Why do human beings turn violent, against themselves or others? Armand DiMele and co-host Giullian Gioiello survey the scope of violence, from suicide and child firearms deaths to intimate partner abuse and collective atrocities like the Cambodian killing fields, urging listeners to look inward rather than only outward at the problem.
Psychologist Dr. Noel Nelson, author of ‘Dangerous Relationships,’ walks Armand through seven early warning signs of abusive relationships, from whirlwind romance to possessiveness to boundary violations. The conversation covers why controlling behavior, not pathology or alcohol, is the clearest predictor of domestic violence.
When people can’t perceive their own illness or failings, the result isn’t simple denial but something deeper. Armand DiMele and Stephanie D’Ambra, LCSW, trace anosognosia from schizophrenia and stroke through everyday blindness to incompetence, exploring why the inability to see oneself is a root cause of violence, failed plans, and broken relationships.
Why do some people crave violent spectacle while others look away? Armand DiMele and Dr. Sherry Siegel, M.D. trace the neurochemistry behind attraction to violence, from adrenaline and cortisol surges to serotonin genetics, and propose that the real draw is not violence itself but the primal flight response and the thrill of imagined escape.
The Virginia Tech massacre prompts Armand DiMele and co-host Dr. Kent Robert Shaw to ask why rampage killers are almost exclusively male. They trace the pattern through testosterone surges, schizoid and paranoid personality profiles, failures of the mental health system, and a culture that worships superstars while ignoring the quietly invisible.
