Mind of a Murderer: Why people kill?
We have all followed in the press the acts of murders from Jack The Ripper to Dr Harold Shipman, but are we all capable of murder? Many don't believe themselves able to wilfully take another life, yet if their situation alters dramatically, this conviction is often challenged and overthrown; no matter how you slice it, are not acts of war institutionalised murder?
Psychopath or psychotic?
These two words to describe someone's state of mind are often used in the same breath, yet they refer to different mental conditions and it is vital to recognise the fundamental difference between these two distinct terms. If someone is described as having a psychotic episode then that person, who normally functions within society's laws and moral code, has momentarily lost these mental capabilities and commits a terrible crime; however they can often be helped and may not offend again. More chillingly, a psychopath has a chemical mis-wiring in their brain and is perfectly able to function within society, yet at the same time sees nothing wrong with killing, sometimes taking pleasure from it. The serial killer regards taking a life like we regard crossing the street.
Learnt Behaviour
One of the first ideas to be dismissed when studying the mind of a murderer is that there exists some abstract concept of evil. Biblical interpretation has given way to the notion that monsters are not born; they are made. Even for those with psychopathic tendencies, violent and murderous outbursts are often triggered by events and circumstances in the past. Child molesters have often been molested themselves and in a similar fashion childhood physical abuse can result in certain types of brain damage that may increase the likelihood of committing murder later in life. If you're shown at a young age that life has no value, you won't value life, sometimes with terrifying consequences.
2006-12-15 02:48:11
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answer #1
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answered by Anonymous
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Please read the book "The Denial of Death" by Ernest Becker or find the movie "Flight from Death" based on the same book and a little bit easier to understand. The thesis of Becker's work is this: Mankind has been able to do wonderful things, like travel in space, build wonderful things, etc., but they have not and will not be able to live forever. Because they cannot live forever, people invest in symbols that will outlive them. These are things like their religion (I may die but by faith will live forever); their families (I may die but my lineage goes on); their sports team (I may die by the glory of the team lives on); their countries (I may die but my country will live forever.) You get the picture.
Now what happens when people's immortality symbols are threatened? What happens when a persons family, country, or religion is threatened? It is as if their immortality is threatened. It is as if their very existence is threatened.
Now there are no shortage of immortality symbols and leaders who claim to be the legitimate protector of the symbol. These leaders rile up their followers to engage in acts of violence to protect whatever symbol they are in charge of.
This is what Becker says in a nutshell, his works compressed in a few paragraphs.
2006-12-15 03:00:00
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answer #2
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answered by Anonymous
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Your question is confusing because of your grammer but I think i can still come up with an answer. That answer is, everyone has a different thought on what is beutiful, some think flowers, sunsets, and rainbows are beutiful, while others consider destroying something that other considers beutiful to be beutiful in it's own way.
2006-12-15 02:47:32
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answer #3
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answered by Anonymous
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For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. If I save a life, somewhere someone else will end a life.
2006-12-15 02:53:46
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answer #4
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answered by generalsmoketh 4
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Yeah and also the in problem-free words u . s . contained in the international the position the son of an immigrant muslim can compete for the presidency fantastically after savage attacks purely 8 years previously by muslims. call me one u . s . the position they'd have this occurring? A christian president in Lebanon?A muslim candidate for PM in spain? in no way. u . s . of america is somewhat large!
2016-11-26 21:01:46
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answer #5
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answered by ? 4
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For the same reason people love to live and be merciful.
2006-12-15 03:04:54
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answer #6
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answered by Jamie 3
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It is in our nature. We evolved from apes...they also display aggressive, seemingly meaningless violence in their "societies". Sorry, it's just the way we are.
(ps. I know you can argue that we have a conscience and higher reasoning skills than apes...but really that doesn't dissolve the fact that we have that killer instinct)
2006-12-15 02:54:03
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answer #7
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answered by G 3
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B/C people are crazy and they do not care about their life or the lives around them. People who do awful things are awful people and will go to hell.
2006-12-15 02:46:00
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answer #8
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answered by Sara S 4
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