--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The serial killer Gary Gilmore summed up…" description: "\"“The serial killer Gary Gilmore summed up the attitude of someone without moral feelings: “I was always capable of murder.… I can become totally devoid..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c2/paul-bloom-3720_serial-killer_the-serial-killer-gary-gilmore-summed-up_3040908.jpg" --- # The serial killer Gary Gilmore summed up the attitude of… ![“The serial killer Gary Gilmore summed up the attitude of someone without moral feelings: “I was always capable of murder.… I can become totally devoid of feelings of others, unemotional. I know I’m doing something grossly fucking wrong. I can still go ahead and do it.” quote by Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c2/paul-bloom-3720_serial-killer_the-serial-killer-gary-gilmore-summed-up_3040908.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c2/paul-bloom-3720_serial-killer_the-serial-killer-gary-gilmore-summed-up_3040908.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c2/paul-bloom-3720_serial-killer_the-serial-killer-gary-gilmore-summed-up_3040908.jpg) > ““The serial killer Gary Gilmore summed up the attitude of someone without moral feelings: “I was always capable of murder.… I can become totally devoid of feelings of others, unemotional. I know I’m doing something grossly fucking wrong. I can still go ahead and do it.”” [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A serial killer can detach from empathy, recognizing wrongdoing yet proceeding, illustrating extreme moral disengagement. **In simple terms:** Moral disengagement allows wrongdoing despite awareness. Key Takeaway Recognize and counteract moral disengagement. Themes psychology ethics empathy crime Mood disturbing analytical clinical Type psychological ethical When to use this quote - criminal profiling - ethical training - self‑reflection Key Concepts moral psychology cognitive dissonance behavioral control Questions to Reflect On - What mechanisms prevent moral disengagement? - How can empathy be cultivated? A Different Perspective Even aware individuals can act immorally without checks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attitude Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude-moral-2595013/) [Gary Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gary-gilmore-5010930/) [Killer Gary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killer-gary-5010931/) [Moral Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-feelings-1807716/) [Serial killer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serial-killer/) ## Related quotes > [The value of a canvas depends almost entirely on your mental attitude, not on your moral attitude; depends on what kind of a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-webster-hawthorne/the-value-of-a-canvas-depends-almost-entirely-on-your-mental-attitude/) [Charles Webster Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-webster-hawthorne/) > [“Evolution, therefore, cannot account for the origin of our moral feelings, let alone for the fact that we all believe there are external moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/evolution-therefore-cannot-account-for-the-origin-of-our-moral/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [Mr. J.S. Mill speaks, in his celebrated work, "Utilitarianism," of the social feelings as a "powerful natural sentiment," and as "the natural basis of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/mr-j-s-mill-speaks-in-his-celebrated-work-utilitarianism-of-the/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [The strongest feelings assigned to the conscience are not moral feelings at all; they express merely physical antipathies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/the-strongest-feelings-assigned-to-the-conscience-are-not-moral/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [“You have no compelling moral intuitions to guide you in solving that problem. Your moral feelings are attached to frames, to descriptions of reality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/you-have-no-compelling-moral-intuitions-to-guide-you-in-solving-that/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“Consoler of our misery, religion is at the same time the most natural of our emotions. Unknown to us, all our physical sensations, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-constant/consoler-of-our-misery-religion-is-at-the-same-time-the-most-natural/) [Benjamin Constant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-constant/) > [In the metaphysical elements of aesthetics the various nonmoral feelings are to be made use of; in the elements of moral metaphysics the various…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/in-the-metaphysical-elements-of-aesthetics-the-various-nonmoral/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [The subjectivist in morals, when his moral feelings are at war with the facts about him, is always free to seek harmony by toningdown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-subjectivist-in-morals-when-his-moral-feelings-are-at-war-with/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [If we cannot have moral feelings against homosexuality, can we have it against murder? Can we have it against other things?