upon his impulses, which furthered his gratification time after time, encouraging him to continue killing solely for the erotic pleasure elicited by each deed.Rollo May’s existential psychology focuses on the nature of humanities feelings of powerlessness in the face of technology and an unstable world (May, 1980). According to May, powerlessness leads to alienation from the outside world. This alienation comprised of feelings of impotence and apathy can lead to hostility, which breeds further alienation (Engler 1999).David Berkowitz exemplifies the extreme of powerlessness, anxiety, and alienation. In the existential view, anxiety is a prevalent force. This anxiety can be caused by the competitive nature of American culture and the demands society places on humanity. American culture stresses beauty, success, and attractiveness. The development of anxiety can be a direct result of an individual’s lack of these culturally chosen characteristics. Berkowitz was alienated from American culture by his inability to fit into the accepted American mold. He was neither successful, good looking, or attractive to women.Loss of values is another tenant of the existential philosophy. May states that America has created a society that lacks individualism and they’re fore no sense of self worth. Society has stolen people’s individuality increasing feelings of rejection and alienation. May’s idea of the consciousness of self describes the notion of an individuals ability to distinguish him self from society (Engler 1999). Berkowitz was unable to discover an identity, which let him stand out from society, leading him towards drastic measures in order to be noticed as an individual, and receive any kind of long awaited attention.May’s thoughts on rediscovering feelings make up another portion of existentialism. Rediscovering feelings begins with the separation of an individual from his mother. This invol...
