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Why do we see so much space in digital media (probably print too) given to identifying evil people, mean people, dangerous people, sociopathic people, homicidal people..... ?
Is that where people's interest really lies? There have always been really bad people in society, but the focus was never on doing a psychological assessment of them. What is all this fear mongering(?) doing to us, and our general outlook of life?
I saw an ad yesterday telling me the 30 signs indicating an evil person. Most of it was common sense. With all the characteristics they listed, like no remorse, mean to animals, and blaming everyone else for their situations, come on now, if you don't hit the ground running, and you're not scared stupid, I can't help you.
At the same time in our nation, Ted Bundy was unhinged and footloose, as well as Gary Ridgeway. Those are evil people. All this attention on deviant behavior and personality is making us fatalistic, pessimistic and gloomy. What happened to not letting disturbing and upsetting information dominate our lives?
People have lost that spark of joie de vivre.
Honestly, I haven't seen anything like you're describing. What you see online is different than what others see online and it's based on your browsing history in most cases. You probably clicked on some article once and now that's all you're seeing.
Why do we see so much space in digital media (probably print too) given to identifying evil people, mean people, dangerous people, sociopathic people, homicidal people..... ?
I have simple fix for you.
STOP WATCHING/READING/LISTENING.
Open your eyes and look at people around you.
Normal, aye?
That's all news you need to have.
Done.
Why do we see so much space in digital media (probably print too) given to identifying evil people, mean people, dangerous people, sociopathic people, homicidal people..... ?
Is that where people's interest really lies? There have always been really bad people in society, but the focus was never on doing a psychological assessment of them. What is all this fear mongering(?) doing to us, and our general outlook of life?
I saw an ad yesterday telling me the 30 signs indicating an evil person. Most of it was common sense. With all the characteristics they listed, like no remorse, mean to animals, and blaming everyone else for their situations, come on now, if you don't hit the ground running, and you're not scared stupid, I can't help you.
At the same time in our nation, Ted Bundy was unhinged and footloose, as well as Gary Ridgeway. Those are evil people. All this attention on deviant behavior and personality is making us fatalistic, pessimistic and gloomy. What happened to not letting disturbing and upsetting information dominate our lives?
People have lost that spark of joie de vivre.
Forever the need for people separating themselves from other people for the sake of self-preservation. Even the evil, mean, dangerous, and sociopathic people separate from others when feeling threatened. It has always been this way, just more obvious now since the arrival of digital media.
Why do we see so much space in digital media (probably print too) given to identifying evil people, mean people, dangerous people, sociopathic people, homicidal people..... ?
Is that where people's interest really lies? There have always been really bad people in society, but the focus was never on doing a psychological assessment of them. What is all this fear mongering(?) doing to us, and our general outlook of life?
I saw an ad yesterday telling me the 30 signs indicating an evil person. Most of it was common sense. With all the characteristics they listed, like no remorse, mean to animals, and blaming everyone else for their situations, come on now, if you don't hit the ground running, and you're not scared stupid, I can't help you.
At the same time in our nation, Ted Bundy was unhinged and footloose, as well as Gary Ridgeway. Those are evil people. All this attention on deviant behavior and personality is making us fatalistic, pessimistic and gloomy. What happened to not letting disturbing and upsetting information dominate our lives?
People have lost that spark of joie de vivre.
How many television series are there about homicide detectives?
How many movies are there about spies?
...and...
How many television series are there about plumbers?
How many movies are there about accountants?
People are interested in interesting things. Conflict is interesting. That's why George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are popular topics of study and Martin Van Buren and Chester Arthur not so much. Existential threats are interesting. Remember the series Murder She Wrote? How do you think a series titled Flat Tire She Wrote would go over?
Also? This is nothing new. Don't try and turn this into a 'society used to be great but now it sucks' thing.
Honestly, I haven't seen anything like you're describing. What you see online is different than what others see online and it's based on your browsing history in most cases. You probably clicked on some article once and now that's all you're seeing.
I was just going to say that. I don’t get those type articles in my newsfeed or popping up online, either.
How many television series are there about homicide detectives?
How many movies are there about spies?
...and...
How many television series are there about plumbers?
How many movies are there about accountants?
People are interested in interesting things. Conflict is interesting. That's why George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are popular topics of study and Martin Van Buren and Chester Arthur not so much. Existential threats are interesting. Remember the series Murder She Wrote? How do you think a series titled Flat Tire She Wrote would go over?
Also? This is nothing new. Don't try and turn this into a 'society used to be great but now it sucks' thing.
Yes, I find it i interesting too. I don’t watch horror movies etc, but I did watch 20/20 yesterday which was about Ted Bundy, specifically an interview with his long-time girlfriend and her daughter, who Ted lived with for years and who had no idea who he really was (until much, much later, when she called police and helped prove he was the killer). I found the double life interesting, he had normal suburban life and was well-liked. And I found it interesting as the gf started to suspect and still had to act normal so he didn’t know she suspected anything. Back then she looked just like the girls he killed, long straight hair parted in the middle.
Because of the kind of work I did I spent at least thirty years pursuing the question - What is the difference between a sick person and an evil person? I think it's a vital question and unless an article addresses this issue it only serves as click bait or something to further the continued ignorance of mental illness in our country.
The answer can be an enigma though and I've seen way too many people in the psychological field, especially in these days, label sick human beings as "toxic." I think this has lead to a great deal of dysfunction and pain and is anything but a therapeutic approach.
The answer lies in who is treatable and who isn't and the key to amenity to treatment can be locked away so deep that even a good evaluator cannot find it.
What to make of those who seem impervious to treatment? That's a good question, a spiritual question. Does evil dwell among us? If so, what is the correct and humane response to it?
I hesitate to put it into words but sometimes I have wondered, do they fit the definition of "human being?"
How many television series are there about homicide detectives?
How many movies are there about spies?
...and...
How many television series are there about plumbers?
How many movies are there about accountants?
People are interested in interesting things. Conflict is interesting. That's why George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are popular topics of study and Martin Van Buren and Chester Arthur not so much. Existential threats are interesting. Remember the series Murder She Wrote? How do you think a series titled Flat Tire She Wrote would go over?
Also? This is nothing new. Don't try and turn this into a 'society used to be great but now it sucks' thing.
Also, people want news about things they need to know about. People feel they might need to know how to identify if someone is unhinged. Feel-good stuff is a "nice to know," not a "need to know." It's great someone saved a puppy, but I don't need that information the way I'd need awareness of the fact that there's a murderer in my neighborhood, as "negative" as that information is.
Can we please all, however, take the thread title with a grain of salt and not lump "evil people" and "mentally ill people" together as the same thing? (I'm not saying anyone has done this so far, but for future posters: the thread title makes implications that it's not cool to run with...)
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