Killers

Milky Moo

Can anyone become a killer if the right set of circumstances are in play or are there only a few people who are capable of actually commiting the act?
Are some people born killers?

Kiera

I'm kinda afraid to give my opinion on this....

Why do you ask OP?

pierrot

nah, they're ****e

chin_grin

Milky Moo with this thread in AH. What? Not the right answer? Aw.

But to answer your question would need someone with a degree in criminal psychology..…....or by watching Trading Spaces. You know that Nature vs Nurture argument.

PurpleBerry

pierrot wrote: »

nah, they're ****e

I agree. Hot Fuss was a good album, but their new stuff stinks. IMO.

Zadkiel

I'm not sure.
if someone harmed my nieces I KNOW I would WANT to kill them but when it came down to it if I was looking down the barrel of a gun at them could I do it?
Dunno; I think its something know-one knows until they are faced with it.
If you're asking would certain people find it easier to kill....definitely.

Milky Moo

Watching a thing on oprah about a son who killed his family,the dad survived,the police had warned them before hand that he had made threats that he was planning to kill them(people who had heard him made the police aware of it)
The dad seems pretty normal,they seemed to have a normal life.It just kind of brought the thought ito my head,are some people natural born killers and is it just a matter of time before they snap and do the deed?

Mr.Lizard

Everyone likes to think they'd never kill but I'd reckon nearly anyone has it in them if the right circustances presented themselves. It's all about limiting those circumstances with intelligence and lifestyle choices.

Milky Moo

I can't remember where I read it but it went something like,the innocent always underestimate how hard it is to kill.
You know because they would never try to attempt it so they just assume it is extremely easy for those that commit such acts,for some reason I think it is from harry potter

CreepingDeath

Milky Moo wrote: »

Can anyone become a killer if the right set of circumstances are in play or are there only a few people who are capable of actually commiting the act?
Are some people born killers?

Depends on the method.

Signing a death warrant is pretty removed from the act.
Dropping bombs from an altitude means you never see their faces.

But the premeditated killing someone face-to-face would be extreme and only someone with either no emotion (psychopathic), or very strong anger/fear would probably do it.

Milky Moo

chin_grin wrote: »

Milky Moo with this thread in AH. What? Not the right answer? Aw.

But to answer your question would need someone with a degree in criminal psychology..…....or by watching Trading Spaces. You know that Nature vs Nurture argument.

Sorry it was professor plum in the library with the rope.

stovelid

Milky Moo wrote: »

Can anyone become a killer if the right set of circumstances are in play

Behind keyboard answer: hell yeah.

Real answer: I don't really think so.

BaconZombie

Since my boss has had Phantom FM on constantly in our small office for the last 5-6months, if I hear another song by "The Killer" I'm going to go on a Postal Killing Spree........

Milky Moo wrote: »

Can anyone become a killer if the right set of circumstances are in play or are there only a few people who are capable of actually commiting the act?
Are some people born killers?

ART6

Milky Moo wrote: »

Can anyone become a killer if the right set of circumstances are in play or are there only a few people who are capable of actually commiting the act?
Are some people born killers?

Going by the M50 toll thread in Motors forum it sounds like quite a lot of people are close to being driven to it:D

Diabhal Beag

Anyone who lives through a Brian Cowen era of government is a killer. **** us all

arybvtcw0eolkf

Milky Moo wrote: »

Can anyone become a killer if the right set of circumstances are in play or are there only a few people who are capable of actually commiting the act?
Are some people born killers?

Given the right situ. we can all kill someone, but it takes someone entirely different to murder someone.

Example, a friend of mine knocked down and killed two guys, other friend knocked down and killed a man. Totally accidents.

Another friend murdered a woman in a high profile murder trail, he tried to hide his crime for two weeks but was caught so he was clearly capable of murder.

.

me-skywalker

I have...

JR

jester77

Everytime I knock one off... I get a guilty pleasure out of it!

Abi

Milky Moo wrote: »

Can anyone become a killer if the right set of circumstances are in play or are there only a few people who are capable of actually commiting the act?Are some people born killers?

I dont think so. Some people would react differently than others given a certain set of circumstances.

From everything that Ive watched and read on the matter, for the likes of one-off murders, often would know their victim. For the sake of example, a husband finds out his wife has been unfaithful. There are varying degrees on how this is handled. Do you talk about it and get marital help? Do you gather evidence and file for divorce? Or, do you kill her?

