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Freudian Psychology
Guns in America: What's Freud and Sex Got to Do With It?
The psychology of guns, reloaded: Q&A
Posted May 19, 2018
To many readers who have joined a growing chorus of voices arguing for increased “gun control” legislation as the number of mass shootings and school shootings rise, it's a mystery why others oppose such efforts, "cling to their guns," or even own guns at all. In a previous post, The Psychology of Guns, I attempted to help such readers understand why some people own guns and are loathe to hear about efforts to take them away.
Since that post was published, I’ve received a number of media requests for interviews on the subject. Here are some questions and answers:
► You write that gun culture is American culture. How do you see cinema and popular culture adding to this? You mention briefly video games and the idea of the American as the gun-toting hero. But I would argue video games, like heavy metal music, don't cause mass shootings. So how do these cultural artefacts really add to our understanding of guns, what they are used for, who uses them and so on?
I agree that there’s very little evidence to support that violent video games or watching violent movies “cause” mass shootings. That said, I do think that the ubiquity of guns in popular culture normalizes the use of guns and gun violence in our lives. And the way that gun violence is depicted, with a hero soldiering on after being shot instead of screaming in agony as they’re bleeding out on the ground, can inure us to the horror of violence and reinforce the fantasy of “good guys with guns.” That same kind of sterilization occurs with media coverage of actual shootings, even if that coverage isn’t overtly focused on glorification the way it is in movies. This was a central argument in a piece I wrote for Aeon magazine called Running Amok.
When I pointed out that gun culture is American culture in the Aeon article and my “Psychology of Guns” blogpost, I was really trying to get people to see why there’s such strong resistance against gun control in the US. Guns have become so normalized in our culture — whether through the media for all of us or in real life for those who own or grew up around guns — that it's a little bit like talking about getting rid of cars or football. Football is actually a good comparison since many parents are now prohibiting their kids from participating at an early age due to the risk of traumatic encephalopathy, but there’s resistance to this from other pockets of the country where football is so intertwined in daily life that parents seem willing to accept, or are in denial about, those risks.
► Can you please describe what you mean in your post about “beyond the unavoidable Freudian link between guns and potency…” Has anyone actually done research on this? How does this relate to pleasure of shooting a gun? Is it dangerous to associate pleasure with an object that can cause violence? I feel like there are lots of articles written about 'gun fetishes' that don't actually discuss them AS a fetish. Do you think it might be important to look at the sexual aspects of the gun, and our love of them?
We often think of Freud as having suggested that everything can be interpreted in the context of sexuality, so the imagery of shooting bullets through a cylindrical barrel is hard to ignore. This is especially true when we acknowledge that the most gun violence and nearly every case of mass shooting is perpetrated by men. Thinking along those lines seems to be consistent with the observation that gun violence among men — especially in the context of mass shootings where perpetrators are haven mostly been white — is sometimes about compensating for feelings of impotence with fantasies of revenge that, more often than not, end in suicide or the perpetrator being killed by law enforcement. Going out with a bang, if you will.
Freud might very well have had something to say about the association of pleasure and violence in the context of guns. Dangerous or not, sadism — taking pleasure in inflicting pain — is part of human behavior, whether in the context of sexual behavior/play, hunting, or football. You can see that once again, these are more stereotypically — but certainly not exclusively — male pastimes.
That all said, I tend to think about firearms less in sexual terms, and more in terms of potency/power, though of course those concepts are related. Part of the appeal of shooting guns is experiencing the kind of potency described in my blogpost (including by women). As far as mass shootings go, this seems to be a culture-bound syndrome in the US that I don’t think is merely a product of our disproportionate access to guns. For certain individuals who feel robbed of a potency, power, and masculinity to which they feel entitled, mass shooters have become an appealing cultural icon as evidenced by a reverence for mass shooters that is sometimes discussed online in anonymous online forums like Reddit and 4Chan. In order to curb mass shootings, I think it’s important to try to get at the root of those feelings.
► Why do you believe Americans have an addiction to violence? (i.e. movies, video games, childhood war games, etc.)
Violence and aggression are “in our DNA” so to speak. I don’t think there's any evidence to support that this is a particular feature of Americans nor should our affinity for violent entertainment be considered an “addiction.” You could make an argument that the affinity for violence is more of a male gender-specific feature, but certainly there are many women who enjoy the kinds of entertainment you mention. As one example, there are more female boxers and mixed-martial arts (MMA) fighters these days, suggesting that male-female differences may in part be determined by traditional cultural roles that are now evolving.
► Are there any relationships between gun ownership and potentially harmful behaviors otherwise? (i.e. drug use, anger issues, recklessness)
This is a common question, but I’m not aware of any such evidence.
► Do you find people change their views on guns after beginning families?
Again, I haven’t seen any evidence of this. Many people who might be considered to be “pro-gun” grew up in families where, as children, they were exposed to guns and developed beliefs about guns in that context. I wouldn’t think therefore that becoming parents would change that.
Consider also that one of the reasons that people own guns and believe strongly in 2nd Amendment rights is that they believe they are safer with guns. So, having spouses and children to protect might very well increase such feelings.
Anecdotally, I have a friend who would describe herself very much as a liberal. She never thought she would own a gun, and even says that she hates guns, but some years ago she experienced a frightening home invasion. The man who entered her home was combative and was scared away when a neighbor appeared with a firearm. He was later apprehended by police. In the wake of that incident, my friend and her husband purchased a handgun for the purposes of home defense. She now says she’s sad to have a gun with a young daughter at home, but sleeps a little better at night knowing she’s safe.
► How do you interpret the 2nd Amendment?
Interpreting the 2nd Amendment isn't on my list of job qualifications. That’s the job of the Supreme Court. Most recently, in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), the Supreme Court ruled that the 2nd Amendment included the right to possess a firearm for home defense, unrelated to service in a militia. That interpretation might change one day in a subsequent decision, just as it’s possible that the 2nd Amendment, or other amendments, could be repealed.
But in a divided two-party country in which gun rights is such a polarizing issue, I don’t see any significant legislative change about guns happening until we start to reach across the aisle and bridge that polarization. That requires that we achieve a greater understanding of both sides of the debate around guns.
To read more about the psychology of the gun control debate and about mass shooters, see:
The Psychology of Guns
Worshipping the AR-15: Cult, Church, or the American Way?
Mass Shootings in America: Crisis and Opportunity
Active Shooters: Not Mentally Healthy, But Not Mentally Ill
Mass Shootings, Psychiatric Medications, and Rick Perry
When Racism Motivates Violence
