Why People Steal

Hi guys, how is it going? I hope you had a nice time with your loved ones yesterday or did something worthwhile. Today, I realised I have been under a lot of stress lately and I have too much on my hands so I'm going to take a break from a few things till I feel better.

Yesterday, while everyone was celebrating, I received a message from a close friend telling me to call her when I had the time. Of course, I called immediately because it seemed urgent. She's pregnant and is past her expected date of delivery, so I thought she was in labour or something. When I called, I was shocked to find out that her husbands business was robbed. She said the robbers were armed. They shot guns in the air and attempted to stab her younger brother who was visiting. I asked about the security men because there is a security post just by the side and she told me that the security men were the first to flee the scene. What's worse is that they were the only ones who were robbed.

She believed the robbery was premeditated. They have just moved into their new home and business seemed to be going OK. They were getting by but they did not have extra money to spare. In the past few months, they put in their all in order to prepare for the coming of their child whom they're expected this week. Now, they've lost it all. I tried to support with what I have but I know it won't be enough to do anything reasonable because she has another child and is also helping to raise to other kids on her own. Yesterday I was mad, today I'm still very pissed. I don't understand why people will not work but go and steal from a hardworking family.

Stealing leads to so many vices. People who steal always lie about the theft. They may also threaten to harm people, they may take recreational drugs to get themselves hyped up. There is no good side to this act.

In light of what happened, I'm going to share reasons why I think people steal

• BAD INFLUENCE

This arises when one moves with the wrong crowd. It can happen at a any stage of life both with kids and adults. Kids who were not shown proper attention to could mix with the wrong people and learn the wrong things because they had no proper guidance. Adults who also got mixed with the wrong people, either because they thought it was cool or just a situation out of the circumstances they find themselves can also feel pressured or encouraged to do bad things like stealing.

• GREED

This is caused by the need to have more all the time. It is fired up by a lack of contentment. These people may see someone else's lifestyle on social media or the news and admire the person in such a bad way that they steal to try to imitate the way if life of the person they admired. These people, no matter how much they have will always feel like something is lacking and will keep trying to get more through any means.

• HOPELESSNESS

There are cases where people steal not because they want to but because that feel it is their last resort. It is easy to pity people in this situation but it's sometimes hard for me to do so. Life works in a way that people find themselves at their wits end. Imagine a parent who needs money to save the life of their ailing child. Such desperation can lead one to steal. I'll call it a crime of love and why I feel bad for this parent, I also have to think of the person being robbed. What if the victim also has an ailing child and that money was their last hope? What if the event led the victim to have a high blood pressure or heart attack and they eventually die?

• HATRED/JEALOUSY

This is the worst for me. Stealing because you don't like someone or envy their progress. These kinds of theft are always always planned and targeted at a victim. It makes me wonder how they feel after knowing they person they have stolen from is devastated or suffering from the incident.

• KLEPTOMANIA

I don't know the science behind this but as far as I know, these people can't control the urge to steal. They are not bad people, they just have the compulsive need to take other people's things. Sometimes they take silly things and even try to return it.

These are the reasons I can think of at the moment. Thanks for reading