From: Michael S. Lorrey (mike@lorrey.com)
Date: Mon Jun 07 1999 - 15:31:46 MDT
Harvey Newstrom wrote:
> > I read news reports that "Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold passed an anger
> > management course with glowing comments from their teachers".
>
> This is true. It is extremely trivial and commonplace for criminals to
> exhibit the proper "reformed" behavior when required. Harris and Klebold
> were required to go through anger management courses as part of their
> probation on previous offenses. They passed with flying colors. They may
> have even been sincerely good at manging their anger, in class. Most people
> fail to grasp the concept that criminals are not stupid or aggressive all
> the time. Most are productive, normal members of society, with lots of
> additional problems. Most people would not conceive that reform can be
> faked, because they underestimate the cunning of the average criminal.
> Underestimating the enemy/subgroup/whatever is the number one reason that
> social programs or social theories fail. They fail to truly predict or
> understand the people about which the theories are made. Instead, theories
> are based on someone's own ideals of what reality is or should be, but have
> little real basis in reality.
I read a study once about abusive spouses that found that the blood pressure of
a specific personality type of abusers actually DROPS when the abuser is abusing
the victim. Anyone know the reference on this?
Mike Lorrey
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