I'm a fucking nutcase, and I don't understand the mentality required to start a shooting rampage.

[BreweryYardRat]

I'm speaking here as someone who was borderline suicidal for a year straight, and a low-level sociopath. I could take an animal abuser apart over a few weeks and probably not feel anything. I'm paranoid as all hell-I perceive a lot of people as potential threats when they're probably nothing of the sort, and I've always got a twitchy eye out.

And I literally do not understand it. Do whackjobs like the scumbag at VA Tech not have any self-control at all? God DAMN, people, when someone pisses me off, even for minor shit, my instincts start screaming at me to beat the jackass to death. I see a happy couple when I'm miserable and lonely, my mind's howling for me to stave the guy's head in with an axe. But I'm able to control myself, so I DON'T LISTEN TO MY INSTINCTS.

What kind of retarded subhuman doesn't have the rudimentary discipline necessary to keep from killing innocent people? For Christ's sake, I can't even commit mass murder of screaming civilians in a damn videogame without feeling like shit.

Sheesh.

[Harper_is_Bush]

1. Wanna be famous? n/t

[BreweryYardRat]

2. Nope. Fame earned through murder means you're not worthy of it.

[Harper_is_Bush]

10. You said you don't understand, so I explained it to you.

[Harper_is_Bush]

16. The information that's come out over the last couple days demonstrate what the deal is...

..the little fuckwad wanted to be famous, and besides killing 30 odd people he sent shit to the media ahead of time.

He absolutely wanted to be famous. He was suicidal, and egotistical.

So, now you know what motivated him.

What motivates the media in giving him his wish?

[Harper_is_Bush]

9. self delete

[mrreowwr_kittty]

3. I don't want to be presumptuous here, as a total layperson when it comes to psychology

But how could you be a sociopath? Your description of your reactions to things doesn't seem to befit someone who has no sense of moral responsibility or social obligation? I'd think a sociopath wouldn't be wracked with guilt over anything, much less killing people in a video game.

Forgive my question because I have no idea what you've been through or been diagnosed with.

[MadMaddie]

4. The difference between you and the idiot that did this....

you have learned in your life to deal with the ups and downs of life...
you know that there is going to be another day...

These kids that are committing these crimes have a minor setback and they view it as a earthshattering....geting a B instead of an A... A girlfriend breaks up with the boy...

Most of these killings have been committed by boys or young men...there is something terribly wrong.

[illinoisprogressive]

5. i have inherited depression but, have never thought of killing anyone.

i cannot understand why people are so mean and abusive to animals or children, why peds do things to little kids, why people have to be violent towards each other, why people insist on having stupid guns

[flying_monkeys]

6. Just be happy your demons were tameable, Seawolf.

For the VT shooter, his leash broke today and all the demons went loose.


If it were understandable, it would be SANE.... KWIM?

[Berry Cool]

7. Seawolf, be glad you can't imagine doing anything like this

even in your darkest despair. Maybe it will give you something to cling to--to realize and remind yourself that as much as you may hurt, you would never do something like this.

[Warpy]

8. Some kind of pressure made him flip out

and different people need different pressures.

Maybe he was an Iraq vet with untreated PTSD. His pistol shots were incredibly accurate which suggests marksmanship training somewhere.

Maybe he was always on the edge and he was flunking out and dumped for another guy. Maybe he was coming off 3 weeks of heavy meth use.

I'm sure when they get him ID'd, which is going to be a lengthy process, and they tie both shootings to him by ballistics and powder checks, they'll be able to give us a picture of what pushed him over the edge.

What did it for him might not do it for you or for me. There is no way to predict what constitutes overwhelming stress for various people and no way to predict how much will push them too far.

All we know is that rational beings don't do this stuff.

[tblue]

13. I am so angry at that kid for what he did, but my heart breaks for him, too,

bleeding heart liberal that I am. What kind of hell, what demons brought him to this point? We'll never know all of what's happened to him. Not that it would condone or absolve anything, but if we knew more about him, we might be able to understand the why. Take your example: If we learned that he was an Iraq war vet, we'd probably be thinking of him a little differently right now.

[tomreedtoon]

11. It's a couple of factors.

First, you have to feel that your life is worthless, and you can't do anything about it.

Second, you have to have absolutely no friends, which is mostly caused by being inarticulate and unable to speak, or maybe you just never learned the social skills to communicate. This is a lot more common than most people think.

Third, you have to fall into the media myth that killing people feels good. This has been promoted by a lot of people, and listing them will get me flamed, but there's lots of people who promote it. Anne Rice made vampires, basically serial killers, sexy and admirable. Tom Clancy promotes military force against Greenpeace and anyone who disagrees with him. "24" says a man with a gun and will is the only answer to terrorism, and that your friends will betray you. The list could go on forever.

Fourth, you have to hit a low point. Your would-be girlfriend leaves you. Your dog dies. Something.

That'll do it.

[tblue]

14. Our cultural mythology romanticizes violence and vengeance. Even being anti-war or not glorifying

the military is sacreiligious in some parts of the US. We love ourselves some killing.

[seabeyond]

12. they have the discipline to not kill. they chose to kill

but you are scary, lol lol i say in jest and love, though not too much love, cause oh what was that part of you post about a happy couple. may be a little wary of looking too happy with partner in future. teasing

they make the choice. never "out of control" always a choice.

[prolesunited]

17. They have as much "discipline"

not to kill as you have not to be mentally ill.

I'm sure anyone who has never experienced mental illness as you have couldn't fathom what it's like to be you either. Just because it's beyond your realm of comprehension does not mean it doesn't happen.

And, enjoy your illusion of control because if you are mentally ill, control *is* just an illusion.

[melissaf]

15. I think some people

commit these crimes because they think they're getting payback for something one person or a community of people did to them. Flunking out of school? It's the school's fault, therefore (in their minds) it's okay to take out their frustration and anger on anyone who represents the school to them.

I've heard other reasons, which I can't remember now. What's so creepy about psychopathology is that at least in schizophrenia, there's always an internal logic to the person's delusions.

Or, to put it another way by some famous author I can't remember, either: no man ever believes he does evil.