Q: I am conducting a study on why certain people crave attention. I am currently enrolled in a Journalism course and I would appreciate your opinion for an article I am writing. I am wondering why someone would do something like faking a robbery bust in order to maybe receive attention from people all over the area. If you could email me back that would be helpful.
A: There is a topic at my site on “Getting Enough Attention.” I think it may help you in your research, at least as background information.
People who get way too much attention in early childhood (before the age of 2-1/2 or so) AND people who are almost entirely ignored during these same years, often grow up feeling desperate about getting attention. They see themselves as infants and toddlers see themselves, as the center of the universe – and they believe subconsciously that everyone else revolves around them, as if we are all there only to serve their needs (as their mother should have been). When frustrated by not getting enough attention, they can become enraged at the “unfairness” of it all and may take extreme action.
Of course I don’t know this person you are referring to and I can’t say that he has these particular problems, but this is one set of circumstances that can bring about such behavior. (And this person’s parents certainly wouldn’t appreciate this speculation, because no matter what they did or didn’t do, their son made his own behavior choices as an adult.)
