What Is Fanaticism? The Characteristics Of This Social Phenomenon
It is undeniable that every person has, through the exercise of their freedom, the right to discover what it is in their life that they are passionate about and to dedicate the effort they consider appropriate to immersing themselves in it. So much so that, very often, it is the quickest and surest path to forging authentic virtue.
However, there is a (fuzzy) border between what “attracts” us and what becomes an executioner of our logic and understanding. And passion, when dragged to its extremes, is nothing more than fanaticism. And this, following its own definition, is built on unreason and absurdity.
In this article we will precisely address fanaticism and its resonance on society We will also define the expression it adopts, and the way in which it alters the mental structure of those who make it their flag. Knowing him is essential to not fall into his ominous clutches.
Fanaticism is a universal phenomenon (typical of every human civilization), whose roots go back to the dawn of our evolutionary history. In fact, there are texts of classical philosophy in which this question is debated and the possible impact of the immovable ideas that characterize it is reflected on. So, Its existence does not come from a particular time period, or from external influences attributable to cultural dimensions; but is part of the cognitive, behavioral and affective baggage of our species.
The word “fanatic” comes from the Latin word “fanaticus”, which can be translated as adept or “belonging to a temple.” And in the times of ancient Rome there were spaces known as “fanum”, areas reserved for the worship of the gods. People particularly devoted to religious rites came to them, and regular meetings were held in which the blessings of the year were extolled (good weather, abundant harvests, etc.) and the sins of men were purged, under the watchful eye. of beings that dominated every aspect of personal and social life.
Along these lines, fanatical is understood as all those attitudes by which it is orchestrated. an extreme and irrational defense of some issue or person, completely devoid of any hint of analysis So much so that, in fact, the fanatic’s “judgment” departs very obviously from objectivity; to the point of being impervious to any argument or evidence that could question and/or refute it. It is from this moment that the analogy with its etymological bases emerges, since a certain thing is no longer appreciated or preferred, but instead a bold homage is paid to it (just like the Gods).
Fanaticism can be directed towards a wide variety of topics, from Religion to Politics, including personalities of all professions (musicians, athletes, actors, etc.). It should not be confused with fidelity to something, which involves the deliberate and critical interest in investing efforts in a more particular matter, within a context of freedom (listening to a certain group or watching films by an actor/actress, attending meetings of a soccer team or having a formed opinion about social realities). fanaticism It means going one step further, into the territory where intolerance and prejudice live
Fanatical people dedicate themselves with such fervor to the goal of their passion that it ends up taking up a disproportionate percentage of the time they have available. It thus seems that it completely dominates almost all of their lives, conditioning the way in which they act or think, and finally revealing itself as an inflexible attitude towards those who harbor ideas that are opposite to their own (or even that differ in the slightest degree). Thus, you would travel on a one-way path; without any moderation or questioning of its interests, its depth, its consequences on life or the accuracy of judgment.
In the most extreme cases, the fanatic completely transforms his customs and daily life, in order to give his life to the cause (literally or metaphorically). At this level all types of hostility and physical/emotional violence can arise; as well as the paradoxical fact that the fanatics themselves point out those who show them their “seams” as irrational, crude, terrorists, sinners, dangerous, etc. This only exacerbates the fervor, and highlight the differences between the group with which one identifies (ingroup) and others (outgroup) causing unbridgeable distances and worsening the situation.
Although all people (regardless of origin or any other condition of life) are susceptible to falling into fanaticism, there are a series of “traits” that can increase the risk. In the following lines we will elaborate on this relevant question.
Fan Traits
Fanaticism can be defined both by what one thinks about reality and by what one does about it. Therefore, it is a tremendously complex concept and full of edges. We proceed to address, in detail, the basic characteristics of those who adopt the attitude of a fanatic.
1. Conviction that one is right
Fanatical people never doubt their conviction They harbor ideas that do not admit the slightest doubt or reservation, so they never consider the possibility that there is any bias in the reasoning that maintains them or in the behavior they adopt with respect to them.