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/if-we-cannot-have-moral-feelings-against-homosexuality-can-we-have-it/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [“Your moral feelings are attached to frames, to descriptions of reality rather than to reality itself. The message about the nature of framing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/your-moral-feelings-are-attached-to-frames-to-descriptions-of-reality/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“Kant finds that the ‘virtue of the heart’ is central and emphasizes the role of the understanding and concepts at the expense of inclinations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manfred-kuehn/kant-finds-that-the-virtue-of-the-heart-is-central-and-emphasizes-the/) [Manfred Kuehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manfred-kuehn/) > [“Serial killer aren't creative." "Watch a little Dexter and get back to me on that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cath-crowley/serial-killer-aren-t-creative-watch-a-little-dexter-and-get-back-to/) [Cath Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cath-crowley/) > [You know, I read the papers and I watch the news a lot. I watch 'Dateline' and '48 Hours'. And I think we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-galecki/you-know-i-read-the-papers-and-i-watch-the-news-a-lot-i-watch/) [Johnny Galecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-galecki/) > [In my lifetime I have broken every law that was ever made by both man and God", he said, "If either had made any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-panzram/in-my-lifetime-i-have-broken-every-law-that-was-ever-made-by-both-man/) [Carl Panzram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-panzram/) > [She was giving me oral sex, and she got carried away . . . So I choked her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-shawcross/she-was-giving-me-oral-sex-and-she-got-carried-away-so-i-choked-her/) [Arthur Shawcross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-shawcross/) ## More by Paul Bloom > [I have two teenage sons, and they're both surviving, thriving, and having a great time, and they're always on social media.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/i-have-two-teenage-sons-and-they-re-both-surviving-thriving-and/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [Families survive the terrible twos because toddlers aren't strong enough to kill with their hands and aren't capable of using lethal weapons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/families-survive-the-terrible-twos-because-toddlers-aren-t-strong/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [If Inigo Montoya were around now, he wouldn't need to storm the castle to bring his father's murderer to justice; the police would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/if-inigo-montoya-were-around-now-he-wouldn-t-need-to-storm-the-castle/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [Most of us know nothing about constitutional law, so it's hardly surprising that we take sides in the Obamacare debate the way we root…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/most-of-us-know-nothing-about-constitutional-law-so-it-s-hardly/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [“Being a good person likely is more related to distanced feelings of compassion and kindness, along with intelligence, self-control, and a sense of justice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/being-a-good-person-likely-is-more-related-to-distanced-feelings-of/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [Imagination is Reality Lite - a useful substitute when the real pleasure is inaccessible, too risky, or too much work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/imagination-is-reality-lite-a-useful-substitute-when-the-real/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [One way to make a baby cry is to expose it to cries of other babies. There's sort of contagiousness to the crying. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/one-way-to-make-a-baby-cry-is-to-expose-it-to-cries-of-other-babies/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [I want to convince you that humans are, to some extent, natural born essentialists. What I mean by this is we don't just respond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/i-want-to-convince-you-that-humans-are-to-some-extent-natural-born/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [The fact that something can be used for good isn't necessarily a knockdown argument for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/the-fact-that-something-can-be-used-for-good-isn-t-necessarily-a/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [ Our best hope for the future \[...\] lies in an appreciation of the fact that, even if we don’t empathize with distant strangers, their… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/our-best-hope-for-the-future-lies-in-an-appreciation-of-the-fact-that/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [When people want to inspire you to turn against some group of people, they'll often use empathy. When Obama wanted to bomb Syria, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/when-people-want-to-inspire-you-to-turn-against-some-group-of-people/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [I'm very interested in why we do good things, or bad things, and where moral judgments come from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/i-m-very-interested-in-why-we-do-good-things-or-bad-things-and-where/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [I have my own difficulty with movies in which the suffering of the characters is too real, and many find it difficult to watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/i-have-my-own-difficulty-with-movies-in-which-the-suffering-of-the/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [I