The only thing that I can speculate about Elliot Rodger...

[MrScorpio]

Is what if he have not decided to engage in his violent rampage and would live long enough to take his sick attitude further into adulthood, perhaps achieving some position and influence over many others.

Business, politics, the military… The world could have been his oyster.

He had already been given many of the advantages in life (money, education) that others could use as a stepping stone to a life of great success and influence. He, on the other hand, made a conscious choice to throw all of it away in one night of sickening self-obsessed violence.

It's quite possible that he could have rose into the halls of power and influence in our society, while still harboring his feelings of resentment and hatred of others, and no one would have understood what kind of person that he actually was. Not to mention the fact that he could have used whatever power and influence he could have gained to protect himself from any scrutiny.

Although I grieve for his victims and I'm grateful for the fact that he chose to no longer walk this Earth, I can only think that the rest of us dodged some potentially serious figurative bullets later on from this sick person.

[flamingdem]

1. The quibble I have with this has to do with his age

At that young age people, especially young men, carry out acts that they may not do later in life due to psyche, hormones, developmental issues etc.

I think for this reason extra attention needs to be given to the young. Those early years are difficult for many and colleges and other institutions need to address this. We need the funding to address this age group.

[Cleita]

4. I think you are right.

This is age that psychiatric conditions start to emerge.

[Cleita]

2. Are you saying he could have evolved into a Dick Cheney?

Food for thought.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

10. Probably more like a Karl Rove or ...

Rinse Priebus (howeverthefuckyouspellhisname). Even Coulter.

People like that just ooze a vibe of taking it out on society. They are smart enough to know better - they just don't give a fuck. The cheneys and bushes use them as henchmen.

[Jamaal510]

13. "Rinse Priebus (howeverthefuckyouspellhisname)"

Some people spell it like that, while others spell it as "RNC PR BS" or "Rinse Penis".

[NutmegYankee]

3. This person had all of the traits to be a bank CEO.

Thankfully he offed himself before he could harm millions.

[brewens]

9. Ya got that right. That's what some people miss when we discuss the looting at the top.

The people robbing us blind are actually killing many of us as certain as if they pulled the trigger.

[KamaAina]

5. If, as is being bandied about, he had Asperger's, it would never have happened

Take me. I have a Yale degree. But it is outweighed by my A.A. (Autistic Adult). So I am a cube rat pulling down less than $40K a year.

[Schema Thing]

6. Sure, if he was a totally different person.

[bettyellen]

7. no, not with his extreme inability to socialize at all with others. he had uncontrollable impulses

that he could not hide. Fits of rage and crying. You can't go far in corparate America with that, unless your Dad makes you the CEO.
The TV show Episodes did a take on this last season, it was bizarre.

[bluestateguy]

8. And here is one stark truth

Had he quietly killed himself in a way that did not endanger others (like jumping off a building in the dark of night, or ODing on pills, etc.) he would have probably generated an outpouring of sympathy and sadness.

In the end, his hatred and anger got the best of him. Indeed, he had a lot of advantages in life that he failed to use and a lot of men who are uglier, fatter and less affluent than him have found a way to do OK with the ladies.

No, the dating and courtship world is not fair, and that goes for everyone. But along the way we all learn things, make mistakes and sometimes fall into bad situations. This boy would never take responsibility for anything. Bad luck or personal failures were always somebody else's fault and he just got angrier and more embittered each time something went wrong.

[Cleita]

11. Also, he wanted the hot blonds.

Like all of us in life, it's unlikely we have a romantic chance with someone who is movie star beautiful. We find our soulmate in the more ordinary among us.

[dixiegrrrrl]

12. Have to point out he did not have the skills needed..

His long "manifesto", which is a slanted autobiography of his, clearly shows a guy who self destructed every single opportunity, to the point he could not finish any of the college courses he was given. He dropped them all over and over, usually within a 2 week period.
total inability to socialize in a normal manner.
In fact, the only thing he successfully did, sorta, is his killing spree, which he had planned out.
and he barely passed his driving test to get the license to drive the car...a BMW that his mother gve him.

I was struck by reading in his bio, that while he was in Santa Barbara U, in his parental paid for dorm room,
he wanted a book, so picked up the phone and asked his mother to order it for him on amazon.
Let that sink in for a sec.

[Nye Bevan]

14. I would have been willing to take my chances with the "figurative bullets"

if it would have avoided him shooting actual bullets.