Killers and Narcissism

In "Its All About Him" (April 10, 2007 issue of Time Magazine), David von Drehle addresses the issue of narcissism in killers. He challenges other theories that emphasize the influences of culture, guns, musical lyrics, or films, and highlights the common denominator in most killers: extreme self-centeredness. He elaborates by listing the other common traits of narcissists: grandiosity, numbness to the needs and pain of others, emotional isolation, resentment, and envy. Although Drehle does not mention Adler, the implications of a profound absence of social interest are evident in the article. As Adler pointed out, the roots of this problem can be identified in early childhood by teachers who are well-trained in Individual Psychology. Rather than spending a fortune on building bigger prisons, we could invest in prevention at the level of early childhood education. Alfred Adler, Oscar Spiel, and Frederick Birnbaum showed what could be achieved in the Vienna schools in the 1920's and 1930's.