How would you teach compassion to someone like Saddam Huessein?

Question

This is merely a hypothetical question. Feel free to substitute another person in there if you want to. Please no stupid answers just to get points. Personally, I don't think it could be done, but I am interested in what others out there have to say. And if you do substitute another person, please let me know who and why.

Answer 1

When they're that old, twisted, sadistic, and purely evil, you don't. There's no sense wasting the time to even try. Just shoot that person in the head and start with someone a little younger ... like 3 years old.

Answer 2

I don't think you can teach compassion to such a cold-hearted, determined individual like Saddam. He is not only a cruel man, but he has no common sense to as what he does is wrong. He is pyschotic in a sense that he has no clue that what he had done was inhumane, he is driven by the soul purpose of being a dictator, he wasn't hugged as a child. Something devasting must have consumed his mind as a young child and has decided to lash out at the world in response.

Answer 3

Saddam Hussein is a person, and he is very capable of being taught what compassion is.

The first treatment course involves finding common ground with him. Remind him that he is human and his life is just as good as anyone else's.

Second comes personal counseling. He might have some personal reservations or prejudices that would be best if someone just listened to him about.

The third stage involves showing him the repercussions of his actions and continuing to do so until he realizes how he is connected in it.

The final stage would be to allow him to atone for himself with actions and ask for forgiveness.

Answer 4

What about Hitler?

Have you ever watch those investigation shows on TV? You know, those serial killers who did terrible things that are beyond belief to their victims. But when they got arrested, put in court, got questioned, why did they did the things that they did? They did not know. And I believe them.

I believe that they should be punished for what they've done. I believe that they did know what they were doing. Did they know why? I don't believe they did.

For them, what they did were what they did. Those things did not mean anything to them. They knew that it was wrong. They did not understand why.

My point is: unless that person, Saddam Huessein or Hitlet or whoever, knows the reasons and the consequences to their actions, they cannot be taught to be compassionate. Because they did not know their motivation of doing those things, how can they stop?

Knowing what you did is not enough to stop yourself from doing the wrong, or maybe the evil things in the case of Hitler and Saddam Huessein. You need to know WHY.

It's like teaching children. If the kids do something wrong, you'd tell them to stop doing it, but you also need to tell them why do they need to do so. If you don't, they will continue to do it to find out for themselves.

I do not mean that to teach Hitler or Saddam Huessein compassion, we need to let them continue doing what they're doing. What I am trying to emphasize is that Reason = Motivation.

So if you'd like to teach compassion to someone like Saddam Huessein or Hitler, tell them to dig deep inside themselves to find out WHY they did the things they did.

Answer 5

I honestly don't think you can. There are some people that will never change. There isn't even the slightest chance of changing him. I think as soon as you are 18 years old your opinion won't be likely to change; for the better or the worse. Once you reach that age your personality is completely made up.

Answer 6

Well instead of Saddam I put Bush, I think the only way is trying to put him in all the situations that they have created, living the pain, anger and all the other bad emotions created for his lifestyle.

Answer 7

Respect. Tit for tat. I would set up a learning situation where he had stuff and I had stuff. A point system where if we worked together and share, we get more points. His survival would depend on working together. If he 'attacked' me, he would be attacked.

People can learn, even apparently bad people. You need to get them young. Not easy in a big world like this.

Answer 8

First you have compassion to teach..believe me some people who live in other country's don't have for the way there way of life is....

Answer 9

Saddam knows what compassion is, but the thing is he just doesn't practice it. It's not his cup of tea. He'd much rather torture and rape people, this is much more appealing to him.

Answer 10

You can't. It has to come from deep within the individual. You don't force someone to be compassionate. Also, not because someone calls themselves "compassionate" are they truly compassionate. I get a feeling some people have realized this....You don't hear "W" calling himself a compassionate conservative anymore.