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What is the psychology of people who idiolize mass shooters, sees them as heroes and replicate their acts? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 10 months ago by vis4valentine@lemmy.ml to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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Im not fully grasping how the mind of those "copycats" works. People who are obsessed with Columbine for example, and want to do a mass shooting. That is their thought process? Is there some study I can read exploring what's on their minds?

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[–] Vilian@lemmy.ca 2 points 10 months ago (2 children)

almost all mass shooters are bullies, so the question can be why they are ~~assholes~~ like that?

[–] mysoulishome@lemmy.world 8 points 10 months ago

I don’t know that I agree with this take…plenty of them are bullied, feel like outcasts, suffer from mental illness, and I think often have some latent sociopathy (lack of remorse) and this all combines to them feeling like they want “revenge” on society. I’m thinking about the columbine shooters from when I was a kid but many fit that profile.

So others feeling this way might feel gratified that these other shooters got revenge, the people picking on them got what they deserved…etc.

I think it’s also a different reaction to feeling suicidal. Instead of wanting to hurt yourself…you want to hurt “the world” but for the same reasons

[–] richieadler@lemmy.myserv.one 5 points 10 months ago

Well, in a nation where bullying is glorified as a necessary rite of passage, why should it be surprising that so many bullied people end bullying others?