Evil Deeds

A forensic psychologist on anger, madness and destructive behavior.

Stephen A. Diamond Ph.D.

Preventing Evil Deeds: Who Perpetrates Mass Shootings?

Is there still a standard psychological profile of mass shooters? Or might it be changing?

Preventing Evil Deeds

How can mental health professionals better prevent violent behavior in disturbed (i.e., angry) individuals?

Feeling Lucky?

Do we really make our own luck?

Who Were the Alienists?

What in the world is an "alienist"?

How and Why to Diagnose Psychopathic Narcissism

When are mental disorders defined and diagnosed by the suffering inflicted on others?

Why Myths Still Matter: The Twelve Labors of Hercules Part 5

What psychological lessons can we learn from mythology?

Some Holiday Self-Help: Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

Do introverts need more sleep than extroverts during the holiday season?

Lies, Self-Deception, and Malignant Narcissism

What type of person is attracted to narcissists?

Is It Narcissism or Sociopathy?

What is the nexus between narcissistic and antisocial personality?

Who Killed JonBenet (Part 3): The Grand Jury

What did the grand jury know about the JonBenet Ramsey case that we don't?

Who Killed JonBenet? Part 2: The Ransom Note

A forensic psychologist breaks down the JonBenet Ramsey ransom note.

Who Killed JonBenet?

What can forensic psychology tell us about the still unsolved JonBenet Ramsey case?

Should Psychology Play Some Part in Presidential Politics?

Ought we be publicly diagnosing our politicians?

Why Consult a Clinical Psychologist? Part 4

Can an initial consultation be curative?

Why Consult a Clinical Psychologist? Part 3

Demystifying what takes place during an initial consultation with a clinical psychologist.

Why Consult a Clinical Psychologist? (Part 2)

What happens during an initial consultation with a clinical psychologist?

Why Consult a Clinical Psychologist?

Have you ever wondered what really goes on during a consultation with a clinical psychologist?

On the Malignant Nature of Narcissism

Should presidential candidates be required to undergo a psychological evaluation?

Got Death Anxiety?

Do you have hidden death anxiety?

An Open Letter to the President from a Forensic Psychologist

Dear Mr. President....As a forensic psychologist and an American, I empathize with your profound frustration, pain, sadness, disgust and anger regarding the most recent mass shooting on the campus of Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon this week.

"Irrational Man" Review: Woody Allen's Existentialism 101

Whether he publicly acknowledges it or not, Irrational Man, the intriguing yet appropriated title of Woody Allen's new film, was one of my required texts (William Barrett, 1962) back in a freshman philosophy course I took on existentialism several lifetimes ago.

Secrets of Psychotherapy: Ten Ways to Help You Be Happy (#3)

What can different types of psychotherapy tell us about living a happier life?

Secrets of Psychotherapy: Ten Ways to Be More Happy (Pt. 2)

What can different psychotherapies tell us about living happier lives?

Secrets of Psychotherapy: Ten Ways to Help You Be Happy

What can different types of psychotherapy tell us about living a happier life?

Suicide or Mass Murder? : The Deliberate Downing of Flt 9525

What motivates suicidal mass killings like the deliberate downing of Germanwings Flt. 9525?

Anger, Madness, and the Daimonic

The Depravity of Violence: Responding to Radical Evil

Evil is much more than a theological or philosophical problem. It is primarily a psychological phenomenon and an existential fact of life. Nowhere is this demonstrated more clearly today than in the most recent series of videotaped executions by beheading and now, in the case of the coalition's captured Jordanian fighter pilot, being burned alive in a cage.

The Mysterious Demise of Mr. Mojo Risin'

What was Jim Morrison's state of mind at the time he died of an apparent drug and alcohol overdose in Paris? Existentialist Friedrich Nietzsche was his favorite philosopher. Had Morrison succumbed to nihilism and clinical despair?

Je Suis Charlie: Courage, Commitment and the Cost of Freedom

It is easy for Americans and French citizens to take our freedom for granted. But these violent attacks remind all of us that freedom is something precious and precarious, and that it takes great courage and commitment to affirm and maintain it. This is an existential truism not only for nations or cultures, but for patients in psychotherapy too.

Keeping Your Balance: Surviving the Hectic Holiday Season

Now that the holiday season is here, it's important to try to keep things in balance psychologically. Sure, this festive time of year is an extravert's dream: constant socializing, parties, travel, etc. On the other hand, it can be an introverted type's nightmare for exactly the same reasons.

How Mad was Hitler?

What do we really know about Hitler's personality? Today, in a troubled world of political and religious leaders like the late Osama bin Laden, messianic ISIS chief Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, and enigmatic North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un, it is more important than ever to understand the underlying psychology of such dangerous individuals.

  • Previous
  • Page 1 (current)
  • Next