Are All Humans Capable of Murder?

Biological factors or an intense urge to kill — what makes a murderer?

The Mystery Writer
5 min readApr 27, 2022

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Photo by Kyle Johnson on Unsplash

Murder is an ultimate crime punishable by life in prison or execution in most countries. However, the main question that arises is what causes a person to take another person’s life? Is it aggression built over time depending upon the situation? Or are all of us born with the potential to kill? People have been curious for years regarding the reasons which push a person to commit murder.

The People who Tend to Kill

A crime scene investigation | Source: istock photo

There are four types of murderers.

1. Thrill-seekers

The first type is the ‘Thrill seekers’ who see outsmarting the law as some type of thrill or amusement. This kind of murderer derives joy and pleasure from killing. Psychologists have identified three subtypes of these killers — lust, thrill, and comfort.

2. Mission-Oriented Individuals

The second type is the ‘mission-oriented individuals’ who think they are doing society some favour by getting rid of specific individuals. Their victims usually include gays, prostitutes, drug dealers, or people from different religions. They kill people whom they find undesirable and feel like it is justified to murder them.

3. Those who Suffer from Psychotic Breaks

The third kind is ‘the ones who occasionally suffer from psychotic breaks’. They are usually mentally ill people and are typically involved in the murders of strangers. This kind of murder is generally labelled as ‘stranger homicide’ because the murderer may tend to kill out of a psychotic breakdown without knowing the victim.

4. Power and Control Serial Killers

Lastly, there exist ‘the power and control serial killers’ who enjoy the suffering and terror of their victims. They enjoy the rush of being in power. Usually, such kinds of killers are calm, meticulous, and patient. They seek to gain control over the victim and…

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The Mystery Writer

History enthusiast | always traveling | living one step at a time

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