AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He’sten. He knew Meddie could’ve been killed. He must have known, too, he couldn’t explain this one away: the trouble he’d be in.
And he did it anyway.
I remember what it was like when I was his age: when I walked along a roof ridge line or played chicken with an intercity train just to be able tofeel. You’ll do anything to end the torment and break through the numbness. It’s why my heart aches for him, despite what he’s just done. When I look into his eyes, what I see is triumph – and despair. Our daughter’s physical injuries will heal. Peter’s psychic wounds are incurable.
I can’t bear to think how lonely my son must be. In violent psychopaths, there’s a strong relationship between the intensity of loneliness they experience, and the degree of violence and recklessness in their actions. Peter has fewfriends, despite his outward charm and affability. He spends far too much time in his own head, which is why he gets bullied at school.
I remember watching the CCTV of the two shooters at Columbine High School strolling the corridors with no semblance of fear or remorse for the appalling atrocities they were committing. And in addition to my shock and repulsion, I experienced one other very acute sensation: recognition.
I understood those boys. Worse, I could identify with them.
Not with what theydid– dear God,no, not with that,neverthat. The pain and suffering they inflicted on the children they murdered, on those who loved them – unimaginable. But I think I understand why those two boys did what they did. Their loneliness and alienation must have been truly agonising for them to do something so inhuman.
Peter already thinks the world is against him. If I can’t turn things around for him now, eventually he’ll reach the point of no return. He’ll cut through the last thin connection to the normal world.
Shoot up a school. Abduct and smother a child.
And there’ll be nothing I can do to stop him.
SETtalks | psychologies series
Science♦Entertainment♦Technology
Inside the mind of a psychopath |Original Air Date 9 July
The transcript below has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
For most people, the ninety-nine out of a hundred who aren’t psychopaths, murder is unquestionably wrong.
You don’t even have to think about it.
It’s the ultimate crime, right? Taking a life.
We could get into the weeds debating whether child abuse or betraying your country are actually worse than murder, but generally speaking I think most people can agree stabbing an old lady to death for her handbag is one of the most heinous crimes there is.
Psychopaths are biologically incapable of understandingwhythat’s wrong – it’s like asking someone who was born blind to grasp the concept ofgreen. But even we can see that, according to your rules, going round slaughtering people isn’t going to win you any popularity contests.
But there are some exceptions to this rule, aren’t there?
Sometimes it’s OK to kill people.
Let’s take the military, for example. Soldiers are actuallypaidto kill each other.
Yes, I know that’s not the same. Legally the killing of an enemy in the heat of war is allowed. It’s fine to kill people if it’s for the right reasons. If you’re defending your country, you can actually get a medal for it.
And what about the death penalty? In Britain, it was abolished in 1965, though treason remained punishable by death until 1998. But across the Pond, Texans are happy to stick the needle in the arm of anyone who looks at them funny. They call it justice.
My point is: sometimes killing people is a heinous crime, and sometimes it’s the right thing to do.
And the line between the two is much more blurred than you might think.
Murder one or manslaughter?
Second-degree murder or self-defence?
The Americans have a legal defence they call the ‘castle doctrine’ which is actually based on English common law: your home is your castle and you have the right to defend it. You don’t even have to prove you’re in danger at the time: if your drunk neighbour breaks into your garage one night to take back some tools he lent you, you’ve every right to shoot him in the back.
Seriously, is it any wonder people like me get so confused?
