Psychology of crazy people

[El Fresa]

I mean we all get intrusive thoughts from time to time, its a natural defence mechanism put forth by the mind to be somewhat civilized. But seriously, what separates us from the rapists, paedos, cold blooded killers of the world. I've read acts so despicable that is hard for the mind to comprehend, for example the Austrian man that locked his wife and daughters up in the cellar for 20 years and raped them repeatedly, and then proceeded to rape the siblings.

There's quite the difference, between natural taboo - If you are still a rather young man, lets say 38 years old, that gets aroused at the sight of a developed 16 year old, than that of a guy fucking a 10 month old baby. The first one is natural, we are wired that way in order to maintain the human race, but the second one is just too wicked to comprehend and what scares me the most is how can a human being that's similar, physically to myself and to you guys, be driven to the point of committing such a despicable act.

[MagsJ]

I think it's enough to know that one is on the right side of sane, but the mind does wonder why and how some can do unspeakable things that most of society knows is immoral.

[James S Saint]

I think it's enough to know that one is on the right side of sane..

Like that will ever happen.

[Moreno]

I think it's enough to know that one is on the right side of sane, but the mind does wonder why and how some can do unspeakable things that most of society knows is immoral.

and then there's the mind blowingly immoral stuff one can do that society knows is moral. Sanity and immorality are not opposites and consensus, let alone majority thinking, cannot assure moral behavior.

[Drusus]

I mean we all get intrusive thoughts from time to time, its a natural defence mechanism put forth by the mind to be somewhat civilized. But seriously, what separates us from the rapists, paedos, cold blooded killers of the world. I've read acts so despicable that is hard for the mind to comprehend, for example the Austrian man that locked his wife and daughters up in the cellar for 20 years and raped them repeatedly, and then proceeded to rape the siblings.

There's quite the difference, between natural taboo - If you are still a rather young man, lets say 38 years old, that gets aroused at the sight of a developed 16 year old, than that of a guy fucking a 10 month old baby. The first one is natural, we are wired that way in order to maintain the human race, but the second one is just too wicked to comprehend and what scares me the most is how can a human being that's similar, physically to myself and to you guys, be driven to the point of committing such a despicable act.

Yes most of us know this is quite terrible and horrific, but what is your point?

[victorel21]

I mean we all get intrusive thoughts from time to time, its a natural defence mechanism put forth by the mind to be somewhat civilized. But seriously, what separates us from the rapists, paedos, cold blooded killers of the world. I've read acts so despicable that is hard for the mind to comprehend, for example the Austrian man that locked his wife and daughters up in the cellar for 20 years and raped them repeatedly, and then proceeded to rape the siblings.

There's quite the difference, between natural taboo - If you are still a rather young man, lets say 38 years old, that gets aroused at the sight of a developed 16 year old, than that of a guy fucking a 10 month old baby. The first one is natural, we are wired that way in order to maintain the human race, but the second one is just too wicked to comprehend and what scares me the most is how can a human being that's similar, physically to myself and to you guys, be driven to the point of committing such a despicable act.

conditioning.

[El Fresa]

I guess my question would be, how someone rational like us could degenerate to the point of becoming something like this

[Drusus]

I guess my question would be, how someone rational like us could degenerate to the point of becoming something like this

One can get sick and suffer brain damage, eat unhealthy and get a stroke, or just being born that way, there are endless of reasons why somene can end up doing such horrific things.

[jonquil]

I think that much of what we call craziness in a person has more to do with
nurture and the social environment than nature.

If you can take the person out of the toxic social or familial situation and
provide another safe healthy one, I think the so-called "craziness" would
simply subside over time.

I'm not saying that this would happen for every single individual on the planet,
but it would for many.

We are a society obsessed with certain given notions and memes about what
"normality" is and also with labeling and treating so-called "mental" issues
with drugs. This way of thinking and modality for treatment has been
ingrained in us through societal practice and conditioning to the point that
many of us cannot and do not question it or think about it.

