Note 417 — Chapter II
Henry P. (Henry Pomeroy) Horton translation
The question arises, how it is possible for anyone to embrace so abject a profession, and thus become so harmful a parasite.417 There are authors who would have us believe that there are persons who have chosen crime from pleasure in it. As Leuss observes in his work, “Aus dem Zuchthause”, this opinion is so absurd that it would be a waste of time to consider it. No one of sound mind could possibly prefer so abominable a profession, and one so full of risks from the point of view of simple calculation. There must be other reasons for the existence of such persons.418 If we wish to examine these causes we must divide professional criminals into separate groups.