Others are born 'damaged' with psychological capibility of killing repeatedly.

Manic Moran

The answer you seek, young Padawan, is to be found in the most excellent book "On Killing," by LTC (ret) Dave Grossman, a psychologist.

It claims to be the first book on the subject of 'killology', the study of killing. There are some minor flaws in the supporting arguments (for example, the reliance on the flawed SLA Marshall study) and I disagree with some of his conclusions in the final chapter on the effects of modern society, but as a psychologists's view on just what it takes to get someone to kill another, it is the definitive work.

He has a companion work directed specifically towards the military application, entitled "On Combat"

NTM

Tar.Aldarion

Most poeple have it in them

Capt'n Midnight

Milky Moo wrote: »

Can anyone become a killer if the right set of circumstances are in play or are there only a few people who are capable of actually commiting the act?
Are some people born killers?

I thought the idea of the military was to turn ordinary people into killers

pierrot

if you were put in a certain position, for example, to save the life of your own child, it would be more instinctive

SEPT 23 1989

pierrot wrote: »

if you were put in a certain position, for example, to save the life of your own child, it would be more instinctive

totally agree it would be an automatic reaction to murder something which tries harm your children its caveman stuff

Wibbs

Yes honestly I think I could in the right circumstances. I would have the view that not all human life is sacred or valuable. There are many types of people I would have little issue pulling the trigger on, given the right circumstances. Of course in the case of self defence it wouldn't be any issue at all. That includes self defence of my property too. If it was legal to shoot and kill intruders I wouldn't give it a second thought TBH. So lucky it's not legal than.

Blazer

Everyone's a potential killer. Just 99.999% of us don't actually kill anyone.
Technically a soldier's a killer so if you look at WW2 for example all manners from people from farm workers to college kids to school teachers all became killers.
As for myself if anyone ever harmed my family I'd quite happily kill them to prevent it from happening again. But it doesn't mean I go to kill someone.
It all boils down to circumstances that affect us.

missbaker

There's alot of lady killers out there

alexandros

Milky Moo wrote: »

Watching a thing on oprah about.....

Why the hell are you watching oprah???

And better yet.. why are you admitting it in public??

Piste

I think eveyone has it in them to kill. If I had a gun and someone ws trying to attack me, I'd have no problem shooting them. I would'nt shoot to kill, just to incapacitate, but I wouldn't lose any sleep over it if I did kill them.

994

Mathew Reilly wrote: »

Technically a soldier's a killer so if you look at WW2 for example all manners from people from farm workers to college kids to school teachers all became killers.

Actually, surveys of soldiers after the war showed that many could not force themselves to shoot at the enemy, they fired above them; and only a tiny fraction actually wanted to kill. Which is why the American army brought in the indoctrination/dehumanisation training as in "Full Metal Jacket".

Piste wrote: »

I think eveyone has it in them to kill. If I had a gun and someone ws trying to attack me, I'd have no problem shooting them. I would'nt shoot to kill, just to incapacitate, but I wouldn't lose any sleep over it if I did kill them.

Actually, odds are it would haunt you for years.

PK2008

Milky Moo wrote: »

Can anyone become a killer if the right set of circumstances are in play or are there only a few people who are capable of actually commiting the act?
Are some people born killers?

Most cases of homocide (and suicide) are related to high stress situations where the perpatrator feels they are losing control of their life- the act is often triggered as a way of regaining control and most often done by "normal" people.

Did you know............Psychopaths, the people usually assumed to be "born killers", despite the commonly held belief dont often commit murder. In general people suffering from psychopathy lack the two basic triggers for murder- first of all they cant put together complex premeditated acts which involve building contingencies and they tend to lack emotional reactions- ranging from both empathy to rage. They do however understand the consequences of murder so while it wouldnt bother them to do it they generally avoid it.

minidazzler

Anyone has the Ability to kill, all it takes is some sort of method.

Most don't have the will to kill. Given the right moment of irrational thought, we would all kill someone. No matter who you are.

Some Don't care if they kill or not.

Few have the Desire to kill.


If it came down to it, I could do it, for whatever reason, if I thought the person deserved to die, I could definitely do it. But, that doesn't mean I will go out of my way to find someone who deserves it!!!