think what a lot of fiction is, is the imagining of the worst so as to prepare ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/i-think-what-a-lot-of-fiction-is-is-the-imagining-of-the-worst-so-as/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [Morality is often seen as an innovation, like agriculture and writing. From this perspective, babies are pint-sized psychopaths, self-interested beings who need to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/morality-is-often-seen-as-an-innovation-like-agriculture-and-writing/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) [Explore all 123 Paul Bloom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) ## More Serial killer quotes > [She was giving me oral sex, and she got carried away . . . So I choked her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-shawcross/she-was-giving-me-oral-sex-and-she-got-carried-away-so-i-choked-her/) [Arthur Shawcross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-shawcross/) > [In my lifetime I have broken every law that was ever made by both man and God", he said, "If either had made any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-panzram/in-my-lifetime-i-have-broken-every-law-that-was-ever-made-by-both-man/) [Carl Panzram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-panzram/) > [You know, I read the papers and I watch the news a lot. I watch 'Dateline' and '48 Hours'. And I think we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-galecki/you-know-i-read-the-papers-and-i-watch-the-news-a-lot-i-watch/) [Johnny Galecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-galecki/) > [“Serial killer aren't creative." "Watch a little Dexter and get back to me on that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cath-crowley/serial-killer-aren-t-creative-watch-a-little-dexter-and-get-back-to/) [Cath Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cath-crowley/) > [“I had called Brooke 'it'. That was stupid. That was...horrifying. I was better than that... ...Calling human beings 'it' was a common trait of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wells/i-had-called-brooke-it-that-was-stupid-that-was-horrifying-i-was/) [Dan Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-wells/) > [Perhaps I'm being too optimistic, but I think this country is finally ready for a black serial killer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/perhaps-i-m-being-too-optimistic-but-i-think-this-country-is-finally/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Kill one and you might as well kill 21.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-martin/kill-one-and-you-might-as-well-kill-21/) [Mark Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-martin/) > [“There are questions that run through your head when you find out that you’re a serial killer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-human/there-are-questions-that-run-through-your-head-when-you-find-out-that/) [Charlie Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-human/) > [“Maybe that’s his game, though,” I said. “The hunt for one soul, again and again.” “Then why are you still here?” “The other women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-duff/maybe-that-s-his-game-though-i-said-the-hunt-for-one-soul-again-and/) [Hilary Duff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-duff/) > [“A depressed person is selfish because her self, the very core of who she is, will not leave her alone, and she can no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-pershall/a-depressed-person-is-selfish-because-her-self-the-very-core-of-who/) [Stacy Pershall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-pershall/) > [For me, the scariest thing about a serial killer is that there's somebody who lives next door to you, running power tools late into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-fincher/for-me-the-scariest-thing-about-a-serial-killer-is-that-there-s/) [David Fincher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-fincher/) > [Often, a serial killer has no felony record.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-brown/often-a-serial-killer-has-no-felony-record/) [Pat Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-brown/) > [“If you're completely off your rocker and have delusions of grandeur in which your personal existence is of special significance to the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-m-wolfe/if-you-re-completely-off-your-rocker-and-have-delusions-of-grandeur/) [Edward M. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-m-wolfe/) > [“It was quite obvious that without severe behavior modification, this boy would grow up to be a serial killer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/it-was-quite-obvious-that-without-severe-behavior-modification-this/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [“It's my job as best friend to make sure he's not a serial killer. Or an English major, not sure which one's worse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-crane/it-s-my-job-as-best-friend-to-make-sure-he-s-not-a-serial-killer-or/) [Shelly Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-crane/) [Browse all 394 Serial killer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serial-killer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The serial killer Gary Gilmore summed up the attitude of someone without moral feelings: “I was always capable of murder.… I can become totally devoid of feelings of others, unemotional. I know I’m doing something grossly fucking wrong. 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