right, because I'm not responsible for my actions if I had a traumatic childhood. You're always responsible for your actions, but to act as if there aren't legitimate influences on them that may create an unconscious pattern of responses to different situations, would be silly. But then again, I'm an aspiring psychologist (in school). A Traumatic childhood can most certainly shape personality, how one views themselves, how one creates interpersonal relationships etc. These patterns become ingrained. Until they unconscious mechanisms are brought to the conscious we often don't change. So yes he's responsible for his actions, but yes you can still feel badly for why the guy turned out the way he did.