[HPforGrownups] Re: Forgiveness

[Bart Lidofsky]

No: HPFGUIDX 188689

Kemper now:
> As to Voldemort's mental illness, I see where Bart is coming from but I don't see it in canon.  Meaning we don't see Voldemort raised in horrible conditions that would beget an anti-social personality disorder, a disorder brought on by one's environment rather than by one's birth.  Not that everyone who experiences abusive conditions become abusive, but every abuser comes from abuse (venn diagram, anyone?) The orphanage does not seem to provide the kind of conditions that would rear an anti-social personality, and Tom was there since his birth.

Bart:
    I found that the discussion of Mort as a psychopath was in the 
spring and summer of 2007, over a number of posts. However, one thing of 
interest I found while looking back; someone reports that JKR said in an 
interview that the drop of Harry's blood gave Morty a choice. I tried to 
find the original but I have only found a couple of second-hand 
references, no actual quote or specific interview.

    The key is that there are a list of symptoms of sociopathy and 
psychopathy, and it is clear that Morty exhibits all of them save the 
symptom of an inability to make and stick to long term plans.

    Now, if JKR says that Morty could repent, I'll put that in the same 
file as Dumbledore being gay; interesting to see what was in JKR's mind, 
but it's not present at all in the text.

    Bart