Topic Guide
What Is Serial killers?
Serial killers is a subject covered in depth across 2 podcast episodes in our database. Below you'll find key concepts, expert insights, and the top episodes to listen to — all distilled from hours of conversation by leading experts.
Key Concepts in Serial killers
Dark tetrad
This framework describes four interconnected negative personality traits: psychopathy (lack of empathy, deceptiveness, parasitic lifestyle), sadism (pleasure in hurting others), narcissism (excessive self-admiration, superiority), and Machiavellianism (manipulation for personal gain). The episode emphasizes these traits exist on a continuum, meaning everyone scores somewhere, rather than being binary labels of 'monster' or 'non-monster'.
Evil empathy
A concept promoted by Dr. Shaw, 'evil empathy' refers to the deliberate act of empathizing with individuals often labeled as 'evil' (e.g., serial killers, dictators). Its importance lies not in excusing their actions, but in understanding the psychological and social pathways that led to their behavior, which is crucial for preventing similar actions in the future and enhancing societal safety. She references her book's UK title, 'Making Evil,' drawing from Nietzsche's 'Thinking evil is making evil,' suggesting evil is a label we impose.
Heroic imagination
Coined by Philip Zimbardo, this concept involves actively simulating and practicing how one would resist harmful impulses or intervene in difficult situations, such as standing up to injustice or helping someone in distress. The episode advocates for 'rehearsing evil' or heroic acts in one's mind as an adaptive mechanism to internalize desired behaviors and avoid negative consequences in real-life, high-pressure situations.
Klein sexual orientation grid
Developed by therapist Fritz Klein, this is a more complex tool than the Kinsey Scale for understanding sexuality. It asks individuals to rate various aspects of their sexual orientation (e.g., sexual identity, attraction, behavior, fantasies, social preferences, ideal state) across past, present, and ideal dimensions. It helps individuals identify 'sticking points' or discrepancies in their sexuality, facilitating self-reflection and potentially addressing discomfort or confusion, what Klein termed being a 'troubled bisexual'.
Disinhibition hypothesis
This psychological theory explains why people are drawn to sexual fantasies and kinks, particularly BDSM. It suggests that engaging in these activities, often within a fictional or 'playacting' context, allows individuals to 'let go' of the myriad decisions and social pressures they face in daily life. This release can be freeing, allowing a full, present engagement with pleasure that might involve desires contrary to their everyday preferences.
Victimization gap
The significant disparity between the impact of a severe crime on the perpetrator (e.g., imprisonment) and the victim and their family (e.g., loss of life). Society often struggles with this gap, wanting extreme consequences to align with extreme reasons, leading to misaligned justice priorities [38:14].
What Experts Say About Serial killers
- 1.The Dark Tetrad (psychopathy, sadism, narcissism, and Machiavellianism) represents a continuum of traits, not a binary label of 'monster' or 'non-monster', with each person scoring somewhere on these scales.
- 2.True 'evil' is largely learned or socialized, not innate, as demonstrated by the 'baby Hitler' thought experiment where Dr. Shaw argues against people being born evil.
- 3.Empathy, even 'evil empathy' for perpetrators of heinous crimes, is crucial for understanding the underlying causes of behavior and ultimately making society safer by preventing future harm.
- 4.Humans, including trained police officers, are generally poor at reliably detecting lies, leading to overconfidence that can result in wrongful convictions and strained relationships.
- 5.Serial killers often suffer from profound loneliness and a lack of social networks, which contribute to an untethering from reality, making them prone to radicalized thoughts and delusions.
- 6.Murder is most commonly a result of unplanned fights escalating due to 'stupid reasons' (e.g., small debts, arguments), rather than premeditated acts by masterminds, and has a very low recidivism rate of 1-3%.