What drives killers like the Ottawa or Paris attackers?
Thursday, January 15, 2015 - 12:20
in Psychology & Sociology
Zehaf-Bibeau, the Islamist convert who recently killed a Canadian military reservist on duty in Ottawa, Canada, represents a type of attacker rarely discussed—a person so obsessed with an overvalued idea that it defines their identity and leads them to commit violence without regard for the consequences. Although it appears that the assailants in Paris had more ties with terrorist organizations, the individuals still fit the description of people acting on overvalued ideas. This emerging, and likely growing phenomenon is explored in the article "Lone Wolf Killers: A Perspective on Overvalued Ideas".