The Psychology of Trophy Hunting & Socially Acceptable Mob Violence
By: Brooke Sinclair
Tags: Politics, Covid 19, White Supremacy, Medicine, Racism

Trophy hunting fills an empty heart with pleasure. The triumphant pleasure of hurting another living thing. Scientists suggest hunting signals a psychological need for power.

People who understand trophy hunters say that displaying dead prey somehow proves the hunter’s power or wealth. Hence the term “trophy hunting.” Unlike the traditional hunter who eats what’s been killed, trophy hunters kill because they can, not because they need to. Even the most avid hunter has more than one deer mounted on their walls.

Have you ever asked yourself, why do hunters hang the heads of big game prey on their walls? When a moose head hangs on the walls it is what hunters call a trophy. It’s a souvenir of the kill. In the article “How Hunting Trophies Work” Andrew Aguecheek describes hunting as an intense, visceral experience. In short, it’s high!

After the thrilling victory of the hunt, it is only natural for the hunter to want to keep a memento that captures the memory. Human predators take pieces of flesh and bone as souvenirs of the victims they’ve tormented.

Where it all began

During quarantine, we noticed an uptick in the number of “Karen” attacks. A “Karen” is a nickname for a “white-lady-with-a-bone-to-pick.” The New York Post defines a Karen attack as a socio-cultural faux pas online. Calling the police to shut down a kids’ lemonade stand — because they didn’t have a permit — and calling the police on black bird watchers.

Basically, a Karen is a term for a middle-aged white (or white adjacent) woman who makes a big fuss is all examples of Karen attacks.

As I watched my fourth Karen attack video, I started recognizing a familiarity in the behaviors of the women randomly lash out at unsuspecting individuals. There was something in their mannerisms and determination to succeed regardless of rhyme or reason. Then one day it hit me…crackheads.

That realization inspired the hypothesis. The hypothesis that

The biased thoughts and actions of privilege are addicting. The euphoric feeling of privilege is an addiction.

The stereotypical Karen works in a corporate office environment and says things like, “You’re not one of those Black people.” Or passes up qualified minorities for promotions and raises to promote unqualified nonminorities.

But during quarantine, the Karen’s were home with their families. There wasn’t anyone to exert dominance over. The Karen’s couldn’t get a fix of privilege. There weren’t any minorities to exert control over.

We are testing the theory: When you see a Karen attack what you’re actually seeing is a drug fiend looking for a fix. Karen’s attack unsuspecting, innocent bystanders who are simply going about their daily lives and that’s how The Bias Rehab & Learning Center was created.

At the bias rehab center, we believe the biased thoughts and actions of privilege are an addiction and therefore should be treated like an addiction with systemic sessions of introspective dialogue. Group discussions and activities on a repetitive basis. We built a recognizable system of solutions made to fit each lifestyle.

For those who prefer Weekly meetings, we offer No Invitation Required (NIR). A fun, low-key ask-me-anything with qualified professionals. Basically, it’s your safe place to “Ask A Black Person.” Think Alcoholics Anonymous but for bias. One day people will say, “I’m 30 years bias rehab” with the same level of comfort as 30 years sober. NIR was built to help with personal growth, but you’re more than welcome to bring a friend! Think of NIR like a yoga class you might bring a friend to or a person who can support your growth.

The 11 Step Program is a movie based e-learning program about inclusion. This is the most fun you can have discussing a hard topic. ​Before the day, participants watch assigned movies or Youtube videos. During the workshop, we ask you a series of probing questions that help YOU identify who YOU are vs. how YOU want to be remembered. Leave with your Free Copy of ‘The 11 Steps to Rehab Your Bias’ we can discuss them in the open Q&A. Take home easy-to-accomplish actions you can do on the regular. When combined with avid participation in NIR meetings the principles of the 11 Steps then you are working towards living an inclusive lifestyle.

There’s an open Q&A before go and you leave with easy-to-accomplish actions you can repeatedly do to live an inclusive lifestyle. Great for dynamic groups School boards, Private Equity Offices, Homeowner Associations, & Greek associations and memberships.

Photo by Max Letek on Unsplash

‘The Trophy Hunter Psychology’ suggests that under the context of the law one cannot murder a non-human animal, a corpse, a corporation, or any other non-human such as a plant or bacterium. In my opinion, I think that is where Black people fall in the minds of those who control this country. I think that’s what Black people are thought of…as non-human animals.

Cruelty to animals is wrong, but it is not murder. People kill animals for a wide variety of reasons. Some of these reasons may be seen as cruel by different people. Some feel killing animals for food is cruel, while others see it as a necessary evil. Some (those who enjoy hunting) take pleasure in killing. However, even cruelty to animals is still not considered “murder.”

Not too long ago, mob violence was socially acceptable. Socially accepted, aided, abetted, and attended by law enforcement. Historically speaking, lynching participants were never punished and if they were tried or convicted, it was for arson, rioting, or some other much more minor offense. Sound familiar?

Based on the detailed empirical research, the word for nonhuman is embedded in legal systems globally. It is the burden of the prey to outsmart the predator and that’s why I believe the descendants of slaves are victim-blamed for their interactions with police officers and figures of authority. Black people may see themselves as sentient beings rich with deep cognitive and emotional lives, but that is not a widely held perspective.

For example, take the 1931 story of Raymond Gunn from Maryville, Missouri. The pubic lynching of Raymond Gunn drew an estimated crowd of 4,000 watchers. That was only eighty years ago. After the event, Arthur Raper wrote The Tragedy of Lynching. In his book, Raper describes the story of a woman who held her little girl up so she could get a better view of the Negro’s naked body burning in front of hundreds of children.

The heads of police unions wore their Sunday best to watch a murder in public.

That means it is up to the slave descendants to use their skills, resources, and influence to change the narrative. The men who sit at the head of police unions are descendants of people who wore their Sunday best to watch a murder in public, often taking dismembered body parts as souvenirs as trophies. “Whole families came together, mothers and fathers, bringing even their youngest children. It was the show of the countryside — a very popular show,” read a 1930 editorial in the Raleigh News and Observer. “Men joked loudly at the sight of the bleeding body … girls giggled as the flies fed on the blood that dripped from the Negro’s nose.”

Less than a century ago, lynching victims were typically dismembered into pieces as trophies for mob members. I do believe there is hope for the future because I believe there is a better way to get into the psyche of those in power. I believe we can elicit empathy from the powers if we play on the psychology behind trophy hunting.

This may be obvious to you, but it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you articulate to our readers a few reasons why it is so important for a business or organization to have a diverse executive team?

Contrary to popular belief, or what the CEO of Coinbase may articulate, it is critically important for a company to have a diverse executive team because the people of society (customers) are diverse. Although Coinbase may have only lost 60 employees, customers measure the strength of an executive management team by how it embraces the concept of diversity in thought. An executive team that embraces diversity in thought takes their company from “How do we reach this demographic” to “We’re serving this demographic in this region, this region, and this region.”

Are you optimistic that this issue can eventually be resolved? Can you explain it?

I am optimistic that this issue can be resolved. I’m optimistic the United States can change because change is the only constant we have in this life. It’s society’s only guarantee.