Born Charles Maddox, the man we now know as Charles Manson was a disadvantaged child. Manson was born November 12, 1934 in Cincinnati, Ohio, to a sixteen year old promiscuous alcoholic who had no regard for her son. Manson’s mother, Kathleen Maddox, was not ready for parenthood and did not rise to meet her new responsibility as a single mother.
Kathleen Maddox married William Manson and gave Charles his name at that time. Manson tells a story of his mother trading him for beer: “Mom was in a cafe one afternoon with me on her lap. The waitress, a would-be mother without a child of her own, jokingly told my Mom she’d buy me from her. Mom replied, ‘A pitcher of beer and he’s yours.’ The waitress set up the beer…. Several days later my uncle had to search the town for the waitress and take me home,” Montaldo (n.d).
In 1940, Kathleen was sent to prison. Manson lived with several different relatives while his mother was in prison, including a religious fanatic grandmother, an uncle who committed suicide while caring for Manson to protest authorities taking his land, and another uncle who seemed to be extremely homophobic. This uncle thought Manson was too feminine, so he put him in a dress and sent him to school. Manson said, “Grandmom said I don’t fight – I didn’t fight – my uncle beat me with a douche bag and no fight. Then he put a red dress on me and said if you gonna be a girl, dress like a girl. If I remember fighting and fighting and fighting. Reckon I’ll ever get this red dress off,” (Purple Slinky, 2009).
When his mother was released from prison, she and Manson were briefly reunited. Manson is reported as saying that the only joyful moment in his childhood was the embrace from his mother upon her release (Purple Slinky, 2009). This joyful reunion, however, was short lived, as Kathleen’s boyfriend did not want children. Kathleen chose her boyfriend over Manson and attempted to put Manson into foster care, but was rejected. Feeling unwanted by his mother, Manson began his life of crime.
Manson began to steal on a regular basis and was sent to a reform home in Indiana. “Some believe his instant attraction to theft stemmed from his need to call something his own, allowing for him to create an identity for himself,” Montaldo (n.d). Manson escaped the Indiana reform school and was sent to another, only to escape again. Manson spent his teen years as a loaner, either in or escaping from reform schools. Manson showed signs of manipulation even as a young teen, only performing from those he thought he could gain something from.
When not in reform school, Manson lived on his own, using the profits from armed robberies and driving stolen cars. At seventeen, he was illiterate. Manson continued his life of crime until he was caught and sent to the Indiana home for boys, where he claimed he was raped repeatedly, and escaped soon after the allegations.
In 1951, Manson was convicted of driving a stolen vehicle across state lines and was sent to prison. Manson was released in 1954 after several assault charges. Manson married two times, both times his wives left him. He has at least two children, neither of which he has a relationship with. Manson was rejected and alone again. Manson was arrested several more times.
Manson and his followers plotted and carried out the murders of several Californians, including pregnant actress Sharon Tate. Manson and his followers were caught and prosecuted. Manson has been serving time in the California State Prison system for more than thirty years.
While some of Manson’s actions could be attributed to heredity, many of them were caused by environmental factors. Manson’s uncle committed suicide in an attempt to prevent authorities from taking his land, which suggests a possible mental illness. It is possible that mental illness runs in the family, however, psychological studies have shown no mental illness that is relatable to any member of his family. “People we generally imagine as being crazy have no clear understanding of right and wrong. Manson does not have this deficiency. He clearly understands right and wrong, he simply ceases to care on certain occasions. This mentality is one aspect of the illness he is most commonly believed to have, anti-social personality disorder. APD is the clinical term for what we would have formerly called a ‘sociopath’ or a ‘psychopath’ – though these terms are now outdated and considered derogatory,” Schmidt (n.d.), (para. 11).
Manson’s upbringing suggests environmental influence being cause for his actions. Manson was raised with no example of a socially functioning adult. There was no stability in his childhood. Because Manson had very little structure, he designed his own dysfunctional structure in life.
Manson was left on his own in life. Manson was rejected by everyone he thought he could trust. His mother did not want him, his grandmother and uncles did not understand him and belittled him, and both of his wives left him. Every time Manson thought he was going to have some stability in life, it was ripped away from him. Manson had no social model to teach him how to live his life and was left to his own demise.
Erickson’s theory of psychosocial development states that each stage of life is a turning point and has its own challenges. If the challenge is met, a feeling of self confidence occurs; if it is not met, a feeling of inadequacy occurs (Van Wagner, 2009). This could explain why Manson acted as he did. He had little stability and no role models. He was faced with failure after failure in life and had very little social interaction. According to this theory, Manson would have grown up with a very strong sense of inadequacy, which would guide him to overcompensate in later years.
