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It's not 'precisely' a form of 'mental illness'. That's just how you see it because you possess something they very much lack.
It boils down to something that many people simply haven't evolved. It's more than empathy, it is a direct sense of human integration. The vast majority of our achievements came from the ability of humans to think and act collectively. Not everyone has an intrinsic understanding of that sort of synergy. These are people that literally feel no connection to the balance of humanity. They understand collective effort academically, but not inherently.
Now, when presented with an issue or problem, the brain does a few quick things;
The Thalamo-Cortical-Thalamic response, the amygdala, hypothalamus and hippocampus have a quick 'conference'. All at once they summon up an assessment of the problem and the resources at hand to deal with it. If it's an emergency that can be dealt with, the hypothalamus kicks up and we get into action. If it's something we can't deal with at all, the amygdala will tend to stifle the problem-solving process and push the issue away.
Now, when someone is wired to see human integration and synergy as a 'resource', they are much more likely to understand and examine a given problem because they don't feel as though they're alone. These are the sorts of people who join the Peace Corps, organize food drives, try to raise awareness of real issues, etc.
When someone is missing that sense of integration, the brain concludes the issue cannot be dealt with before it's even picked up in the pre-frontal cortex where we make 'conscious' decisions.
Ever wonder why some people seem to be totally unable to learn the basics of Climate Change?
It's not because they necessarily being deliberately ignorant (although that IS the net result), it's because their amygdala is actively pushing the information away because it represents a problem too big to handle.
The information almost literally goes in one ear and out the other... bypassing the cognitive process entirely.
Now, here's where it comes into play;
When someone does not have that intrinsic understanding to begin with, they are not capable of 'putting themselves in another's shoes' because a) They literally feel separate from the rest of humanity, and b) they do not possess the resources to deal with intractable poverty.
Because they feel they would face it alone.
Academically, they know that they have friends who might help, but at the unconscious level they are inherently alone.
Think of them in relation to this, and you'll see a very interesting pattern.
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