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Aside from the fact I don't agree with your identification of the culprits, so what? It's an online forum. You get an infraction, you get an infraction. I've gotten several. I try to stay civil but knowing that ultimately the worst that can happen is a banning from City-Data...I'm not going to be too deterred from speaking my mind.
And I'd volunteer slapstick as the lowest form of wit. Pretty much anything other than sarcasm.
The brain does not act on its own. Its your set of beliefs, upbringing, culture , circumstances and information. Now with lots of useless information being fed to masses, anything is possible.
Mental illness does not care what your upbringing was. But in this case, his dad was a criminal and diagnosed "psychopath" was the word used on his wanted poster.
your concept of 'successful' may need to be reimagined
Financial independence is American society's concept of success. I guarantee that guy had people kissing his butt right and left just because he had money. A picture of who he was is emerging, the guy he was before infamy as the biggest mass killer in US history, and it was of a rich arrogant a$$hole. Just like many, many rich a$$holes who are looked up to in our society despite being major a$$holes - "successful" people.
The terrible tragedy that happened in Las Vegas has people searching for the answer of why did he do it?
In my mind, we cannot answer that question, and I'm not sure how close we are. When one points at a terrorist with proven ties to a group like ISIS, many times that's how the question gets answered. But that's more of a cause than an answer. It's the individual's brain that dictates the why. The understanding of mental illness has a long way to go, and I'm pretty sure those in the field know that. The brain is complex. We don't understand how signals really work, and what could cause a person to process their world in such a manner to carry out such an act.
Are we years, decades, or more from really beginning to target an understanding of the brain at a deeper level? Or will it even happen in our lifetime?
I don't think the explanation is psychological. I believe it falls in the area of religion and/or politics. Of course psychology can help understand why someone may get so tangled up in either that they commit horrific deeds. Maybe it is the need to belong.
I think the motive was driven by Islamism. The Philippine connection is my clue.
If you remember one of the Oklahoma City bombers, Bob Nichols, received his training in the Muslim parts of the Philippines. Mr. Paddock's girlfriend was from there, and indeed in the Philippines at the time of the massacre. And he had transferred large amounts of money to the Philippines in the weeks prior to the killings. I don't think this is a coincidence. And add to it the method of "fighting by massacre" that is apparently part and parcel of militant Islam.
In 10,000 years who knows what the human race will look like. The kind of world where there is no ability to harm others and where a person's mental state is known at all times is not one I'd want to live in.
The movie Minority Report was flawed, in that I don't think the idea of the "Pre-cogs" really worked.
However, the general idea of more and more monitoring of people with ever encroaching technology is going to continue. Like the frogs in slowly boiling pot, we won't know what's happening to us. People will be born into a world of near total control and they will accept it as normal.
The only way to prevent someone from randomly popping off is to scrutinize everyone's mental health almost on a daily basis. Is this even possible or desirable?
I don't think the explanation is psychological. I believe it falls in the area of religion and/or politics. Of course psychology can help understand why someone may get so tangled up in either that they commit horrific deeds. Maybe it is the need to belong.
I think the motive was driven by Islamism. The Philippine connection is my clue.
If you remember one of the Oklahoma City bombers, Bob Nichols, received his training in the Muslim parts of the Philippines. Mr. Paddock's girlfriend was from there, and indeed in the Philippines at the time of the massacre. And he had transferred large amounts of money to the Philippines in the weeks prior to the killings. I don't think this is a coincidence. And add to it the method of "fighting by massacre" that is apparently part and parcel of militant Islam.
I understand the search for motives. And to the needs of people, a motive draws a conclusion which brings closure.
But it never digs deep enough to answer why the choice of Islam, or why the choice of carrying out a horrific act. A human being was behind those guns firing away at innocent people. In my opinion, the root cause points to brain functionality, whether it be rationalization or reasoning, etc.
This article gives some insight as to how a person may develop into a psychopathic personality but as some people mentioned before, he sure gives rich a$$holes a bad rap.
It's unclear exactly how the personality of a psychopath develops but it is known that some circumstance in childhood can increase the likelihood of psychopathology but also some brain and genetic abnormalities also play a part. It is possible that the following are environmental factors that may put a child at risk for developing a psychopathic personality:
Negative parenting focusing on punishment and on a lack of rewards or inconsistent parenting
Other types of poor parenting
A lack of parental involvement
Having an antisocial (sociopathic) or psychopathic parent
I understand the search for motives. And to the needs of people, a motive draws a conclusion which brings closure.
But it never digs deep enough to answer why the choice of Islam, or why the choice of carrying out a horrific act. A human being was behind those guns firing away at innocent people. In my opinion, the root cause points to brain functionality, whether it be rationalization or reasoning, etc.
This guy was not Islamic. He didn't appear to have any particular political leanings and wasn't religious at all. His girlfriend is from the Phillipines, he met here here. That is not odd depending on area, here in NJ half my co-workers are from the Phillipines.
He told her to go back there before he committed the crime, no doubt to protect her, and he sent her money to make sure she was taken care of. The vast vast majority of the Phillipines is Christian, someone posted stats earlier. There has not been a single connection found to any ideaology of any sort.
ISIS tried to take credit for it, don't give them the satisfaction, the guy was a nut with a psycho father who was on the FBIs 10 most wanted list, and result of bad genetics. JMO.
Bad genetics+easy access to deadly weapons+media coverage allows you-to go out in blaze of glory = guys like this
This article gives some insight as to how a person may develop into a psychopathic personality...."It's unclear exactly how the personality of a psychopath develops but it is known that some circumstance in childhood can increase the likelihood of psychopathology but also some brain and genetic abnormalities also play a part."
The genetic component to psychopathy is not as well understood. Robert Hare devised the Hare Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R)and is the author of Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us; he has a good understanding of this. We'll probably find out that there were some red flags in Paddock's past that pointed toward him having these traits.
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