General Discussion

SoCalDem

(103,856 posts)

35. Falling short of their fantasy selves

Sat Jul 21, 2012, 12:22 PM

Jul 2012

I think males (being more visually stimulated) can sometimes blur the lines between their real selves, and their fantasy self.

For the ones who are timid, quiet, meek, bookish (or any other appellation given them AFTER they kill). perhaps they get so frustrated that they fave failed, that they lash out at anyone, anywhere, as if to prove to themselves that they ARE "somebody"....and if no one values them in "real" life, they will "show" them all..

It's an irrational act, but to them it probably makes sense..

We have seen men acting on their fantasy life in harmless ways, so I can see the odd ones now and then going too far..

Their fantasies often revolve around prowess with women who would never go out with them, but they still try...or jock-wannabees who are past their primes, but still try to perform in sports, even if they are perpetually injured by the sport (I know too many 50+ yr old basketball players .. )

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Why is it always young men? Is testosterone poisoning a problem? [View all] Patiod Jul 2012 OP

Gun = Dick? flamingdem Jul 2012 #1

Except that a lot of women own firearms. Edweird Jul 2012 #86

Testosterone and the "I deserve to be famous" thing..... PDJane Jul 2012 #2

If testosterone was the cause,there would be a lot more violence. Swede Jul 2012 #3

exactly. too many boys ad men do not behave in a violent world. there is a reason. i agree. nt. seabeyond Jul 2012 #5

Not testosterone - too MUCH testosterone Patiod Jul 2012 #6

Being male is part of the puzzle. Swede Jul 2012 #17

women have been taught to internalize... turn their issues within. men have been taught to explode seabeyond Jul 2012 #4

I've heard of it, but it's pretty rare Patiod Jul 2012 #9

hands down there are more girl fights in my sons high school, now a days, than there are seabeyond Jul 2012 #15

With guns? Patiod Jul 2012 #25

you are talking violence due to testosterone. now it is an issue about guns? males are hands down seabeyond Jul 2012 #36

I think you have hit on a Major point of public displays of volatility. nt NCTraveler Jul 2012 #12

Yep. Girls act in, boys act out. nnt rrneck Jul 2012 #14

I suspect that is true ... earthside Jul 2012 #41

i agree with your post. and the two causes you suggest and adding a major cause imo. parenting. seabeyond Jul 2012 #42

+1000000000 arely staircase Jul 2012 #59

Which leads to other uncomfortable phenomena. earthside Jul 2012 #60

agree with all but... seabeyond Jul 2012 #71

The divorce rate argument is bogus eridani Jul 2012 #102

i think that is why this is not often discussed. seabeyond Jul 2012 #106

violence and aggression and emotional immaturity arcane1 Jul 2012 #57

MMA and video games are two totally different things Hippo_Tron Jul 2012 #93

Testosterone "poisoning"? Marrah_G Jul 2012 #7

No, it is not testosterone poisoning. potone Jul 2012 #8

Actually, this deserves some serious discussion, imo. The fact that coalition_unwilling Jul 2012 #10

It's not always young men slackmaster Jul 2012 #11

Still overwhelming young men Patiod Jul 2012 #30

Also Jennifer San Marco maryellen99 Jul 2012 #101

I think, as was the case with Loughner, this guy was probably suffering from schizophrenia GarroHorus Jul 2012 #13

and if i remember correctly, it hits males more than females. but, i was thinking about this and seabeyond Jul 2012 #19

I think you are correct about the incidence of schizophrenia hifiguy Jul 2012 #92

yes, agree. nt seabeyond Jul 2012 #94

Why is it so often angry young white men? undeterred Jul 2012 #16

good point. and it is mostly young white men. if it was about testosterone, then it would not seabeyond Jul 2012 #21

Same with serial killers... undeterred Jul 2012 #29

Falling short of their fantasy selves SoCalDem Jul 2012 #35

again, all that i put on societal conditioning. males are not more visually stimulated science have seabeyond Jul 2012 #38

the DC sniper and his accomplice Bluerthanblue Jul 2012 #27

I think its unwise to use one canard to promote another. nt rrneck Jul 2012 #18

Yep. cliffordu Jul 2012 #44

Too much of anything is bad. Lint Head Jul 2012 #20

then why would it just be the young white male with too much. statisticall, this behavior is almost seabeyond Jul 2012 #23

You are correct. Lint Head Jul 2012 #37

there are discussions about women who kill their children- Bluerthanblue Jul 2012 #22

