Recently, the murderer who causes a series of murder cases in Baiyin, Gansu Province has finally been caught by the police. Throughout a long period of 28 years from 1988 to 2016, he has been involved in over 10 murder cases, causing the life of victims as young as 8 years old. However, all his terrible acts have never caused himself to feel any traces of shame or regrets.
Upon Gao Chengyong's imprisonment, all his friends are extremely shocked as Gao has been known as an obedient son and responsible father of two university-educated children in his family. Though he is known as a man with few words, no one in his village have pinpointed any fault with him. He would have been considered as a hardworking farmer if he were not found to be a murderer.
However, he has murdered 11 women using the cruelest methods. So what kind of crisis actually propels him to commit such awful acts?
Different groups but similar case
In 2013, the poisoning incidence in Fudan University has aroused much public debate and shock. The suspect Lin Senghao was accepted into Zhongshan University with excellent academic results. Later on, he was recommended to go into Fudan University as a top student. Unfortunately, such a bright mind has ended up as a murderer in the end.
Phycologists have analyzed Lin Senghao's motive in committing murder. Reasons can be attributed to his jealousy, low self-esteem, sensitivity and fragility of his will as well as inability of handling normal human relationship. All these factors propel him to bend down before life challenges, thus giving rise to negative emotions e.g. jealousy, anger, hostility etc.
This poisoning incidence is pretty similar to the series of murder cases. Both murderers do not have wholesome personalities but behold strong sense of retaliation. It's bothering for us to see such cases becoming more prevalent among the younger generation.
We have been exposed to many of such news on TV: some people dwell deep in desperation, unable to rise up again in hope. Some choose to use extreme and harmful ways of throwing his hatred to society. Psychological specialists also suggest other possible factors e.g. financial burden, lack of legal protection, low social status, practical challenges may also lead to people's radicalized acts of retaliation.
Characteristics of the Psychological Weak
Our weakness may not necessary come from the physical body alone. Instead, it might arise from the psychological realm. So where does this psychological weakness arise?
1. Low self-esteem and loneliness
Suffocating pressure arising from low social status, poor financial background or inadequate access to social welfare may put one in a disadvantaged position in society. As a result, some people may find it extremely challenging to face waves of practical concerns e.g. providing for their children's education, access to medical service, legal power, housing issue, job issue etc. Hence, their self-esteem might be easily crushed, resulting in easily intimidated or pessimistic spirits.
If one constantly fails to experience his/her self-worth or even feels rejection from others, a viscous circle will be built up as one will tend to dwell in emotions drenched with low self-esteem, hatred towards others, apathy, loneliness as well as a guarded spirit.
2. Stress and anxiety
Numerous stress buttons and highly uncertain economic climate have indeed trigger one to be more vulnerable to external stimulations in life.
For the psychologically vulnerable ones, they tend to be less capable of adjusting to changes or distressing in face of challenges. Instead, some of them tend to become aggressive or rebellious when pressure sweeps across them.
3. Sense of unfairness and deprivation
Oftentimes, the sense of unfairness and deprivation will arise after peer comparison. This negative emotion drives one to pinpoint others' or society's problems when certain things fail to go according to their own expectation.
Surely, everyone tend to feel lost and uncertain when they lose their jobs or feel stuck in unhappy relationships. However, some tend to channel this negative emotions through aggressively hurting others in order to appease their own anger.
Let's Shower our Concerns to the Psychologically Vulnerable
Some commit crimes as they try to draw shortcuts to gains. Some give up on themselves as they've had it enough struggling with financial difficulties. Others tend to throw their temper through aggressive actions as a form of relief. Therefore, we should always analyze the motives behind one's seemingly irrational and aggressive action when crises arise.
Keigo Higashino writes in his novel Journey Under the Midnight Sun that "there are two things in this world that cannot be stared through directly. 1. The sun, 2. Human motives." Every killing case has an unique motive behind. If we can guide human hearts away from the motive of killing or grant them our listening ears, certain crimes would definitely have been avoided.
Upon Gao Chengyong's imprisonment, someone digs out an online posts describing a killer who is strong and handsome from the outside but struggling from within. The killer's motives behind each crime committed has also been clearly listed through his posts. These posts possibly come from Gao Chengyong himself.
Gao's case proves it necessary for a lonely and struggling soul to receive love and care from the outside. Through laws help guard human behaviours, little can it do anything to chase away the darkness within human spirits. Only love can replace the darkness and invite warmth to a person's heart.
What can one fill up the emptiness within one's heart?
Proverb 18:14 writes, " The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?" Through physical illness can be healed by doctors, desperation, disappointment and pessimism will easily crush one's spirit more severely than physical pains.
When pressure adds up beyond what one can bear, extreme action might be triggered for pressure to be released. In fact, the psychologically vulnerable need a lot more help than other vulnerable groups. We shall love and embrace our brothers and sisters who feel inadequate, inferior or lack of self-esteem despite the natural disparity between the strong and the weak.
How shall we truly love each other as brothers and sisters in Christ?
In Bible, a legalistic Pharisee questions Jesus about how one can acquire eternal life. Jesus, answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbour as yourself.'" ( Luke 10:27) "Neighbours" here may not necessary mean our neighbours staying next door, but refer to our friends from all nations, hard-to-love friends and even our enemies. Our love for them should be demonstrated from small things as we care for their daily needs. Besides, we ought to love them as ourselves.
