Ripper Timidity?

[lynn cates]

the type

Hello. I appreciate this analysis of psychological type/outward appearance and behavior. I think I may have posted elsewhere that I am looking for a scholar and that's why I find MJD attractive (less unattractive?) as a candidate.

There seem to have been many such types who have been involved in violent murders and afterward they provoke disbelief on the part of acquaintances. (Rather a Norman Bates type, if you will.)

I'm wondering if anyone has studied this personality type and can explain what sorts of mechanisms/rationalizations are used to prevent extreme guilt feelings (Sir MM's "mind giving way" situation)?

This would be interesting--especially vis-a-vis a mousy character.

lynn cates

[Pettifogger]

I see JtR as someone who had all the intellectual skills and background reading to be something more than what he was.

I think he was born poor or working class but never advanced to a university because he lacked the economic resources. Granted, I'm not seeing a 175 genius IQ with JtR but someone who was above the average IQ of 100. A Mensa candidate...probably not...yet I'd peg him somewhere on the 120/125 IQ scale. That would have in somewhere in the 20/25th percentiles. To put that differently, JtR was intellectually keener than 75/80% of the population as a whole.

I also see a withdrawn character and possible teetotaller. Not a devoutly religious individual but someone who knew his hymns. I'm sure work supervisors who interacted with JtR understood the misfortune of being someone who was born into the wrong circumstances.

[perrymason]

I think its purely speculative and somewhat indulgent to do what we are doing ...which is to profile a man or men who killed some women..with only that much real information available. The rest is a lot of opinion.

He was certainly a lion when it came to bold strokes in public though. So loosely that would be like the Jekyll and Hyde scenario....the sheepish man who turns into a wolfish fiend who brazenly kills women horribly out in "public" locations.

Is he that "night and day" type....does he have seizures....or is he just like ice all the time.

Cheers

[Supe]

Petitfogger,

Certainly agree with Michael's first parahraph and I would be interested in knowing upon what information you built your surmises about the Ripper's intelligence, antecedants, drinking habits, religious leanings and work experiences. Most of us labor to guess at a few murky facts about the elusive Jack and you seem to have him categorized for everything but "boxers or briefs."

Don.

[Jeff Leahy]

Feldsher or feldscher, Jeff... anything but "felcher"

Norman Stanley feldscher

Surely the serious point being made is that we should be careful when resorting to cliches that do not hold any substance.

Kosminski, may have had medical training, of a form. The term Hairdresser was very different in 1888 to the way it is used today. I think we can safely say he wasnt trained by Vidal Sassoon.

And besides his family were wealthy Tailors who ran sweat shops.

It's more likely that Kosminski by this time was a night watchman keeping guard at night in a tailors workshop premises, as his family didnt know what to do with him.

As for not mentioning suspects, that is impossible. How can you consider the question in this thread on a theoretical basis...cant be done. It has to relate to suspects.

all best

Pirate

[John Wheat]

I think as regards Jack the Ripper's traits Pettifogers about nailed it. I would also say that the idea of the Ripper being an outgoing, well educated, gentleman serial killer is highly unlikely.

[Jeff Leahy]

You have proof Druitt didnt do it?

[John Wheat]

Bugger All

No but there's bugger all evidence that he did.

[Supe]

John W.,

Since you are in agreement with Petitfogger, perhaps you can explain how he deduced all that he did about JtR as Petit seems unwilling to answer.

Don.

[John Wheat]

I'm not a Mind Reader

I'm not a mind reader but his statements do match pretty much what every expert psych profiler has said about Jack the Ripper. And I would suggest if experts such as Roy Hazlewood are all in agreement then there is probably something in it.

[Jeff Leahy]

I’m sorry John but Psychological profiling just does not work like that. The human brain and psychological effects are simply to varied. Yes we can see patterns and traits that repeat themselves but no two serial killers are ever the same.

So to come up with a list of possible traits and say ‘find the man that matches and we have our man’ doesn’t work.

You can only take the man, access his condition and say ‘ This man might have done it’

The Jack the Ripper murders are unique. The closest comparisons would be serial killers like Peter Sutcliff and he was of a different age and a different time/world.

Psychological profiling is interesting but you are never going to catch Jack through its speculation and reasoning alone. You have to see it in terms of an individual suspect.

All the best

Pirate

[John Wheat]

Of Course

Of course why use things like psych profiling and evidence to solve the Ripper murders when we can catch him in the act?

[Jeff Leahy]

Do I detect a hint of Sarcasm?

Actually psychological profiling is something I’ve given some time and thought too. Especially with my brother who is head of social services in a large county (UK) and is responsible for committing in that area. It’s not possible to come up with black and white solutions. Just statistics and probability. Each call is based on individual assessment.

Mental Health opens all sorts of ‘cans of worms’ it is NOT an exact science.

We must also remember that knowledge and treatment of mental Health issues have moved a long way since 1888.

All the best

Pirate

[smezenen]

The literal meaning of A milquetoast is a weak, ineffectual person. It is derived from the character Caspar Milquetoast from the comic strip The Timid Soul.

The fact that at least 5 murders are traditionaly atributed to JTR would make the term "Milquetoast" noncompatible with Jack the Ripper, who was not ineffectual in his killing or intimidated by the women he killed or the police/vigilance commity that tried to catch him. I think he may have been a loner and maybe introverted but I bet he was a volcano when you pissed him off. I wouldnt want to be the one that got his fire burning especially if I had to walk anywhere in London let alone the East End after dark in 1888.