Mental illness hits young men at a bad time Confusious Jul 2012 #24

It's not always young males. LisaL Jul 2012 #26

And yet, who are the majority? Patiod Jul 2012 #31

you can find the answer in "Backlash" hfojvt Jul 2012 #48

Hfojvt, you've nailed it. Mimosa Jul 2012 #50

he played by the frigging rules - seabeyond Jul 2012 #53

Probably Durkheim was 150 years ahead of me, describing anomie hfojvt Jul 2012 #73

you are so right. w8liftinglady Jul 2012 #70

Could evolution have something to do with it? aint_no_life_nowhere Jul 2012 #28

That's the sort of discussion I'd like to see more of Patiod Jul 2012 #33

i guess then you are suggesting genetically it is only white male with this gene? nt seabeyond Jul 2012 #39

White males? aint_no_life_nowhere Jul 2012 #43

there are seabeyond Jul 2012 #49

Drive by shootings in the inner city don't distinguish between race or gender aint_no_life_nowhere Jul 2012 #58

"males associate aggression with success" hfojvt Jul 2012 #85

Oh, please, males have testosterone in every modern society in the world. The cause is access CTyankee Jul 2012 #32

I'm not saying "being male" caused this Patiod Jul 2012 #34

Yes, I know you didn't say being male was the cause. My point is testosterone, plus being CTyankee Jul 2012 #69

Virtually every swiss male has a gun and the same testosterone issues bhikkhu Jul 2012 #46

And the Swiss agree to regulate their guns sensibly. Also the Norwegians. CTyankee Jul 2012 #66

I'd argue that the mindset is the critical thing bhikkhu Jul 2012 #95

"nobody"? Really? CTyankee Jul 2012 #98

All it takes is a constitutional amendment bhikkhu Jul 2012 #103

There could also be a law expanding the rights of people to vote for reasonable gun control CTyankee Jul 2012 #104

This is the age when schizophrenia manifests itself nadinbrzezinski Jul 2012 #40

Bingo! TNLib Jul 2012 #47

Good question, but then the problem seems mostly to be in the US bhikkhu Jul 2012 #45

As a self respecting male I have more than a little bit of a problem with this jimlup Jul 2012 #51

it doesnt make sense, not even a little when the vast majority of men do not resort to murder seabeyond Jul 2012 #54

^ Agree with you ^ Mimosa Jul 2012 #62

I'm still wondering how we would react if it were women doing the shooting Patiod Jul 2012 #79

we are and have discussed, you just do not seem to like the answers. nt seabeyond Jul 2012 #80

Everybody's discussed it. Each time a mass killing happens. Mimosa Jul 2012 #91

Actually, it would be better explained by low testosterone nichomachus Jul 2012 #52

Possibly. Mimosa Jul 2012 #63

because angry rightwing extremists are MALES who listen to hate radio 24/7/365 graham4anything Jul 2012 #55

maybe it is caused by mothers who didnt hug them enough arely staircase Jul 2012 #56

More than testosterone I think that it's cultural. Beacool Jul 2012 #61

I agree. There are lots of countries without our level of gun violence... jmondine Jul 2012 #82

Exactly. Beacool Jul 2012 #107

Oh, hey, an evopsych thread. One of those hasn't reared up here yet. (nt) Posteritatis Jul 2012 #64

Still wondering what the reaction would be if all the shooters were women Patiod Jul 2012 #83

...and credit card debt is the result of estrogen posioning? Earth_First Jul 2012 #65

Are women responsible for 99% of credit card debt? Patiod Jul 2012 #84

no - this is a topic best not to generalize - many, many factors. n/t NRaleighLiberal Jul 2012 #67

But - but - we need the one simple thing we dislike to blame! (nt) Posteritatis Jul 2012 #89

Look at girls and boys as toddlers. caseymoz Jul 2012 #68

The "Testostertone makes you violent" thing is a myth. Odin2005 Jul 2012 #72

+1. nt seabeyond Jul 2012 #76

You could just as easily point out the pressure to be a provider. Spitfire of ATJ Jul 2012 #74

more like an entitlement problem southmost Jul 2012 #75

Video Games nt oldhippie Jul 2012 #77

Tipper Gore, izzat you? Odin2005 Jul 2012 #90

It is not testosterone billy_j Jul 2012 #78

Yeah, you are probably wrong... Quantess Jul 2012 #105

Testosterone poisoning? sulphurdunn Jul 2012 #81

Humans are violent by nature. Edweird Jul 2012 #87

They all have mothers, too. What's up with that? bluedigger Jul 2012 #88

I have sometimes wondered how bad my anger would be if I were a man... Quantess Jul 2012 #96

Totally agree with the bolded part treestar Jul 2012 #97

I think men are less likely to seek help for mental health issues Hippo_Tron Jul 2012 #99

No. Males are affected differently by certain mental illnesses. GoCubsGo Jul 2012 #100