Abraham Maslow was the humanistic theorist who founded Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. He believed that self-actualization was the key to having optimal mental health. He believed that people who were able to self actualize had the following traits: “awareness and acceptance of themselves, openness and spontaneity, the ability to develop close friendships without being overly dependent on other people, a good sense of humor, the tendency to have peak experiences that are spiritually or emotionally satisfying” (Spark Notes, 2009).
This theory best proves the decline of Manson’s mental health. Manson did not meet any of Maslow’s requirements for optimal mental health. Manson does not fulfill any of the categories for Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Manson did not have even his basic needs fulfilled on a regular basis. He had to steal to eat on many occasions, even as a child. He bounced from home to home, and his family showed him no love or respect. He was repeatedly rejected by everyone he thought should love him, including both of his wives. He was not respected by others, and therefore did not respect others. Manson did not learn morals or socially acceptable problem solving skills because no one ever taught him.
Manson proves Maslow’s theory by being the opposite extreme. Manson does not meet any of Maslow’s requirements for optimum mental health, and has proven to be mentally unstable. Manson did not act as society thought he should because he did not fit into society. He was rejected and unwanted. He did not learn to respect human life, because no human life had ever respected him. His mother clearly disrespected any authority figures in her life. Manson took her example to an extreme.
Manson created his own “family” because he had none. Manson manipulated other people into believing anything he told them. This was the closest to self-actualization he would ever achieve. The only way he could achieve this was by manipulating his “family” into thinking he was Christ. This would only fuel his mental instability. The worse he felt, the more power he craved. Having the power to influence others to take a life was the ultimate high for Manson.
The burden of raising a child that was unwanted from the time of conception proved to be too much for Manson’s family. Manson’s mother tried to put him into foster care, which may have actually saved him, but was rejected. Manson grew up not only feeling, but knowing, that he was unwanted and unloved.
References
Montaldo, Charles. (n.d.). Profile of Charles Manson. About.com. Retrieved October 10, 2009, from http://crime.about.com/od/murder/p/charliemanson.htm
Purple Slinky. (2009). 10 weird facts about Charles Manson’s childhood. Retrieved October 10,
2009, from http://purpleslinky.com/trivia/people/10-weird-facts-about-charles-mansons-
childhood/
Schmidt, Gavin C. (n.d.). Debuking myths surrounding Charles Manson. The Framing
Business. Retrieved October 10, 2009, from http://www.framingbusiness.net/archives/102
Van Wagner, Kendra. (2009). Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development. About.com:
Psychology. Retrieved October 11, 2009, from http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/psychosocial.htm
Spark Notes. (2009). Humanistic Theories. Retrieved October 11, 2009, from
http://www.sparknotes.com/101/psychology/personality/humanistic_theories.html
Kathleen Maddox married William Manson and gave Charles his name at that time. Manson tells a story of his mother trading him for beer: “Mom was in a cafe one afternoon with me on her lap. The waitress, a would-be mother without a child of her own, jokingly told my Mom she’d buy me from her. Mom replied, ‘A pitcher of beer and he’s yours.’ The waitress set up the beer…. Several days later my uncle had to search the town for the waitress and take me home,” Montaldo (n.d).
In 1940, Kathleen was sent to prison. Manson lived with several different relatives while his mother was in prison, including a religious fanatic grandmother, an uncle who committed suicide while caring for Manson to protest authorities taking his land, and another uncle who seemed to be extremely homophobic. This uncle thought Manson was too feminine, so he put him in a dress and sent him to school. Manson said, “Grandmom said I don’t fight – I didn’t fight – my uncle beat me with a douche bag and no fight. Then he put a red dress on me and said if you gonna be a girl, dress like a girl. If I remember fighting and fighting and fighting. Reckon I’ll ever get this red dress off,” (Purple Slinky, 2009).
When his mother was released from prison, she and Manson were briefly reunited. Manson is reported as saying that the only joyful moment in his childhood was the embrace from his mother upon her release (Purple Slinky, 2009). This joyful reunion, however, was short lived, as Kathleen’s boyfriend did not want children. Kathleen chose her boyfriend over Manson and attempted to put Manson into foster care, but was rejected. Feeling unwanted by his mother, Manson began his life of crime.
Manson began to steal on a regular basis and was sent to a reform home in Indiana. “Some believe his instant attraction to theft stemmed from his need to call something his own, allowing for him to create an identity for himself,” Montaldo (n.d). Manson escaped the Indiana reform school and was sent to another, only to escape again. Manson spent his teen years as a loaner, either in or escaping from reform schools. Manson showed signs of manipulation even as a young teen, only performing from those he thought he could gain something from.
When not in reform school, Manson lived on his own, using the profits from armed robberies and driving stolen cars. At seventeen, he was illiterate. Manson continued his life of crime until he was caught and sent to the Indiana home for boys, where he claimed he was raped repeatedly, and escaped soon after the allegations.