Instead, a whole new way of thinking and being is required to come to a
different set of conclusions about mental and physical health and what kind
of society promotes that health and what kind of society promotes
dysfunction and so-called mental illness. That's where the discussion and
the practice need to go.

[Moreno]

I guess my question would be, how someone rational like us could degenerate to the point of becoming something like this

I am not sure we are all so rational, and I include myself in the package. I can be rational. It seems like most of us have moments of rationality, but heck, Hitler could be rational. Many serial killers are quite rational about many things. In fact the sickest crimes tend to require rationality. Going apeshit and screaming and running around hitting people and clawing at them won't get you anywhere near the crimes of the truly damaging people. The worst crimes have a strong element of rationality.

How can not 'sick' people become 'sick' criminals? Well, they probably were somewhat sick already. Many achieved some kind of power or expertise or felt compelled to explore urges they did not feel confident enough to explore earlier.

Being caught up in mobs can set people off, since suddenly the norm is sick. This can include mobs like the Nazis. I mean, not necessarily a bunch of people running amok as a group on the street, but any group that reinforces the sickness in each other, makes it seem normal.

Trauma and abuse can certainly set up sick behavior, though it can have quite the opposite effect and lead to someone being empathetic.

[obe]

I think it's enough to know that one is on the right side of sane, but the mind does wonder why and how some can do unspeakable things that most of society knows is immoral.

and then there's the mind blowingly immoral stuff one can do that society knows is moral. Sanity and immorality are not opposites and consensus, let alone majority thinking, cannot assure moral behavior.

There is a cetegory called "moral insanity"

[Moreno]

I think it's enough to know that one is on the right side of sane, but the mind does wonder why and how some can do unspeakable things that most of society knows is immoral.

and then there's the mind blowingly immoral stuff one can do that society knows is moral. Sanity and immorality are not opposites and consensus, let alone majority thinking, cannot assure moral behavior.

There is a cetegory called "moral insanity"

I can see that as a metaphor, but very nice, warm people who wouldn't hurt a fly can be completely bonkers, and people with a firm grip on reality, successful real world negotiators can be downright evil. To me sanity and morality are apples and bicycle spokes. Even moral insanity, it seems to me, would include not just 'bad people' but people who think it is moral to find homes for insects, are very loving and compassionate for wallpaper, who can be found spanking flat tires and who try to make amends for the tiniest little mistakes they have made in their lives. Like say trying to find and make it up to the guy who they stayed in line in front of at the supermarket ten years ago even though they could see the other guy was in a real hurry.

[loveissweet]

It just results from different experiences. Humans might be essentially the same in the way they function, but there can be a wide variety of experiences across a lifetime that create such divergences in how people can behave and think. A lot of these problems you talk about, OP, result from really inefficient ways of handling negative feelings. Some people just can't accept and they fight and fight and fight against them, regardless of what kind of hell it continues to create.

[barcelonic]

ElFresa-- great topic!

I think that a 40-yr old man who is average and 'incapable' of such horrendous acts, could not be "driven" to become a person with that 'capability.'
Instead I think the 40-yr old man who did these things was ""driven" towards being that person at a much younger age.

As humans our bodies stop growing but we never stop developing. Despite this the development process slows with age and so naturally we are at our most impressionable
when we are younger.

It is certainly the case that one can suppress who one truly is, and many such people probably die with this suppression ongoing, but whereas some will suppress better than others some will not suppress at all
and are often found guilty of committing atrocities in their youth.

Someone with emotional problems and social difficulties growing up is unlikely to find life much easier as an adult, so a 40-yr old person with such a pathology would likely have taken quite the emotional battering.
The particular event or series of events in that person's life which broke down their suppression is unknowable without evaluating on a case-by-case basis; and even then psychology can only take us so far, for as a man much wiser than me once said...

"If the brain were so simple we could understand it, we would be so simple we couldn't."