We need to talk about misogyny

[The Traveler]

47. I'm not quite sure how to respond to that amazing assertion

Not trying to be rude ... but your comment leaves me genuinely perplexed. Is it possible that you are really that unaware of the psychological basis of marketing and propaganda? (Or is it that you just haven't thought to consider that in the context of this event yet?) How do you think that stuff operates? It is simply this: We become what we think about. If you want someone to be more conservative in outlook, for example, immerse them in a never ending barrage of conservative talking points and memes. This is the Fox News approach, is it not?

Now, this person was raised in a Democratic household, but he apparently found comfort in an environment that was considerably different in value structure. That is the environment in which he chose to do much of his thinking, and why not? There is plenty of support in our culture for that kind of sick thinking, plenty of sources for validation and other positive feedback. I cannot speculate on why he made that choice since I know nothing of these people, and the phrase "Democratic household" sheds relatively little reliable light on how this boy was actually reared. Nor do we know nearly enough about his psychological condition to speculate. But, in general, it is safe to say that when cultural leaders nurture through action and expression destructive cognitive processes (like misogyny) some sick twerp is going to wind up acting out in kind.

In summation, cultural leaders (be they political or, as another poster mentioned, religious leaders) can have a profound effect on anyone, and in that effect is likely to be more pronounced upon the behavior of the mentally perturbed. This is obvious and so widely understood I don't know how to address your apparent difficulty in understanding the point. And, again, I am not trying be snarky or accuse you of being deliberately dense. You may not agree with this point, but have offered no logical argument that refutes it.

Trav