Evolution Made Me Do It

It's a lot easier to empathise with clients accused of murder when you realise how we are all genetically predisposed toward homicide, thanks to evolution. Some of us just do a better job of suppressing those urges than others. And that's only because we fear the repercussions of getting caught.

Today I finally finished reading "The Murderer Next Door: Why The Mind Is Designed To Kill," by David M. Buss, Professor of Evolutionary Psychology at the University of Texas. His book, which includes gruesome murder fantasies gathered from "regular" folks as part of years of research on the psychology of homicide, as well as several bizarre tales of tribal shenanigans, ends on this stark note:

Be aware of just how real the threat of murder is, especially by those we know and those we love. Beware of the man whose uninvited sexual stare lingers a second too long. Exercise caution around a stepparent who just might prefer that you didn't exist. Take heed of the rival who sits silently seething at your success. Think twice about the stoic whom you have just humiliated in front of his peers. Watch out for the ex-mate of the lover you've just lured away. Be wary of the romantics who thought you were "the one" before you unexpectedly spurned them. Be vigilant of the mate turned stalker who just won't let go. Murderers are waiting, they are watching, they are all around us.