What is fanaticism? The characteristics of this social phenomenon

Let us see what fanaticism consists of and how it is expressed through the actions of certain groups.

It is undeniable that every person has, in the exercise of his freedom, the right to discover what it is in his life that he is passionate about and to devote the effort he deems appropriate to immerse himself in it. So much so that, very often, this is the quickest and safest way to forge an authentic virtue.

However, there is a (fuzzy) border between what "attracts" us and what becomes an executioner of our logic and understanding. 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 deal precisely with 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 it is essential to avoid falling into its ominous clutches.

What is fanaticism?

Fanaticism is a universal phenomenon (typical of all human civilization), whose roots go back to the dawn of our evolutionary history. In fact, there are texts of classical philosophy in which such a question is debated and the possible impact of the immovable ideas that characterize it is reflected upon. Thus, its existence does not derive from a particular time period, or from external influences attributable to cultural cultural dimensions; rather, it 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". In the times of ancient Rome there were spaces known as "fanum", enclosures reserved for the worship of the gods. They were attended by people particularly devoted to religious rites, 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 who dominated every aspect of personal and social life.

Along these lines, fanatics are understood as all those attitudes that orchestrate an extreme and irrational defense of an extreme and irrational defense of some issue or person, completely devoid of any hint of analysis.. So much so that, in fact, the "judgment" of the fanatic is very obviously far 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 on that the analogy emerges with its etymological bases, since one no longer appreciates or prefers a certain thing, but rather one pays it a fervent obeisance (just like the Gods).

Fanaticism can be oriented towards a great variety of subjects, from Religion to Politics, passing through personalities of all trades (musicians, sportsmen, actors, etc.). It should not be confused with fidelity to something, which supposes the deliberate and critical interest to invest efforts in a more particular matter, within a context of freedom (listening to a certain group or watching movies of an actor/actress, going to the matches of a soccer team or having a formed opinion on social realities). Fanaticism implies going one step further, into the territory inhabited by intolerance and prejudice..

Fanatical people devote themselves so fervently to the goal of their passion that it ends up occupying a disproportionate percentage of their time. It would thus seem that it completely dominates almost their entire life, conditioning the way they act or think, and finally revealing itself as an inflexible attitude towards those who harbor ideas opposed to their own (or even differing in the slightest degree). Thus, one would circulate along a one-way path; without moderation or any questioning of their interests, their depth, their consequences in life or the accuracy of their judgment.

In the most extreme cases, the fanatic goes so far as to completely transform his habits and his daily life, in order to surrender his life to the cause (literally or metaphorically). At this level, all kinds of hostility and physical/emotional violence can arise; as well as the paradoxical fact that the fanatics themselves point to those who show them their "seams" as irrational, crude, terrorists, sinners, dangerous, etc. This only exacerbates the fervor, and underlines the differences between the group and the fanatics. underline the differences between the group with which one identifies (in-group) and the others (out-group), thus creating unacceptable distances between them and the others (out-group).This leads to insurmountable distances and worsens 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 issue.

Traits of the fanatic

Fanaticism can be defined both by what one thinks about reality and by what one does with respect to it. It is therefore a tremendously complex concept, full of edges. We proceed to address, in detail, the basic characteristics of those who adopt the attitude of a fanatic.

Conviction of being 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 some bias in the reasoning that maintains them or in the behavior they adopt with respect to these.

A very deficient capacity for self-criticism can be appreciated.There is also a great deal of frustration in putting up with others raising objections or questioning the adequacy of their beliefs. As an analogy, it could be said that their ideas are engraved on "tablets of stone".

In parallel, certainty about what one does or thinks is (usually) accompanied by a counterpart: others are never right. A fanatic person considers as false any assessment contrary to his ideaswithout necessarily having been subjected to a minimally profound analysis. Emotion and feelings take precedence over reasoning, so that every possible alternative course of action is ruled out. This can happen, above all, in sects or similar creeds, in which an intentional detachment of personal and economic assets takes place.

This trait can also take the form of an emphasis on the "positive" aspects, and a minimization (or outright denial) of the negative ones, especially when the object of this fanaticism is a person or group. In such a case, an immaculate image is drawn, without defect or flaw, which is equated to a form of blind idolatry.

2. Attempt to impose one's opinion on others.

Fanatical people not only believe that they are right, but they often consider it essential that others "open their eyes" to their error in thinking differently.. There is, therefore, a vision of supremacy in the realm of ideas; which is often brought to the stage of debate about them. During such debates they may resort to dialectical juggling of all kinds, showing an authoritarianism that triggers "alarm bells" in their interlocutor. Their form of persuasion lacks sophistication or subtlety, and is perceived on the very edge of imposition.

The most dramatic form of imposition is undoubtedly that which resorts to violence. Most wars have been waged from the very power of an idea or "certainty" that has spread among the peoples confronted, and whose purpose was to endow each of them with convictions for which they would lose their own lives or take the lives of others.

The same is true in cases of terrorismThe most common type of fanaticism, where many innocent people end up paying the debts of the fanaticism of others, is the one that is the result of the fanaticism of others. There are also small-scale aggressions attributable to fanatical ideals, such as those that occur in the vicinity of a soccer match.

In short, the attempts at persuasion by fanatics are very varied, ranging from a simple discussion in any social network to the most disastrous of armed conflicts.

3. Dichotomous perception of reality

Concerning the object about which a fanatic person feels devotion, the existence of shades of gray, points of convergence which would serve to reconcile that would serve to reconcile his or her view of the subject with that of others.

Instead, reality tends to be perceived in dichotomous, all-or-nothing terms, shifting any dissenting position to the opposite end of the spectrum of opinion. This artificially creates a "simplification" of reality, where there is a like-minded group (those who coincide in their perspective) and an accumulation of equally antagonistic perspectives, regardless of the real degree of divergence.

Fanaticism makes of its object an unspoken sign of identity, whose importance is so extreme that it becomes an elementary criterion for self-definition and the sense of belonging to a group..

This gives rise to rivalries that go beyond what could be deduced from reason: hatred towards the fans of a soccer 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 people, who fervently esteem an artist or group).

4. Sacrificial devotion

Another basic characteristic of fanaticism is its resistance to adversity. In spite of having ideas that generate some harm to social life, these tend to be maintained.. In fact, sometimes they can even be reinforced in such circumstances.

All this could be explained by mechanisms of cognitive dissonance, which would try to endow the (fanatical) belief with a value equivalent to the weight of the sacrifice involved in defending it. By means of such an 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 an accentuated risk of fanaticism. It has been observed that rapid social change can lead people who fail to adapt to it to "embrace" traditional values with ardent devotion (even though they may never have felt particularly identified with them).

This process would seek to maintain a sense of identity wherever it might be perceived as elusive, by disavowing the novelty because of difficulties in understanding it..

Some studies also point to the hypothesis that individual frustration is a breeding ground for fanaticism. This feeling of incompleteness would promote the approximation to an external an external element that compensates for the deficiencies in self-confidenceThis would lead to the acceptance as one's own of a reality in which the crowd believes (or at least a significant percentage of it), in the absence of the capacity to believe in oneself. This would provide a rapid response to a void, precipitated by culture or an existential crisis, and would also satisfy the need for affiliation.

Bibliographical references:

• Taylor, M. and Ryan, H. (2008). Fanaticism, political suicide and terrorism. Terrorism, 11, 91-111.
• Yousif, A. (2012). Fundamentalism and Fanaticism: A Comparative Analysis. Religious Studies and Theology, 30, 17-32.