What is fanaticism? The characteristics of this social phenomenon

It is undeniable that every person has, from the exercise of his freedom, the right to discover what is that of his life that he is passionate about and to dedicate the effort that he considers pertinent to immerse himself in it. So much so that, very often, it is the fastest and surest path to forging a true virtue.

However, there is a (diffuse) border between what "attracts" us and what becomes an executioner of our logic and understanding. And it is that passion, when it is dragged to its extremes, is nothing more than fanaticism. And this, following its own definition, stands on unreason and the absurd.

In this article we will address precisely fanaticism and its resonance on society. We will also define the expression that 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.

• Related article: "What is social psychology?"

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 classical philosophy texts in which such a 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; 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". And it is that in the times of ancient Rome there were spaces known as "fanum", places 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 (the good weather, copious harvests, etc.) and the sins of men were purged, under the watchful eye of beings who dominated every aspect of personal life and social.

In this line, fanatics are understood as all those attitudes for which an extreme and irrational defense of some issue or person, entirely devoid of any hint of analysis. So much so, in fact, that the "judgment" of the fanatic departs in a very evident way 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 it is no longer appreciates or prefers a certain thing, but rather a determined homage is paid to it (just like the Gods).

Fanaticism can be oriented towards a wide variety of topics, from Religion to Politics, going through personalities of all trades (musicians, athletes, actors, etc.). It should not be confused with fidelity to something, which implies 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 movies by an actor/actress, attending soccer team matches or having an opinion formed about realities social). fanaticism It means going one step further, into the territory in which intolerance and prejudice live..

Fanatics throw themselves so fervently at their passion goal that it ends up taking up a disproportionate percentage of their available time. Thus, it seems that it completely dominates almost all of their lives, conditioning the way in which they act or think, and revealing finally as an inflexible attitude towards those who harbor ideas that are opposed to their own (or even that differ in the slightest degree). Thus, it would circulate on a one-way path; without moderation or questioning of its interests, its depth, its consequences in life or the accuracy of the judgment.

In the most extreme cases, the fanatic comes to completely transform his customs and his daily life, in order to give 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 fans themselves point to those who show them their "seams" as irrational, crude, terrorists, sinful, dangerous, etc. This only exacerbates the fervor, and highlight the differences between the group with which one identifies (ingroup) and the others (outgroup), propitiating insurmountable distances and worsening the situation.

Although all people (regardless of origin or any other life condition) are susceptible to fanaticism, there are a series of "traits" that can increase the risk. In the following lines we will elaborate on this relevant issue.

Zealot Traits

Fanaticism can be defined as much by what is thought about reality as by what is done with respect to 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 you are right

Fanatics 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 conduct they adopt with respect to are.

A very deficient capacity for self-criticism is appreciated, but also great frustration in having others raise objections or question the adequacy of their beliefs. As an analogy, one could say that his ideas are engraved on "tablets of stone."

In parallel, the certainty about what one does or thinks is (generally) accompanied by a counterpart: others are never right. a fanatic person considers false any assessment contrary to their ideas, without necessarily having been subjected to a minimally in-depth analysis. Emotion and feelings take precedence over reasoning, so that any possible alternative action is ruled out. This can happen, above all, in sects or similar creeds, in which there is an intentional detachment of personal and financial assets.

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

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2. Attempt to impose opinion on others

Fanatics not only believe they are right, but often consider it essential that others "open their eyes" to their mistake in thinking differently. There is, therefore, a vision of supremacy in the field of ideas; that is often brought to the stage of the debate on these. During such debates they can resort to dialectical juggling of all kinds, showing an authoritarianism that sets off "alarms" for their interlocutor. Its form of persuasion lacks sophistication or subtlety, and is perceived at the very limit of imposition.

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

The same happens in cases of terrorism., where there are many innocent people who end up paying the debts of the fanaticism of others. There are also small-scale attacks attributable to fanatical ideals, such as those that occur in the vicinity of a soccer match.

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

3. Dichotomous perception of reality

As regards the object to which a fanatical person feels devotion, the existence of shades of grey, meeting points that would serve to reconcile her vision of the matter with respect to 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, an artificial "simplification" of reality is made, where there is a similar group (those who coincide in their perspective) and a host 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 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 inferred 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 discussions between the members of two fandoms (groups of people, generally young, who fervently esteem an artist or cluster).

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4. sacrificial devotion

Another basic characteristic of fanaticism is its resistance to adversity. Despite having ideas that generate a certain amount of harm to social life, they 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 endow the (fanatical) belief with a value equivalent to the weight of the sacrifice involved in defending it. Through such emotional capering, phenomena such as martyrs would arise, who voluntarily (or resignedly) give their lives to defend what they believed in.

5. Personality traits

It has been possible to describe numerous personality traits 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" with ardent devotion the traditional values ​​(despite the fact that they had never felt particularly identified with they).

This process would seek to maintain the sense of identity where 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 fertile ground for fanaticism. This feeling of incompleteness would promote the approximation to an external element that compensates for the deficiencies in self-confidence, in such a way that a reality in which the crowd believes (or at least a significant percentage of it) would be welcomed as one's own, in the absence of the ability to believe in oneself. With this, it would be possible to obtain a quick response to a vacuum, precipitated by culture or an existential crisis, and satisfy the need for affiliation in the same way.

Bibliographic 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.