We live in a time where the attention and interest in true crime are increasing day by day. I mean, who isn’t aware of the famous ‘legendary’ serial killers and criminals like Ted Bundy, Charles Manson, Ed Kemper, Richard Ramirez, Jeffrey Dahmer, David Berkowitz and others? With documentaries, biopics and movies popping up every month, we all know how heinous their crimes were and yet, we can’t seem to stop binge-watching these, can we?
Honestly, if you’re anything like me, you’re probably obsessed with true crime to the point where you love researching about these criminals, their crimes, backgrounds and lives just to find out why they could’ve possibly done the stuff that they ended up doing. But, with some people, the level of interest in these criminals isn’t just a psychological intrigue, it’s way deeper than that.
There are a lot of people who actually are sexually as well as romantically attracted to criminals despite knowing about their horrible crimes and sociopathic and psychopathic nature and their number seems to be increasing day by day. I mean we all know how Richard Ramirez was converted into a sex icon. This discussion is exactly what gave birth to a very interesting thread on Reddit where people are wondering what this might say about these people. There can be a lot of possible reasons.
Motivated By Psychological Problems
A lot of the people in the same thread are wondering if this has something to say about the psychological state of these people. I mean, you’re attracted to a psychopath, could that make you abnormal? Or, if this could be the trauma-related psychological issues that these people have been through, finally acting out?
The Attraction Towards Danger
Another factor is that these people might actually be attracted to these criminals because of how dangerous they are. I mean, they’re like the ultimate bad boys/girls from fantasy land, aren’t they? This type of sexual or romantic attraction is known as Hybristophilia and it could be the reason why so many people end up crushing on criminals. This is way more common than you might believe.
The Saviour Complex
A lot of these people might also have a massive saviour complex. They actually end up believing that they can change these criminals and make them better people with the power of love, sex or perhaps, both. Unfortunately, a lot of these are also Christian people who reach out to criminals with the love of ‘christ’ and actually end up falling for them while they try to change them and save their souls for the better. Ironic, isn’t it?
Could They Possibly Have Similar Interests?
Serial killers have often confessed in interviews that they weren’t really motivated to do what they did, they were just born the way they are. I think Jeffrey Dahmer used these exact words in an interview but he isn’t the only one. There are a lot of people out in the world who are born just like them, with impulses and interests that aren’t let’s just say, normal. But, they are successful in hiding and controlling themselves.
So, a lot of these people who are attracted to known and convicted criminals could just be people who have similar interests because well, they understand the criminals and their crimes at a whole other level, you know?
Whatever it might be, I’m sure we can agree that in one way or the other, everyone deserves love. If someone has messed up in their life, it doesn’t mean that they don’t deserve a second chance. I mean, only if they’re in jail and already paying for their crimes i.e. paying their dues. On the other hand, falling in love isn’t something that can be limited or contained either, huh?
Also Read: Are You Obsessed With True Crime? Here’s Why It Doesn’t Make You A Freak!
See, at the end of the day, as long as these people are happy in their lives and aren’t harming anyone including themselves, I don’t think the why behind their relationships should matter to us. At least, they’re helping people who have committed crimes and trying to change them for the better. Looking at it that way just makes sense, huh?
Image Source: Netflix
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