Overview of On Killing
In his work titled On Killing, Lieutenant Colonel David Grossman investigates the roots, effects, and implications of killing in warfare and daily existence. Major themes include people’s response stages to murder and the anatomy of the assassination itself. The reader is left with substantial talk regarding how to “resensitize” the United States to curb rising violent crime instances (Grossman, p. 323). This groundbreaking work illuminates the military’s methods and raises critical concerns about rising violence.
Psychological Phases of Killing
In a chapter devoted to the various stages of the killing reaction, the author mediates on what it is like to kill and the mental toll it takes on those who do it on the battlefield. The concern, the kill itself, elation, guilt, justification, and acceptance are the fundamental phases of reaction to murder in action (Grossman, p. 231). The way rationalization and acceptance work is comprised of an ongoing sequence that has a severe influence on the individual. This procedure leads to post-traumatic stress disorder if it malfunctions, which is the author’s primary inference.
The Anatomy of Killing
In the anatomy of killing, murder consists of the means, reason, chance, and the relevance and payoff of the victim. From a psychological perspective, the author introduced the “nature of the victim” model of target appeal proposed by psychologist Ben Shalit (Grossman, p. 171). The model separates the significance of the victim’s payoff of murdering in terms of the killer’s benefit and the opponent’s loss from the relevance of the possible strategies for executing the target. As a result, it is crucial to the justification to recognize the target as a combatant effectively.
Addressing Violence Through Cultural Reform
Concerns about the proliferation of violence and atomic weaponry are voiced in the book’s “Recentivizing America” chapter. It was proposed that societal condemnation of those who abuse violence for profit would be preferable to legislation and First Amendment rights changes. Restricting access to lethal technology has been cited as a sensible response to violence, echoing the reformist stances of Japan and China on the outlawing of firearms.
Reflections on Moral Impact and the Call for Change
The book’s description of the mental steps involved in the murder was particularly insightful. Evidenced by an uptick in cases of post-traumatic stress disorder, the emotional toll on troops can be enormous. By shedding light on the emotional responses that lead to the often-lasting psychological harm that befalls troops who murder other fellow humans in combat, the author demonstrates the extremely disagreeable nature of the conflict. His advocacy for change and suggestions for nonviolent conflict resolution was highly motivational and thought-stimulating.
Reference
Grossman, D. (2009). On killing: The psychological cost of learning to kill in war and society. Back Bay Books.