Why does society hate loners so much?

[survivor999]

We've seen it again: the latest shooting in Seattle was perpetrated by another "loner" with few friends. Really? For every shooting or instance of crazy behavior, sooner or later, there is always the revelation (usually by some neighbor) that the perpetrator was a "loner".

Is that supposed to make everybody else feel better for some bizarre reason (let's see, today I went to church and played poker, watched baseball and got drunk with my buddies; not a loner, so I'm OK, pfewww!!)?

What do DUers think?

[porphyrian]

1. It's population control memetics.

Fear is a big part of both this administration's favored method of rule and a growing number of ad campaigns (how often do you hear "west nile virus" with bug repellent?), which is really no coincidence, as this administration is primarily corporate-minded and employ the same people to disseminate their propaganda. It is a natural human condition to fear the unknown, and things that are different and/or isolated from the "norm" are used to generate free-floating anxiety when unnecessarily and off-handedly mentioned in conjunction with something dangerous, such as a killer.

[survivor999]

5. I agree with you...

Yet, virtually all that is truly original is produced by people who are outside the norm, almost by definition.

[porphyrian]

9. True, but that doesn't mean they are appreciated or accepted during...

...their lifetime.

Conformity is ultimately the path to stagnation and death, but it's much easier to manipulate a population that reacts predictably to stimuli. Our innate social/pack behaviors (we are animals, despite the denial of some) are exploited in a carrot-and-stick way, making us feel irrationally "secure" when surrounded by "normal" people, and irrationally fearful of those who refuse to conform, despite their contributions, often to the point of persecution and even violence.

[survivor999]

15. Again, I agree with you.

Those who introduce novelty in our society are usually not those who get credit or benefit for it.

[The Deacon]

2. Isolation From Society

Is frequently a prelude to (but not cause of) violent anti-social behavior. One would expect that it might have something to do with lacking support mechanisms to help defuse destructive behavior or turn them to constructive paths.

[blogslut]

11. Bingo

The first thing a shrink will ask you is if you have friends, family, people you can turn to

To quote Euripides' Medea: "We must not think too much. People go mad if they think too much"

[survivor999]

18. They also lose hair

I think. My dad used to say that. He was bald. :)

[blogslut]

21. Grass don't grow

on a busy street

[The2ndWheel]

14. Yet groups can be far more destructive

It's all a crap shoot.

[MrBenchley]

3. Uh, which way did those bullets fly again?

"For every shooting or instance of crazy behavior, sooner or later, there is always the revelation (usually by some neighbor) that the perpetrator was a "loner"."
Go figure.

[Morning Dew]

12. and tempered with

"he semmed like a nice guy."

[The Deacon]

22. and quiet

[EFerrari]

4. We are a society of bubble wrapped loners.

Who else would we fear?

[gristy]

6. Well, first we must debate your suppostion that society hates loners.

Then maybe we can get onto why.
Loners by definition don't bother me at all. How could I hate them? How could society hate them?

gristy

[WinkyDink]

7. To make it mutual?

I speak for myself.

[EFerrari]

10. Lol

:rofl:

[Quantess]

13. Society hates loners because loners hate society,

you meant? Makes sense to me.

[survivor999]

16. Loners just want to be left alone

They don't necessarily hate society. I think. And they don't necessarily blame society for everything that sucks.

[nealmhughes]

8. Well, man, like dogs, and all other great apes are gregarious animals.

To live in groups is hardwired in us. The fact that a child has to have many many years of nuturing before being able to either live alone by observing what it requires to live without a nuturing breast or someone else bring in safe food to eat makes us gregarious.

Even the Jungle Boy had his wolves, as did Romulus and Remus.

[blogslut]

17. You're confusing loners with independant thinkers

There is a difference

[survivor999]

20. True, not all loners are

independent thinkers. Many loners are simply mentally ill. The same is true for many non-loners.

[Quantess]

19. Look, loners get their own club!

http://www.theantisocialclub.com/asc_page_036.htm

[TMA1]

23. It depends on what "loner" means.

There are many kinds of "loners" who are "loners" for many different reasons. Most of the time a person probably secludes himself because he or she may have feelings of inadiquacy. Others may have real psychological disorders and are afraid of people.

I myself am a sort of loner. I feel that I dont rate with other people, or that I have some sort of inadiquacy as far as my social skills go. THere are other reasons behind it, but generally it is because I fear failure or fear looking foolish in other peoples eyes. This is rediculous obviously, but it is a hard obsticle to get over.

Society is afraid of "loners" are unpredictable. Also the media portrays recluses as being dangerous or untrustworthy. Really the media is to blame for the fear.

Sometimes though recluses can be dangerous, and have a reason for running away from society. TO be honest, this question is really really really open ended. There are hundreds of answers and hundreds of ways to form this same question.

Cheers: Titus