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A Statement About Mahbod’s Annotations on Elliot Rodger’s Manifesto

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Re: A Statement About Mahbod’s Annotations on Elliot Rodger’s Manifesto

#71

Post by dbloom »

DoubleMalt wrote: post #32
minimaxir wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The brain tumor was removed...and the public behavior was unchanged. http://valleywag.gawker.com/rap-genius-frontman-blames-brain...

Sad but the brain tumour could still be the reason for his behaviour. We don't know nearly enough about the brain to argue that the removal must restore the previous personality.

Behavior like that is not acceptable for someone in a position of authority at a company no matter what the context. (It's not clear what Moghadam's specific role at Rap Genius was, but he did have a seat on the board of directors)

It's the same reason that we shouldn't let blind people fly commercial airliners. Flying requires vision. Running a company requires good judgement.

Re: A Statement About Mahbod’s Annotations on Elliot Rodger’s Manifesto

#72

Post by gohrt »

ewoodrich wrote: post #48
riggins wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

the diary is not particularly well-written depends on your standards. He's not a professional author but I think he's probably better than your average college grad. studded with evidence of psychopathy genuinely interested. could you point to some of these. I've been skimming it and haven't really seen that. in fact, this struck me as empathetic James’s mother, Kim Ellis, had just passed away from breast cancer. I c…

At various points, the author describes in detail how he wanted to torture and murder any loving couple because it offended him so much. Along with his bizarre descriptions of a sexless utopia where all women are enslaved and forced to be artificially inseminated to procreate.

FWIW,

> bizarre descriptions of a sexless utopia where all women are enslaved and forced to be artificially inseminated to procreate.

...is required reading for millions of schoolchildren

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/1984/study.html

Re: A Statement About Mahbod’s Annotations on Elliot Rodger’s Manifesto

#73

Post by gamblor956 »

fleitz wrote: post #62
tptacek wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if we stipulate that every paragraph in the diary should be taken at face value, psychopathy is not defined simply as the absence of empathy.

It's actually not really defined at all in terms of an actual medical illness. It's mostly an invention of the criminal justice system. Sociopathy/Psycopathy is about as real as Drapetomania or hysteria. It's the modern day blasphemy, if you question the state or authority you are 'anti-social'

Psycopathy is a defined condition in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is published by the American Psychiatric Association. The criminal justice system had nothing to do with the creation of the term.

But you're right--it's not an "actual medical illness." Mental conditions are "disorders", not "medical illnesses" since they are chronic/permanent conditions.

Re: A Statement About Mahbod’s Annotations on Elliot Rodger’s Manifesto

#74

Post by [deleted] »

tptacek wrote: post #31

I can appreciate RG's leadership having the self-awareness to see the need to make an Adult Decision in this case, but I think it's probably a mistake for them to continue hosting the Rodgers diary. Contrary to Moghadam's comments, the diary is not particularly well-written. It's long, repetitive, weirdly detailed (the author recounts meals eaten years ago), and studded with evidence of psychopathy. RG's style of ann…

[deleted]

Re: A Statement About Mahbod’s Annotations on Elliot Rodger’s Manifesto

#75

Post by jljljl »

gohrt wrote: post #72
ewoodrich wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At various points, the author describes in detail how he wanted to torture and murder any loving couple because it offended him so much. Along with his bizarre descriptions of a sexless utopia where all women are enslaved and forced to be artificially inseminated to procreate.

FWIW, > bizarre descriptions of a sexless utopia where all women are enslaved and forced to be artificially inseminated to procreate. ...is required reading for millions of schoolchildren http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/1984/study.html

Yes, but not in the form of an endorsement.

Re: A Statement About Mahbod’s Annotations on Elliot Rodger’s Manifesto

#76

Post by fleitz »

gamblor956 wrote: post #73
fleitz wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's actually not really defined at all in terms of an actual medical illness. It's mostly an invention of the criminal justice system. Sociopathy/Psycopathy is about as real as Drapetomania or hysteria. It's the modern day blasphemy, if you question the state or authority you are 'anti-social'

Psycopathy is a defined condition in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is published by the American Psychiatric Association. The criminal justice system had nothing to do with the creation of the term. But you're right--it's not an "actual medical illness." Mental conditions are "disorders", not "medical illnesses" since they are chronic/permanent conditions.