It wasn't me!

A study found that people are naturally abhorred by the thought of killing one another for the most part. This led to the adoption of humanoid targets by military organisations for training purposes. With other target types, soldiers were prone to hesitation and dying as a result. The discipline to kill without hesitation displayed by a modern military force is a product of centuries of research on the subject. Soldiers who have seen active combat will be able to describe how they feel and how the training helps.

I've killed animals, but never without considering it and I understand what it is to take life in an abstract sense, and I don't regret doing so, but I do appreciate what life is and what it means. I have military aspirations myself, so the discipline to kill is something I'll learn more about later in my life.

My own feeling is that most people are capable of killing other people in the right circumstances, and without the immediate pressure of having to do so to survive, but ultimately it's random chance whether they actually commit the deed unless they have the training to do so instinctively. I also think a lot of people aren't capable of dealing with the psychological aftermath of taking human life. I mean, I've yet to shoot an animal and not feel just a tiny bit sad at the loss of the life, but I still do it again because there are good reasons to do it. I expect I'd regret taking a human life as well, but with training and psychological discipline, I expect I could rationalise it and deal with it in my own way, the key being the training and help.

It's all too easy to assume you're capable of killing, but I've known people who were so averse to it that they said they wouldn't kill someone even in self-defence, and I think that's probably a lot more honest and true to the case than those who claim they'd have no problem with it.

Killers aren't born; they're made by years of intense training which comes from centuries of military research into how to do it. Those who can kill are down to random chance, and the ability to deal with having killed is a product of personality and disposition and the same training and research as creates good soldiers.

Black Swan

How do you like your steak? Rare, medium, or well done?

It wasn't me!

Blue_Lagoon wrote: »

How do you like your steak? Rare, medium, or well done?

Mooing, bloody and pissed off.

Snowie

Blue_Lagoon wrote: »

How do you like your steak? Rare, medium, or well done?

blue.....

K-9

Don't knock something till you've tried it.

minidazzler

It wasn't me! wrote: »

A study found that people are naturally abhorred by the thought of killing one another for the most part.

This is total and utter Bullsh1t. We are CULTURALLY abhorred to the thought of killing another person. In the West that is. We are not Naturally against it. If we were all naturally against it then we would not have had so many wars in the past.

It's all to do with todays Culture not it's nature. Physiologically we are basically Identical to our Ancestors. Yet they killed eachother more, because it was a different culture.


Look at Africa, or Afghanistan. In some culture's there it is "Natural" to kill one another. But that is not actually in their Nature is it? They aren't born wanting to kill each other, they are Raised wanting to kill eachother.


It just so happens we are not.

Simple fact is, that it is in EVERYONE to kill someone, we CAN all do it. Most won't, But every able bodied man, woman and child has the ability to end the life of another human being. With the simple pull of a trigger, Slash of a Knife.

Sure some people are against it mentally, but they could still do it. In one moment of Irrational thought, Ghandi could have killed someone. There is no way to refute that.

nacho libre

'You're walking down a street and there's an accident. A car has hit a child in the crosswalk. A crowd of people gather round. You walk up, the child's lying on the ground and there's blood running all over the place. You get a little blood on your shoes and you look down and say, "Oh ****." You look over at the child, kind of interested, but you're not repelled or horrified. You're just interested. Then you look at the mother, and you're really fascinated by the mother, who's emoting, crying out, doing all these different things. After a few minutes you turn away and go back to your house. You go into the bathroom and practice mimicking the facial expressions of the mother.' " He then pauses and says, "That's the psychopath: somebody who doesn't understand what's going on emotionally, but understands that something important has happened."

It wasn't me!

minidazzler wrote: »

This is total and utter Bullsh1t. We are CULTURALLY abhorred to the thought of killing another person. In the West that is. We are not Naturally against it. If we were all naturally against it then we would not have had so many wars in the past.

Apologies. It's late and I'm tired. I meant to convey that this is cultural conditioning rather than biological hardwiring.

minidazzler

It wasn't me! wrote: »

Apologies. It's late and I'm tired. I meant to convey that this is cultural conditioning rather than biological hardwiring.

Cool, I get you, so we are in agreement.:D:D:D:D

seanybiker

if someone crashes their car and kills someone they could be called killers i suppose . Even though they didnt mean to do it.
If anyone ever done or tries to do anything to any of me family I wouldnt hesitate to kill someone. I dont mean like give a family member a slap or anything. I mean something really wrong like forgot to sky+ emmerdale or something.

