Why do people stalk others?

[Haley Nonya]

Im just wondering I mean people stalk other people by following them, hacking there emails, stalking their face books im just wondering is this some kind of mental illness?

[blahblah]

i wouldnt go as far as a mental illness more like an obsession
its just something about the person that captures there eye , i dont fully understand it , but i have had stalkers before and its pretty creepy

[MikeTX]

Yeah I'd say that's exactly what it is. Up to a point it's curiosity or interest, when you do things that threaten the other person's privacy you've gone past normal.

[Bob]

People aren't straightforward with each other; perhaps they don't even have the right to

[Natalie]

I'm not sure what type of stalkers you are referring to. The word "stalker" is completly overused. Theres real stalkers who go to extreme lengths and are acually terrifying and possibly mentally ill, and then theres just creepy people that are always bothering you, who are just, well, creepy. But harmless.

[Mac]

OBSESSION.
that's the only reason.
Obsessed with the person or with their life.
I currently have something like a stalker .. my ex ex bf's girlfriend.
She had me on BBM and I never spoke to her EVER.
She wrote comments about me on facebook, twitter, etc.
And she asks people about my personal life (my old friends)
And I'M NOT AT THE SAME SCHOOL AS HER..
She's a psycho obsessed girl with issues.

[Erika D]

Because they get obsessed.

[Blue Eyez]

Because their weird.

[Leela]

People are just curious - us humans, most of the time, feel inadequate.
BUT what you just described is definitely "out of the norm" stalker-ish! It wouldn't be classified as a mental illness however...just more of an unhealthy obsession!
I guess this is the reason why I deactivated my facebook account :3

[wishnuwelltoo]

Yeah, I think it goes with that whole drug addict, alcoholic, narcissistic thing where they get to the point where they think they are God, and they can't handle their behavior. They think the person they are stalking is their property. In their mind they can't cope with the rejection of the other person.