As someone who struggles with chronic pain, my heart goes out to this man. While I do not condone murder, I empathize with him. He clearly reached his breaking point. Pain can overwhelm everything—no matter the privileges one might have, even being born with a silver spoon in his mouth. And our healthcare (care?) system is not particularly sympathetic to cases like these. And maybe you are correct about eager followers.
Yes, I think this was the case of a person dealing with chronic pain whose worldview was one of increasing rage due to dealing with chronic unrelenting pain. This makes sense to me.
I also think this is very bad, for the exact reasons that David outlined.
This man is a handsome intelligent GenZ man with an otherwise typical GenZ worldview is going to become an instant folk hero to many people. He fits with the current angry populist zeitgeist that essentially is frustrated with everything under the sun.
People are going to relate to him and he is going to get the most rare commodity in modern society...positive attention.
It's so hard to get attention these days, to cut through the noise. Much less positive attention. Young people looking for validation and love who are depressed and suffering now how a new murderous outlet to get that...targeted assassinations. This isn't good. People should realize that.
What is valid is valid, and empathy and understanding should be given when appropriate, but what we can't and should not do as a society is to condone a murderer. At the same time you can recognize what chronic pain can do to someone and that our healthcare system is messed up. Although it's way more messed up than just the insurance industry and killing people won't solve anything.
"And bro, making war against healthcare insurance companies and getting busted with an Egg Mcmuffin in your mouth does not exactly send the most coherent critique of who’s to blame for America’s health problems. "
But more shocking than the fact that he was in a place that would inspire him to do this is that so many talking heads online actually BACK him and act like we should keep going. They have lost all sense of what it means to value life. We have no right to pick and choose who we deem worthy of continuing to live.
Thank you, for writing my thoughts about Mangione too. I am not sure about the psychedelics but the rest makes sense to me. I have my own PTSD and have been at that lowest point where death seemed the only choice (I am okay now.).
David, I continue my therapy for my complex PTSD which began as a child. I am now 76 years old. My life is much better now, there is stuff that will be around forever. I would like to understand how PTSD gets suddenly better. I am very curious. Thank you for responding. I look forward to reading your upcoming book and more of this substack.
We each have our own stories. I know healing is possible and life gets better, and this takes work. David Swindle, we are the ones who put in the work. Trauma changes us. The effects on our minds, bodies and our spiritual life and these are not separate but intertwined deeply within us. Healing is a process we each experience in different ways. I look forward to reading your book.
He also read the Unabomber manifesto and concluded that the Unabomber might be into something but too many innocent people got injured from his bombs.
I have also read the Unabomber manifesto. I found it to have "I am very smart" levels of arrogance and narcissistic hubris. While I do have some sympathy for a man in constant pain experiencing rage. I think your spot on when you point out that this will spur copycats and that's what this guy wants. Underneath all of this is a narcissism that cannot be denied.
As someone who struggles with chronic pain, my heart goes out to this man. While I do not condone murder, I empathize with him. He clearly reached his breaking point. Pain can overwhelm everything—no matter the privileges one might have, even being born with a silver spoon in his mouth. And our healthcare (care?) system is not particularly sympathetic to cases like these. And maybe you are correct about eager followers.
Yes, I think this was the case of a person dealing with chronic pain whose worldview was one of increasing rage due to dealing with chronic unrelenting pain. This makes sense to me.
I also think this is very bad, for the exact reasons that David outlined.
This man is a handsome intelligent GenZ man with an otherwise typical GenZ worldview is going to become an instant folk hero to many people. He fits with the current angry populist zeitgeist that essentially is frustrated with everything under the sun.
People are going to relate to him and he is going to get the most rare commodity in modern society...positive attention.
It's so hard to get attention these days, to cut through the noise. Much less positive attention. Young people looking for validation and love who are depressed and suffering now how a new murderous outlet to get that...targeted assassinations. This isn't good. People should realize that.
What is valid is valid, and empathy and understanding should be given when appropriate, but what we can't and should not do as a society is to condone a murderer. At the same time you can recognize what chronic pain can do to someone and that our healthcare system is messed up. Although it's way more messed up than just the insurance industry and killing people won't solve anything.
I must say, I did think this was a great line:
"And bro, making war against healthcare insurance companies and getting busted with an Egg Mcmuffin in your mouth does not exactly send the most coherent critique of who’s to blame for America’s health problems. "
But more shocking than the fact that he was in a place that would inspire him to do this is that so many talking heads online actually BACK him and act like we should keep going. They have lost all sense of what it means to value life. We have no right to pick and choose who we deem worthy of continuing to live.
Thanks! I was pleased with myself for that one.
This is probably the best thing I’ve read about all this: https://www.popehat.com/p/some-other-america-one-i-do-not-know
Thank you, for writing my thoughts about Mangione too. I am not sure about the psychedelics but the rest makes sense to me. I have my own PTSD and have been at that lowest point where death seemed the only choice (I am okay now.).
I have written a lot about my PTSD the last few years and am working on a piece now explaining how I’ve suddenly got much better.
And I am a Jewish woman!
David, I continue my therapy for my complex PTSD which began as a child. I am now 76 years old. My life is much better now, there is stuff that will be around forever. I would like to understand how PTSD gets suddenly better. I am very curious. Thank you for responding. I look forward to reading your upcoming book and more of this substack.
I am working on the piece now. It is pretty unbelievable…
We each have our own stories. I know healing is possible and life gets better, and this takes work. David Swindle, we are the ones who put in the work. Trauma changes us. The effects on our minds, bodies and our spiritual life and these are not separate but intertwined deeply within us. Healing is a process we each experience in different ways. I look forward to reading your book.
He also read the Unabomber manifesto and concluded that the Unabomber might be into something but too many innocent people got injured from his bombs.
I have also read the Unabomber manifesto. I found it to have "I am very smart" levels of arrogance and narcissistic hubris. While I do have some sympathy for a man in constant pain experiencing rage. I think your spot on when you point out that this will spur copycats and that's what this guy wants. Underneath all of this is a narcissism that cannot be denied.
This is not a boast, but: When news of that murder broke, I shrugged and yawned.