How do people get crazy enough to become mass murderers?
First a disclaimer: I am in no way a psychologist or any other kind of professional on wetware. I am a computer geek/nerd/admin. You know what that means? Not exactly good on people skills. But here we go...
Questions have been voiced about why the mass murderers seem to be male, white middle class. A few possible explanations entered my mind today, centered on a few peculiarities in the american society as seen from the outside. I could be way off... Please don't feel insulted.
A psychologist claimed that a lot of the maya calendar hysteria was rooted in a need to fear something. To feel a contrast to our easy life. That without any fear in our lives we would go crazy.
And it struck me. The USA is the country of litigations. The country where everything has to be safe, or it will cost you. The country where people don't dare hold childrens birthday parties at home because they fear what would happen if a visitor hurt him/herself. Where playgrounds must be so safe the only reason children don't fall asleep is that they have never experienced a better one.
Add in double standards. Americans are extremely good there. Pretend to be so religious. Go to church. Because if you don't your environment will react. You can be the same person all you want, but if you don't pretend to be a good christian...
And remember to always be polite. Never, ever say a foul word or raise your voice. Talk behind peoples back instead of tackling them head on.
Do white middle class boys grow up with so few challenges and so few dangers that they have a bigger chance of going crazy? Do the double standards add to it? Do all kinds of minorities either have other family values or meet so many challenges that it actually saves them mentally? Do women meet so many challenges just for being women that they are saved? Or do they handle the problem differently?
Or is it just me who should go back to writing shell scripts instead of trying to understand people?
