Arezou Esmaeeli

 

Bryan Dunn

 

English 2, 6th Hour

 

5 November 2015

 

                                                                   How to Know Your Peers are Psychopaths

 

            Most people have met someone, whom they did not want to get associated with because the other person seems a bit off. I personally have met someone who seemed like a really nice person at first but then became my worst nightmare. It was the start of the second semester of my freshman year when she came up and started talking to me. I remember our first conversation perfectly, it was just her complaining about how all her classes for her next year of high school were honors classes. I was just sitting down and eating my lunch when I started to give her advice and try to encourage her. I didn’t see any issue with her personality then. During that lunch break, she went over to another table of people and came back saying how the people over at that table were talking about me. The people at the table were girls I have known since my early childhood, so I was deeply offended and upset. I didn’t believe her at first, but she kept pushing it and saying how she will record them since I don’t believe her. Hurt by the fact that she could actually record them talking, I decided to let it go and ignore it. The girl would continue to come back everyday and tell me all these terrible things about different types of people and terrible things people are saying about me, I was so shocked and hurt everyday but I did nothing about it. I could’ve avoided becoming closer to her and stopped all the drama she put me through, if I had paid more attention to the red flags she was putting up and informed an adult sooner. Terrible tragedies and situations happen to people every day and much of which are caused by people who are psychopaths. In order for tragedies like the Columbine school shooting to be prevented, I have created a list that will make it easier for you to figure out who the psychopaths at your school are.

 

1. He/She threatens to kill you

Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were two different people with different personalities. Eric was a smart and charming young man with the ability to manipulate people easily. Dylan was a very intelligent, depressed young man who only wanted to be loved. Eric was far more outgoing than Dylan and was very popular with the ladies and guys. Eric had a notebook where he would write his thoughts and many times he would write about people he hates. One person Eric had a problem with is Brooks Brown. Brooks Brown was your average kid at the highschool, and Eric would show him his true nature because of Brown’s lack of authority. Eric kept a website where he would curse and hate on the world. Eric created a post where he would say he was going to kill Brooks. Judy Brown (Brooks’ mother) saw this website and filed a report to the police. Conflicts between Brown and Harris had happened before, and Judy has told the police many times about the past problems they had with Eric. In order to keep yourself and school setting safe, make sure to inform a police officer whenever someone is threatening to kill you.

 

2. Making/Acquiring weaponry

Eric and Dylan were amazed by the power weapons can give you, it made them feel like supreme beings. Eric especially enjoyed making pipe bombs in secret and often wrote about it in his journal/website. Eric loved the rush of excitement the bombs gave him. Dylan knew Robyn Andersen, a religious girl who admired Dylan. Robyn, Dylan and Eric were all hanging out at a gun show until they saw someone selling rifles. Dylan and Eric were both amazed by it but they were too young to purchase it. Robyn was 18 at the time and purchased the guns for both of them because she believed they would use it for shooting in the woods. Never buy weapons for people who are sketchy.

 

3. Manipulation/Concealment

Most people have a certain side to themselves that they keep to themselves sometimes. For example, certain emotions. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold got in trouble for breaking into a van and stealing equipment. They made good impressions with the officers and were given the opportunity to have their criminal records erased if they took part into community service and psychiatric treatment. Again, both boys left good impressions but Eric was outstanding. Eric really made it seem like he was a changed man. He seemed very apologetic, and he was doing great in school. Dylan also left a good impression but continued to do poorly in school. Eric and Dylan both do a good job of keeping their true personalities hidden. If you ever meet someone who seems like a good person but has been known to make death threats and steal, it is probably best to stay away from them and to notify an adult.

 

           School shootings are unfortunate tragedies that happen far too many times than they should. Hundreds of innocent kids die each year because of school shootings and many survivors suffer lifetime trauma. Paying attention to the warning signs of potential psychopaths are crucial to stopping a mass murder in its tracks because of the nature of psychopaths. Psychopaths find a rush of excitement in injuring/killing people because they tend to lack emotions of empathy and love. Whenever someone raises a red flag, make sure to tell someone with authority to ensure your safety. Death isn’t a joke.