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In reply to the discussion: The Isla Vista shooter COULD have gotten a girlfriend [View all]herding cats
(19,549 posts)If you read his manifesto you'll have noticed how angry he became in social situations when girls/women didn't approach him first and be awed by his amazing self. He would sit someplace, or go out walking and expected females to be drawn to him. When they didn't do as his mind told him they should he became enraged at the whole gender, blaming them for his inability to interact with others. It's kind of hard to meet someone when you're busy freaking the shit out of them with your rage for not falling at your feet. That goes beyond being socially awkward.
He had a lot of problems, but the fact that he didn't have a girlfriend was a symptom, and not the cause of his issues. His mind was sick, and twisted reality around like a pretzel to find something, anything, to blame for what was wrong with him. Nothing was ever his fault at the end. He had rationalized away every thing not right with him by blaming it on others.
One thing that really stood out to me was how he used the socially shy and awkward demeanor to lead the police off track when they came to check on him. He knew he would have his plans of a mass killing derailed if he didn't convince them he was harmless, so he used the very social skills he claimed not to possess to convince the police it was all a misunderstanding. When it came to protecting his plans his social instincts functioned fine.
He was a very sick person who didn't accept, or understand that there was anything wrong with him. It was always the fault of his family, his friends, or the girlfriends he never had and the men/boys they were dating. At least in his mind.