What's interesting about dealers (at least the very low level ones that addicts typically buy directly from) is that they're often selling dope to support their own habits or to get ahead in a world they see as being stacked against them.
Thus, many of these people are not ruthless sociopaths, and recognize on some level that what they're doing is wrong. Through a great deal of rationalization, they are often able to convince themselves that it's morally OK.
These people would prefer not to have to bring murder into line with their already quite dissonant mental schema.
This is my experience talking to current and former dealers, mostly as part of my work with recovering addicts - I've had dealers help me track down relapsed sponsees, for instance, with very little convincing.
Thus, many of these people are not ruthless sociopaths, and recognize on some level that what they're doing is wrong. Through a great deal of rationalization, they are often able to convince themselves that it's morally OK.
These people would prefer not to have to bring murder into line with their already quite dissonant mental schema.
This is my experience talking to current and former dealers, mostly as part of my work with recovering addicts - I've had dealers help me track down relapsed sponsees, for instance, with very little convincing.