While one of the most irrational fears I have grown up with is being murdered by a real-life version of Hannibal Lecter in my sleep and my body turning into an exotic breakfast meal the next day, for my killer AND the investigating officer, the odds of it happening cannot be dismissed.
Haven’t you wondered what are the things that differentiate you from a serial killer – I mean, what must have gone so wrong in their life that you managed to escape? How is it that these larger-than-life villains kill with ease and still feel nothing?
Turns out, there isn’t not a lot of difference. Here are some traits a lot of us might share with serial killers.
1. You are always charming
While it is not easy to be a pleasant and charming person all the time and a very few people know how to get the trick right, turns out it is an essential serial killer trait. They tend to have a great grasp over other people’s emotions and are quick to (charmingly) convince them into doing things they otherwise wouldn’t.
2. You are easily drawn to positions of power
Well, power thrills. Even if it does not hold true for everyone, this is one magnet that draws serial killers without fail. Because most of them aren’t able to attain it in their professional lives, they use killing to feel like they have a sense of control over other people.
3. You can manipulate people easily
When an inflated ego, an ability to charm the fuck out of anyone, a nerve to lie confidently and walk their way into positions of power, I am sure you will agree that being a manipulator almost comes as a side dish.
4. You love to brag
Every now and then, everyone likes to blow their trumpets a little. But when it is serial killers we are talking about, they need an outlet that allows them to brag about the atrocities they’ve committed – aimed at their accomplices, the next victim, law enforcement, or just themselves. In case you brag a lot, it is only wise to tone it down.
5. You had a troubled life at home
The first people who condition a child is his/her family. In most dysfunctional families, when a child is merely neglected, there is potential for huge developmental failures to occur. In many cases, the child might become desensitised and start stuffing all emotions into a corner in their head. In case you think you need parenting lessons for your child, do not shy away for signing up for it.
6. You are a thrill seeker
While a lot of people love to go for adventurous trips, turns out serial killers belong to the same club. They love going for things that are out of the ordinary and involves a higher degree of risk. I mean, of course, you cannot be a serial killer and be interested in the mundane things life easily offers.
7. You wet the bed past the age of five
Researchers argue that persistent bedwetting past the age of five is demeaning for a child, especially if parents or other figures of authority discover, tease and denigrate them for it. It is a researched fact that over 57% of serial killers were bed-wetters until an unusually advanced age.
8. You want to work in the medical field
Researchers found that people who are potential murderers are drawn to working in the medical field. Such jobs fascinate them not only because they can experiment with bodies and learn newer things, just knowing that they are in control of a person’s body gives them a sense of thrill they crave for.
9. You act your fantasies out on animals
Almost 99% of the serial killers confessed that they started by acting out their violent fantasies on animals before they started experimenting on human beings. Well, they will need lab rats to practice their killing on – makes complete sense, does it not?
10. You cannot continue with one job for long
While it is the work culture that might create problems for a lot of us, serial killers share a similar need to break away from too many rules and the bossy attitude that some jobs throw at you. With emotional problems, anti-social behaviour and a need to maintain their space, they are not the ones who can work in a job for long.