Grandiosity.

Editor,

This shooter's belief that his rampage will spark a revolution sounds familiar. If I am not mistaken, Timothy McVeigh harbored similar fantasies, as did Donald Rumsfeld when he invaded Iraq -- that emboldened individuals of like mind would "rise up" and "overthrow" their oppressor(s).

There is of course no way to talk sense to a fanatic before the fact and explain that, no, there will be no revolution; but this is one aspect of the extremist mentality, apart from the sheer horror of the violence of which they are capable, that I find particularly disturbing -- the messianic component of their thinking, their grandiosity.

Re: "Norway Attacker May Have Had Accomplices; Death Toll Lowered" (7/26/2011)