There is so much nuance in the stories presented in this article. Thinking about the lack of emotional response and callousness these children have, I am amazed at the level of empathy the staff at a place like Mendota (where they worked with the boys ages 12-17 with unemotional responses and callousness) have for the adolescents placed there. As Carl, a man who grew up and out of Mendota mentioned, the staff there are like zombies, and the effectiveness of their work comes from their ability to disengage with the disruptive behaviors of the adolescents, and remain consistent in the routines of the facility. When I think of social work and the mental health field, this story reminds me of my belief that any individual in this line of work has to be called to the demographic they work with. At the end of the day, I do not believe social work is a profession that someone just "tries out" because they want to be a good person and help other people. This profession will push a mirror in your face about your own life experiences that may need to be worked through, and the difficulties that come with working with humans. I enjoy working with children and adolescents, and while reading about a line of work such as the one presented in this article fascinates me, I am not currently called to work with this population. My approach to the situations mentioned in the article by the staff at places like Mendota do not align with my innate reaction if confronted with a situation like this, and I believe it takes a different level of empathy that someone must have to work with a population of people who have caused intentional harm without provocation, whether that be children or adults. It's hard for me to fathom the stories of these children as a typical course of development (and I lean toward the side that it is not, which is further explained by the rarity of the presentation of this condition in children). It interests me nonetheless to read about such situations, and most of all, to hear the responses of the people involved in the lives of these children who are described to be callous and possess unemotional traits.