LV never loved anyone

[Misty]

No: HPFGUIDX 110303

Del <delwynmarch at y...> wrote:
> When asked :
> "Has Voldemort or Tom Riddle ever cared for or loved anyone?"
> 
> JKR answered :
> "Now, that's a cracking question to end with—very good. No,
> never. [Laughter.] If he had, he couldn't possibly be what he is. 
> You will find out a lot more about that. It is a good question, 
> because it leads us rather neatly to Half Blood Prince, "
> 
> That answer mildly shocked me : how can someone have *never* 
> loved ?! I know Tom was an orphan so obviously he had no family to 
> love, but he could still have loved other people : a friend, a 
> caretaker, a pet, or even an imaginary memory of his mom, anything. 
> Harry found people to love as soon as he entered the WW, no matter 
> how deprived of love he was during his childhood. But Tom never 
> loved anyone. I find that hard to imagine, especially since JKR 
> said some time ago that in her books nobody was ever born evil. So 
> Tom was born normal, but he never cared for anyone ? Weird.

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Hi I am new here, as well as being new to the Harry Potter series.  I 
only read the books a few weeks ago after being thoroughly frustrated 
by the movie, POA.  I did not understand what was happening - even 
after my kids tried to explain it to me!  However, now, after reading 
the books, I have become a HP fan. :-)  I think the books are really 
great.

I would like to respond to this comment because it is a thought that 
had occurred to me while reading the books - not only about Tom 
Riddle, but about Harry.

Both grew up without love.  Tom hated the orphanage he was in, so I 
doubt he received much affection there; and orphanages in 
the 1930's/1940's were sometimes abusive. I am not a psychologist, 
but I know that there are cases where certain children, not bonding 
at an early age, lose that ability, and as a result never really 
learn to love others. Sometimes, these kids can even become psychotic 
or have major personality disorders where they have no empathy toward 
others and even despise others. I wondered why Harry wasn't like 
that, but I think it might have to do with the personality type as it 
is not a universal thing.  

Anyway, that is my thought.  I hope I followed all the rules of 
posting. I am not too experienced at this.  

C.