@boomerang,
Mental institutions were cruel. My father was in one, Camarillo, but then shunted to a va hospital.
How much I would like to talk with him now, but he went and died.
So much we should have talked about.
I did know he loved me.
So, about callous re children or adults?
I don't know, but I think callous is within us when the puck is aimed at our eyes.
But also, that some don't have any sense of connection, probably from icky parenting.
The subject of your thread is mesmerizingly awful. Something about ownership until that is thrown away.