Can we stop pretending everyone doesn’t do this?
True story incoming.
A while back I was dealing with a close family member’s horrific psychological attacks. This person is a true born narcissist of the highest order.
It took me 4 decades to realize that my entire life is and has always been controlled by this person. The deceptive tactics used against me are unheard of, believe me, I dare not exaggerate.
Anyhow, as any normal person might do under these extreme circumstances, I began playing out potential future scenarios wherein I might find myself backed into a corner with no way out. I have no access to guns nor would I even have the balls to try and acquire one… So the next best option would be a knife. I would think about the various knife like options I have available, particularly, a bunch of utility knives. Left with me after my dad passed away.
One day, the aforementioned narcissist came for their monthly visit to the apartment they have me isolated in. However this time they brought along a co-conspiritor, another narcissist, in this case a “flying monkey”.
During the visit, they mentioned, in passing, the various utility knives my father had.
I swear on everything that is righteous and benevolent, they were READING MY THOUGHTS REMOTELY. Thus the reason they mentioned the knives, because I was THINKING ABOUT POTENTIALLY USING ONE!! AGAINST THIS VERY PERSON!!
The reason the other person was brought along was them sending me a very clear message. We control you, we are constantly monitoring you including your own thoughts, and that particular thought, is a big no no.
“Don’t fuck with us”
Sounds like you need psychiatric help. The good news is that if someone is trying to control you psychologically, they’ll help free you from that as well.
The other 93% have already shot someone else
Pollster: Have you ever thought about shooting someone?
Me: Well even if I never had before, now that you’ve asked the question and put the idea in my head, I have, so thanks for that!
Pollster: Follow-up question: Have you ever thought of a pink elephant?
Id bet that in recent years that figure is much higher
Thought crimes.
Do we want to arm the proletariat or ban all guns? Its so hard to tell where Lemmy is at on guns sometimes.
Yeah, it’s as if Lemmy isn’t one monolithic hive mind…
That’s wild that 93% of Americans have never driven in New Jersey.
Why is it so low?
Maybe they asked like, “SERIOUSLY thought about shooting someone” or perhaps “thought about shooting someone at a time that you actually had the means to do it” or even “made mental plans to shoot someone.”
Or maybe I’m more of a psychopath than I thought I was. Like I don’t actually want to hurt anyone, and I don’t even own a gun, but the number of times it crossed my mind…
I think the headline flattened the question. Most people have thought about it happening, I’d wager, but less thought about doing it.
Found a 7 percenter ^
If I ever get mad enough at someone to picture killing them it’s usually a blunt force weapon, so I get the low value on shooting here.
That’s way lower than expected and I suspect it is just because they didn’t want to be on record.
Survey: how many people are willing to be edgy on a survey?
People answer surveys as their ideal self not honestly. So yea most people, considering the constant virtue signaling about how non violent they are (lol to be proud of non violence while a pedophile rules you is a definitely a moral choice), are going to answer these surveys saying they are non violent.
They are the most violent among us and they always have justification.
Yep, what a load of bollocks, the only thing this study is useful for is why would you do this.
With someone, you mean a really long list?
Only 7%? 🤔
That’s how many are willing to admit it to a pollster, which is a subset of who thought about it. We don’t know how big the larger set is.
Which is a subset who would talk to a pollster in the first place
Yes there is also the subset of people who’ve thought about it, and might tell a pollster, but avoid pollsters if at all possible.
The other 93% have shot someone.
Without thinking about it first, it seems.
That way it’s a crime of passion 🤓
The text of the question seems to be “I have thought about shooting another person or multiple people” and 7% responded “Strongly agree/agree/somewhat agree.” Looking at the 160 page pdf questionnaire, I’m guessing most respondents deduced the correct answer and didn’t want to cast aspersions on any of their other habits.
I’ve thought about all sorts of horrible things I’d never even contemplate actually doing. I’m sure I’m not alone.
Call of the void
Oh, thank goodness :)
Absolutely, there’s a huge difference between thinking about doing something and then letting the thought go compared to doing anything on the path to actually doing it.
I often used to have intrusive violent or sexual thoughts about strangers I’d see out in the world. They were unwanted and I found them horrifying, and of course would never do anything like that to anyone. Medication eventually helped.
That sounds a bit scary, glad you found some relief. Yeah the key thing is self control and of course recognizing they are bad in the first place. Mine are fairly random, like my brain just likes to remind me what horrors the human mind is capable of for some reason.
Approximately 1/3 of Americans own guns.
7% seems low just because so far as I can tell it’s 7% of adults in American not 7% of those who own guns.
I haven’t ever fantasized about shooting someone. Throttling them to death? Yeah. Dropping a piano on someone? Certainly. Shooting them? No. For one thing I don’t want to clean up a shooting. But for another at the point where you’re wanting to kill someone or maim them a gun is just impersonal and hands off. I’m not a murderer. I would absolutely have to be pushed to that point.
But I have met quite a few people who really do just want to shoot someone. They are looking for a reason.
