The Psychology of your 20s3 Jun 2025

301. Why do we love true crime?

Why are we so obsessed with the dark side of life? From true crime and horror movies to disaster documentaries and haunted house tours, morbid curiosity is everywhere - but what does it actually say about us? In today’s episode, we explore the psychology of morbid curiosity - why we’re drawn to frightening, disturbing, and even grotesque content, and how this strange pull might be more adaptive than we think.

We discuss:

What morbid curiosity really is, and how it shows up in daily life
The four types of morbid curiosity (and which ones you might lean toward)
How personality traits like openness and sensation seeking shape our preferences
Why some people find comfort in horror, and others find control in true crime
The evolutionary and neurological roots of this phenomenon
How morbid curiosity can turn maladaptive (and where the line is)

Whether you're deep into Reddit rabbit holes or just wondering why you can't look away from crime scene documentaries, this episode is for you. We explore the fascinating science behind fear, survival, and our cultural obsession with darkness - and why it might say more about our strength than our weakness.

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