Murder Quote by Dave Cullen
““from the Basement tapes Eric outdid Dylan with the apologies. To the untrained eye, he seemed sincere. The psychologists on the case found Eric less convincing. They saw a psychopath. Classic. He even pulled the stunt of self-diagnosing to dismiss it. "I wish I was a fucking sociopath so I didn't have any remorse," Eric said. "But I do." Watching that made Dr. Fuselier angry. Remorse meant a deep desire to correct a mistake. Eric hadn't done it yet. He excused his actions several times on the tapes. Fuselier was tough to rattle, but that got to him. "Those are the most worthless apologies I've ever heard in my life," he said. It got more ludicrous later, when Eric willed some of his stuff to two buddies, "if you guys live." "If you live?" Fuselier repeated. "They are going to go in there and quite possibly kill their friends. If they were the least bit sorry they would not do it!””
About This Quote
Source Book: “The Psychopath Test” by Dave Cullen, 2011
A critique of insincere apologies, highlighting how false remorse can be manipulative and meaningless.
In simple terms: Fake apologies are empty and manipulative.
Key Takeaway
Seek genuine accountability over hollow apologies.
Themes
ethics
psychology
remorse
authenticity
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
ethical
psychological
When to use this quote
- legal testimony
- therapy sessions
- public statements
- interpersonal conflict
Key Concepts
psychopathy
moral responsibility
apology dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- What makes an apology genuine?
- How can we discern true remorse?
A Different Perspective
Apologies may be sincere despite appearing manipulative.
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