While the nation is shocked and fuming about the man who chose schoolchildren to attack, some experts said it was an extreme case revealing the heavy social burden many Chinese were bearing.

They were also quick to point out that it was abhorrent behavior.

Not having a job, a house or a wife was humiliating and Zheng Minsheng, who stabbed eight primary pupils to death and severely injured five others, was suffering from feelings of failure for a long time, said Zhang Changrong, a professor in psychology with the Police College of Fujian.

As his anxiety and annoyance kept building, Zheng tried to "break out of his torture and take revenge on society in a most extreme way."

Less communication and increasing social competition should be blamed for people's spiritual suffering that led to suicide or, even worse, killing others, said Gan Mantang, a professor of sociology with Fuzhou University.

Zheng, once apparently a kind and well-respected doctor, sank to the bottom of the social stratum after he became jobless, couldn't find happiness and then blamed society for his plight, Gan said.

The killer should have been examining himself rather than blaming others, he said. A mechanism should be established by society to "continually encourage people to improve themselves through hard work."

Social welfare measures and psychological consultation services should be available for those people in need, he said.

The government must be more cognizant of the role psychological assistance played in stopping people from doing dangerous things, Gan said.

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