Tar.Aldarion

This is total and utter Bullsh1t. We are CULTURALLY abhorred to the thought of killing another person. In the West that is. We are not Naturally against it. If we were all naturally against it then we would not have had so many wars in the past.

It's all to do with todays Culture not it's nature. Physiologically we are basically Identical to our Ancestors. Yet they killed eachother more, because it was a different culture.


Look at Africa, or Afghanistan. In some culture's there it is "Natural" to kill one another. But that is not actually in their Nature is it? They aren't born wanting to kill each other, they are Raised wanting to kill eachother.


It just so happens we are not.

Simple fact is, that it is in EVERYONE to kill someone, we CAN all do it. Most won't, But every able bodied man, woman and child has the ability to end the life of another human being. With the simple pull of a trigger, Slash of a Knife.

Sure some people are against it mentally, but they could still do it. In one moment of Irrational thought, Ghandi could have killed someone. There is no way to refute that.

You can't just say somebody would do it in a moment or irrational thought, it is true what you say about it simply being a cultural influence but once somebody has grown up and has lead a long life with strong convictions conditioning their mind, I think it's quite possible that they would never kill somebody. They could have if raised differently for instance.

nacho libre

PK2008 wrote: »

Most cases of homocide (and suicide) are related to high stress situations where the perpatrator feels they are losing control of their life- the act is often triggered as a way of regaining control and most often done by "normal" people.

Did you know............Psychopaths, the people usually assumed to be "born killers", despite the commonly held belief dont often commit murder..

They rarely, contrary to popular opinion, commit criminal acts either.

minidazzler

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

I said Irrational thought. That gives the leeway to say anyone. Because it is an Irrational discision anyone even with the strongest convictions could make it. That's what it's called Irrational.

I said Irrational thought. That gives the leeway to say anyone. Because it is an Irrational discision anyone even with the strongest convictions could make it. That's what it's called Irrational.

Tar.Aldarion

Irrational thought != irrational action. You also just can't say everybody has it in them to get a thought strong enough to kill somebody, or that the thought to kill somebody is irrational.

minidazzler

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

Irrational thought != irrational action. You also just can't say everybody has it in them to get a thought strong enough to kill somebody, or that the thought to kill somebody is irrational.

While I do believe everyone can get thoughts which lead them to kill someone.

I don't believe the thought to kill everyone is irrational. I would see it as a perfectly rational decision to kill someone who raped someone close to me. Or was trying to kill me. etc.


But even the most pacifistic has the means to kill someone, and we all get the oppertunity. The only other piece is Motivation. And if the motivation is strong enough then anyone could kill someone.

I am not saying anyone can Murder. Or that anyone can intentionally kill someone. But anyone can kill someone, even if in self defence it is still killing someone.

Tar.Aldarion

We disagree, I think there are poeple who would not kill, people have different minds and their upbringing is a huge factor as well as their personality. I think Gandhi, to use your example, would not kill somebody even in self defense, and would let himself die. Sure people can have thoughts about killing somebody but I don't think a lot of people would actually do it in this society.

minidazzler

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

We disagree, I think there are poeple who would not kill, people have different minds and their upbringing is a huge factor as well as their personality. I think Gandhi, to use your example, would not kill somebody even in self defense, and would let himself die. Sure people can have thoughts about killing somebody but I don't think a lot of people would actually do it in this society.

And I think in situations where the emotions are strong enough, irrational thought's can turn into irrational actions in anyone.

We agree to disagree, I accept your view's but I feel they are wrong.:pac:

Nappy

Im defo not a killer, I think? but would'nt the prospect of a lifechanging amount of money, no pun intended, sway your thoughts... :rolleyes:

minidazzler

Nappy wrote: »

Im defo not a killer, I think? but would'nt the prospect of a lifechanging amount of money, no pun intended, sway your thoughts... :rolleyes:

It really depends. Is it just a regular Joe Soap trying to get by.

Or Someone deserving of death?


Regular Joe Soap - Never
Someone Deserving of Death - Maybe, I don't know but unlikely if they haven't affected me or those close to me.
Brian Cowen - Keep the money, just give me the gun.:D