OJ Simpson Case: A Psychological Perspective

As our first semester in Global gradually comes to an end, it has become evident that, within all of the information that has been conducted through all of the content that has been evaluated in class using all of the documentaries and in class discussions, the infamous 1995 O.J. Simpson Case has made not only our heads spin but most of America's, then and now. Within so much of the content used in the procedure within this case, it is almost impossible to feel torn and somewhat confused when it comes down to believing on one single aspect of the story. The O.J. Simpson murder trial spoke volumes about race and the criminal justice system in America, ushering deep into the 24-hour news cycle. Tens of millions of viewers not just in the United States, yet worldwide, were drawn and almost hypnotized to this true crime story that played out similar to a murder-mystery. During our second period class in Global, we had the privilege to get an even more in-depth yet outer perspective on the complexities behind Simpson's mind. Mr. Stewart enabled for students to approach the trial using a more constructive and efficient method which was to think like psychologists and putting together characteristics like missing puzzle pieces, making sense of not just the the information and content given out during the trial however what was able to be found beforehand. Psychological background, I have learned, can be such an efficient and significant element in finding a conclusion to the main idea of a case trial. Does that mean we must over-analyze and point our fingers towards mental illness at every given subject as a method of excuse? Nope. However, it is always vital to look past the momentary information given and believe in retrospect. In the most recent documentary, those whom were closest to Simpson and Brown speak up for the first time in front of cameras and give important insight on the OJ they knew, from a different and personal level. From the interviews given, it is evident that Simpson had basically grown up under stardom. He was used to having it his way the majority of the time and everything appeared to have surrounded around him. He was smart in ways that led for him to appear charismatic to others and appealed to the public eye since an early age which contributed to the leading and powerful figure he grew to becoming. All of those years of being a true national symbolization of the "American dream" within his success from sports and later entertainment entrepreneurship, Simpson had carefully crafted his image and appealed to both white and African american communities- strategically popularizing himself even more so. I believe that because Simpson had psychologically adapted to not only being "eye candy" to the public eye but also simply being adored for every thing he did and was, IF he were found to be guilty for the murders of Brown and Goldman, publicly becoming accepting of it must have been a fearsome and panic driven thing. Growing up a perfectionist and carefully protecting his image to possibly being responsible for death is a huge jump and it is understandable as to why Simpson would rather avoid the truth and do anything he possibly could to keep the figure that he had spent so many years trying to perfect. Psychologically, it is evident that Simpson was much more than the public figure he had portrayed himself to being (also looking at the many years of verbal and physical abuse with his ex-wife) and had become an expert at having different faces and using each one considerably. The behavioral science behind this can be so complex, however with open minds towards gradually making sense of more than just trial clues and evidence, it is easier for one to look behind the curtain call and question the mentality of a possible murderer, most importantly.