Really? Can you point me to where in the DSM it defines 'psychopathy', if you find an edition that old you may want to look up another disorder that stems from criminology commonly referred to as 'homosexuality', ironically homosexuality used to be part of 'sociopathy' which was closely related to 'psychopathy'.

Re: A Statement About Mahbod’s Annotations on Elliot Rodger’s Manifesto

#77

Post by mynameishere »

tptacek wrote: post #46
JumpCrisscross wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> studded with evidence of psychopathy Very curious - what are the stylistic signatures of psycopathy?

Do another skim read through the diary and notice all the times he unabashedly confirms his belief that other human beings in his life exist to serve his interests. It's practically a motif. He doesn't merely seem upset that women won't acknowledge him, but rather that anyone he interacts with has any agency at all --- his father, his mother, his friends, his roommates.

Not that it matters, but he really doesn't seem like a psychopath. Real psychopaths tend to be brave, extroverted, narcissistic, impervious to punishment, etc. He really didn't fit. (He's a little narcissistic, but limited it to talking about his being a "perfect gentleman" and things like that. Otherwise, he tended to condemn himself--his height, physical weakness, bad fortune, etc.)

Of course, I'm basing that on his autobiography which might be nothing but bullcrap. I looked through it, and the takeaway is that he was a sullen, jealous coward his whole life--but sufficiently introspective to write 137 pages about that life in which almost nothing happened, and nothing at all happened that he himself instigated. You know, until the end. Note also that the bio was coherent and competently structured, whereas in his videos he's barely able to sputter out a normal-sounding sentence. Psychopaths tend to be eloquent and charismatic.

Re: A Statement About Mahbod’s Annotations on Elliot Rodger’s Manifesto

#78

Post by oh_sigh »

gordonguthrie wrote: post #28
thesimpsons1022 wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

don't forget a majority of the victims were men. 3 stabbed in their apartment and 1 shot. :(

Because his planned attack on the sorority failed. The manifesto is gynocidal.

.....and?

Re: A Statement About Mahbod’s Annotations on Elliot Rodger’s Manifesto

#79

Post by briandh »

firstOrder wrote: post #66
tptacek wrote: post #31

I can appreciate RG's leadership having the self-awareness to see the need to make an Adult Decision in this case, but I think it's probably a mistake for them to continue hosting the Rodgers diary. Contrary to Moghadam's comments, the diary is not particularly well-written. It's long, repetitive, weirdly detailed (the author recounts meals eaten years ago), and studded with evidence of psychopathy. RG's style of ann…

> god help us, using the output of that mind as a platform on which to build suggestions on changing our culture Why not? There's what to do lessons and what not to do lessons. From what I read in the essay he talks continually about how he lives in a beautiful, wealthy suburb, has an apartment and BMW, nice clothes and so forth. I don't watch teenage television shows like the OC, The Hills or whatever, but from this…

> Why not?

Because it's just one kid. The sample size is too small.

Re: A Statement About Mahbod’s Annotations on Elliot Rodger’s Manifesto

#80

Post by throneaway »

dbloom wrote: post #71
DoubleMalt wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sad but the brain tumour could still be the reason for his behaviour. We don't know nearly enough about the brain to argue that the removal must restore the previous personality.

Behavior like that is not acceptable for someone in a position of authority at a company no matter what the context. (It's not clear what Moghadam's specific role at Rap Genius was, but he did have a seat on the board of directors) It's the same reason that we shouldn't let blind people fly commercial airliners. Flying requires vision. Running a company requires good judgement.

Bad analogy. Words never hurt anybody, and a healthy society can handle a few tactless words. Our society seeks opportunities to punish. We revel in inflicting pain on others while ourselves feel righteous.
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