There is a very poor capacity for self-criticism, but also great frustration in enduring others raising objections or questioning the appropriateness of their beliefs. As an analogy, one could say that his ideas are engraved on “tablets of stone.”
In parallel, certainty about what one does or thinks is (generally) accompanied by a counterpart: others are never right. a fanatical person considers false any assessment contrary to his ideas, without necessarily having been subjected to a minimally in-depth analysis. Emotion and feelings take precedence over reasoning, so that every possible alternative of action is ruled out. This can happen, above all, in similar sects or creeds, in which an intentional detachment of personal and economic assets occurs.
This trait can also take the form of an enhancement of the “positive” aspects, and a minimization (or absolute denial) of the negative ones, especially when the object of this fanaticism is a person or group. In this case, an immaculate image is drawn, without defect or flaw, which is equated to a form of blind idolatry.
2. Attempt to impose opinion on others
Fanatical people not only believe they are right, but often They consider it essential that others “open their eyes” to their error in thinking differently There is, therefore, a vision of supremacy in the field of ideas; which is often brought to the stage of debate about these. During such debates they can resort to dialectical juggling of all kinds, showing an authoritarianism that sets off “the alarms” of their interlocutor. Their form of persuasion lacks sophistication or subtlety, and is perceived as bordering on imposition.
The most dramatic form of imposition is, without a doubt, that which resorts to violence. Most wars have been championed by the very power of an idea or “certainty” that has spread among the confronted peoples, and whose purpose was to provide each of them with convictions for which they would lose their own life or take away their lives. that of others.
The same thing happens in cases of terrorism, where many innocent people end up paying the debts of others’ fanaticism. There are also small-scale attacks attributable to fanatical ideals, such as those that occur in the vicinity of a football match.
In short, fanatics’ attempts at persuasion are very varied, and range from simple discussion on any social network to the most disastrous of armed conflicts.
3. Dichotomous perception of reality
Concerning the object to which a fanatical person feels devotion, the existence of gray shades, meeting points that would serve to reconcile your vision on the matter with that of others.
Instead, reality tends to be perceived in dichotomous terms, all or nothing, transferring any dissenting position to the opposite end of the spectrum of opinion. With this, a “simplification” of reality is artificially made, where there is a related group (those who agree in their perspective) and a cluster of equally antagonistic perspectives, regardless of the real degree of divergence.
Fanaticism makes its object a tacit sign of identity, the importance of which is so extreme that It stands as an elementary criterion for self-definition and the sense of belonging to a group
With this, rivalries arise that go beyond what could be derived from reason: hatred towards the fans of a football team, distrust towards those who profess a particular religion (such as Christianity or Islam, for example) and even bitter arguments between the members of two fandoms (groups of people, generally young, who fervently esteem an artist or group).
4. Sacrificial devotion
Another basic characteristic of fanaticism is its resistance to adversity. Even though there are ideas that generate certain harm to social life, these tend to remain In fact, sometimes they can even be reinforced in such circumstances.
All of this could be explained by mechanisms of cognitive dissonance, which would try to give the (fanatical) belief a value equivalent to the weight of the sacrifice involved in defending it. Through such emotional caper, phenomena such as martyrs would arise, who come to give their lives voluntarily (or resignedly) to defend what they believed in.
5. Personality traits
Numerous personality traits have been described that are related to a heightened risk of fanaticism. It has been observed that rapid social changes can lead people who fail to adapt to them to “embrace” traditional values ​​with ardent devotion (even though they would never have felt particularly identified with them).
Through this process we would seek to maintain the sense of identity wherever it could be perceived as elusive, denying what is new due to difficulties in understanding it
Some studies also point to the hypothesis that individual frustration is a fertile ground for fanaticism. This feeling of incompleteness would promote the approach to an external element that compensates for deficiencies in self-confidence, so that a reality that the crowd believes in (or at least a significant percentage of it) would be embraced as one’s own, in the absence of the ability to believe in oneself. This would achieve a quick response to a void, precipitated by culture or an existential crisis, and satisfy the need for affiliation in the same way.
