-like-everybody-else-in-that-some-of-them-are/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [When you were a child, where boredom could actually get to be painful. Sociopaths experience that kind of pain in boredom. And so to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/when-you-were-a-child-where-boredom-could-actually-get-to-be-painful/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [Usually sociopaths will look down upon us for that very reason - that we're gullible. We're weak. One person told me that he thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/usually-sociopaths-will-look-down-upon-us-for-that-very-reason-that/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [The sociopath wants the person to be easily enough fooled to stick with him. This can be accomplished by looking for someone who is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/the-sociopath-wants-the-person-to-be-easily-enough-fooled-to-stick/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) ## More by Martha Stout > [“A part of a healthy conscience is being able to confront consciencelessness. When you teach your daughter, explicitly or by passive rejection, that she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/a-part-of-a-healthy-conscience-is-being-able-to-confront/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [I would hesitate to tell people to stop being kind or sympathetic to sociopath. But just like loyalty, some things that can be taken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/i-would-hesitate-to-tell-people-to-stop-being-kind-or-sympathetic-to/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [“when confronted with a destructive outcome that is clearly their doing, they will say, plain and simple, “I never did that,” and will to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/when-confronted-with-a-destructive-outcome-that-is-clearly-their/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [Usually sociopaths will look down upon us for that very reason - that we're gullible. We're weak. One person told me that he thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/usually-sociopaths-will-look-down-upon-us-for-that-very-reason-that/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [A conscience is, for a while anyway, pretty easy to fake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/a-conscience-is-for-a-while-anyway-pretty-easy-to-fake/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's. His hair was perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/i-saw-a-werewolf-drinking-a-pina-colada-at-trader-vic-s-his-hair-was/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [The most reliable sign, the most universal behavior of unscrupulous people is not directed, as one might imagine, at our fearfulness. It is, perversely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/the-most-reliable-sign-the-most-universal-behavior-of-unscrupulous/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [When you were a child, where boredom could actually get to be painful. Sociopaths experience that kind of pain in boredom. And so to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/when-you-were-a-child-where-boredom-could-actually-get-to-be-painful/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [One way or another, a life without conscience is a failed life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/one-way-or-another-a-life-without-conscience-is-a-failed-life/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [We raise our children, especially girls, to ignore their spontaneious reactions-we teach them not to rock the societal boat...By the time she is thirty,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/we-raise-our-children-especially-girls-to-ignore-their-spontaneious/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [Most of who we are is our deepest emotions, and someone who cannot feel those emotions in a positive way is never going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/most-of-who-we-are-is-our-deepest-emotions-and-someone-who-cannot/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [“Unless under the spell of a psychotic delusion, extreme rage, inescapable deprivation, drugs, or a destructive authority figure, a person who is conscience-bound does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/unless-under-the-spell-of-a-psychotic-delusion-extreme-rage/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [“If all you had ever felt toward another person were the cold wish to “win,” how would you understand the meaning of love, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/if-all-you-had-ever-felt-toward-another-person-were-the-cold-wish-to/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [“And so without our primordial attachments to others, what would we be? Evidently, we would be the players of a game, one that resembled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/and-so-without-our-primordial-attachments-to-others-what-would-we-be/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [When I speak of divisions greater than gender or race, I say that because it is so unimaginable. I can imagine what it would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/when-i-speak-of-divisions-greater-than-gender-or-race-i-say-that/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) [Explore all 75 Martha Stout quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) ## More Brain quotes > [The brain abhors discrepancies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilayanur-s-ramachandran/the-brain-abhors-discrepancies/) [Vilayanur S. 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Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [down with ought with because with every brain that thinks it thinks nor dares to feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/down-with-ought-with-because-with-every-brain-that-thinks-it-thinks/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To explicate the uses of the Brain seems as difficult a task as to paint the Soul, of which it is commonly said, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-willis/to-explicate-the-uses-of-the-brain-seems-as-difficult-a-task-as-to/) [Thomas Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-willis/) > [I prefer the word 'musician.' I'm a musician and a composer. I have a problem with the word 'artist.' I don't know if it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/i-prefer-the-word-musician-i-m-a-musician-and-a-composer-i-have-a/) [Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/) > [Thinking of sex provides enough mental stimulation to reduce risk of diseases that damage the brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/thinking-of-sex-provides-enough-mental-stimulation-to-reduce-risk-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My writing routine is: get son off to school and sit down at 8 A.M. 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