In 1951, Manson was convicted of driving a stolen vehicle across state lines and was sent to prison. Manson was released in 1954 after several assault charges. Manson married two times, both times his wives left him. He has at least two children, neither of which he has a relationship with. Manson was rejected and alone again. Manson was arrested several more times.
Manson and his followers plotted and carried out the murders of several Californians, including pregnant actress Sharon Tate. Manson and his followers were caught and prosecuted. Manson has been serving time in the California State Prison system for more than thirty years.
While some of Manson’s actions could be attributed to heredity, many of them were caused by environmental factors. Manson’s uncle committed suicide in an attempt to prevent authorities from taking his land, which suggests a possible mental illness. It is possible that mental illness runs in the family, however, psychological studies have shown no mental illness that is relatable to any member of his family. “People we generally imagine as being crazy have no clear understanding of right and wrong. Manson does not have this deficiency. He clearly understands right and wrong, he simply ceases to care on certain occasions. This mentality is one aspect of the illness he is most commonly believed to have, anti-social personality disorder. APD is the clinical term for what we would have formerly called a ‘sociopath’ or a ‘psychopath’ – though these terms are now outdated and considered derogatory,” Schmidt (n.d.), (para. 11).
Manson’s upbringing suggests environmental influence being cause for his actions. Manson was raised with no example of a socially functioning adult. There was no stability in his childhood. Because Manson had very little structure, he designed his own dysfunctional structure in life.
Manson was left on his own in life. Manson was rejected by everyone he thought he could trust. His mother did not want him, his grandmother and uncles did not understand him and belittled him, and both of his wives left him. Every time Manson thought he was going to have some stability in life, it was ripped away from him. Manson had no social model to teach him how to live his life and was left to his own demise.
Erickson’s theory of psychosocial development states that each stage of life is a turning point and has its own challenges. If the challenge is met, a feeling of self confidence occurs; if it is not met, a feeling of inadequacy occurs (Van Wagner, 2009). This could explain why Manson acted as he did. He had little stability and no role models. He was faced with failure after failure in life and had very little social interaction. According to this theory, Manson would have grown up with a very strong sense of inadequacy, which would guide him to overcompensate in later years.
Abraham Maslow was the humanistic theorist who founded Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. He believed that self-actualization was the key to having optimal mental health. He believed that people who were able to self actualize had the following traits: “awareness and acceptance of themselves, openness and spontaneity, the ability to develop close friendships without being overly dependent on other people, a good sense of humor, the tendency to have peak experiences that are spiritually or emotionally satisfying” (Spark Notes, 2009).
This theory best proves the decline of Manson’s mental health. Manson did not meet any of Maslow’s requirements for optimal mental health. Manson does not fulfill any of the categories for Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Manson did not have even his basic needs fulfilled on a regular basis. He had to steal to eat on many occasions, even as a child. He bounced from home to home, and his family showed him no love or respect. He was repeatedly rejected by everyone he thought should love him, including both of his wives. He was not respected by others, and therefore did not respect others. Manson did not learn morals or socially acceptable problem solving skills because no one ever taught him.
Manson proves Maslow’s theory by being the opposite extreme. Manson does not meet any of Maslow’s requirements for optimum mental health, and has proven to be mentally unstable. Manson did not act as society thought he should because he did not fit into society. He was rejected and unwanted. He did not learn to respect human life, because no human life had ever respected him. His mother clearly disrespected any authority figures in her life. Manson took her example to an extreme.
Manson created his own “family” because he had none. Manson manipulated other people into believing anything he told them. This was the closest to self-actualization he would ever achieve. The only way he could achieve this was by manipulating his “family” into thinking he was Christ. This would only fuel his mental instability. The worse he felt, the more power he craved. Having the power to influence others to take a life was the ultimate high for Manson.
The burden of raising a child that was unwanted from the time of conception proved to be too much for Manson’s family. Manson’s mother tried to put him into foster care, which may have actually saved him, but was rejected. Manson grew up not only feeling, but knowing, that he was unwanted and unloved.
References
Montaldo, Charles. (n.d.). Profile of Charles Manson. About.com. Retrieved October 10, 2009, from http://crime.about.com/od/murder/p/charliemanson.htm
Purple Slinky. (2009). 10 weird facts about Charles Manson’s childhood. Retrieved October 10,
2009, from http://purpleslinky.com/trivia/people/10-weird-facts-about-charles-mansons-
childhood/
Schmidt, Gavin C. (n.d.). Debuking myths surrounding Charles Manson. The Framing
Business. Retrieved October 10, 2009, from http://www.framingbusiness.net/archives/102
Van Wagner, Kendra. (2009). Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development. About.com:
Psychology. Retrieved October 11, 2009, from http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/psychosocial.htm
Spark Notes. (2009). Humanistic Theories. Retrieved October 11, 2009, from
http://www.sparknotes.com/101/psychology/personality/humanistic_theories.html
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