It is undeniable that every person has, from the exercise of his freedom, the right to discover what it is about 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 safest path to forging authentic virtue.

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

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 it alters the mental structure of the person who makes it his flag. Knowing it is essential in order not to fall into its ominous clutches.

What is fanaticism?

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. Thus, its existence does not come from a particular temporal period, or from external influences attributable to cultural dimensions; rather, it forms 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.

In this line, fanatics are understood as all those attitudes by which an extreme and irrational defense of some matter or person is orchestrated , 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 with its etymological bases emerges, since one no longer appreciates or prefers a certain thing, but rather gives it a bold plea (just like the Gods).

Fanaticism can be directed towards a wide variety of subjects, from religion to politics, and including personalities from all walks of life (musicians, sportsmen, actors, etc.). It should not be confused with loyalty to something, which involves the deliberate and critical interest of investing efforts in a more particular issue, within a context of freedom (listening to a certain group or watching an actor/actress’s films, attending a football team’s matches or having an opinion formed on social realities). Fanaticism means going one step further, into the territory where intolerance and prejudice live .

Fanatical people give themselves so fervently to the goal of their passion that it ends up taking up a disproportionate percentage of the time they have. It would seem that it dominates almost all their lives, conditioning the way they act or think, and finally revealing itself as an inflexible attitude towards those who harbour ideas opposed to their own (or even differing in the slightest degree). In this way, they would walk a one-way path; without moderation or questioning their interests, their depth, their consequences in life or the accuracy of their judgement.

In the most extreme cases, the fanatic comes to completely transform his habits 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 fanatics themselves point out to those who show them their “seams” as irrational, crude, terrorist, sinful, dangerous, etc. This only exacerbates the fervor, and underlines the differences between the group with which one identifies (endogroup) and the others (exogroup) , propitiating insurmountable distances and worsening the situation.

Although all people (regardless of background or other living conditions) are susceptible to bigotry, there are a number of “traits” that can increase risk. In the following lines, we will elaborate on this relevant issue.

Fanatic Traits

Fanaticism can be defined as much by what one thinks about reality as by what one does about it. Therefore, it is 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 harbour ideas that do not admit the slightest doubt or reservation, so they never consider the possibility of any bias in the reasoning that maintains them or in the behaviour they adopt with respect to them.

There is a very poor capacity for self-criticism , but also a great frustration when others raise objections or question the appropriateness of their beliefs. As an analogy, one could say that their ideas are engraved on “stone tablets”.

At the same time, the certainty about what one does or thinks is (usually) accompanied by a counterpart: the others are never right. A fanatical person considers false any appreciation contrary to his ideas , without necessarily having undergone a minimally deep analysis. Emotion and feelings take precedence over reasoning, so that every possible alternative of action is ruled out. This can occur, above all, in sects or similar creeds, where there is a deliberate detachment from personal and economic assets.

This feature can also take the form of an enhancement of the “positive” aspects, and a minimization (or absolute negation) of the negative ones, especially when the object of this fanaticism is a person or a group. In such a case an immaculate image is drawn, without defect or flaw, which is equated to a form of blind idolatry.

2. Attempting to impose opinion on others

Fanatical people 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; which is often brought to the stage of debate about them. During such debates, they can resort to dialectical juggling of all kinds, showing an authoritarianism that triggers “the alarms” of their interlocutor. Their form of persuasion lacks sophistication or subtlety, and is perceived at the very limit of imposition.

The most dramatic form of imposition is undoubtedly that which uses violence. Most wars have been waged by the powers that be with an idea or “certainty” that has spread among the peoples confronted, and whose purpose was to give each of them convictions for which they could lose their own lives or take the lives of others.

The same happens in cases of terrorism , where many innocent people end up paying the debts of the fanaticism of others. We can also distinguish small-scale aggressions attributable to fanatical ideals, such as those that occur in the vicinity of a football match.

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

3. Dichotomous perception of reality

As regards the object to which a fanatic feels devotion, it is not usually admitted that there are grey shades, meeting points that would serve to reconcile his vision of the matter with that of others.

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

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

This gives rise to rivalries that go beyond what might be expected of reason: hatred for the fans of a football team, mistrust of those who profess a particular religion (such as Christianity or Islam, for example) and even bitter arguments between members of two fandom (groups of people, usually young, who hold an artist or group in high esteem).

4. Sacrificial Devotion

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

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

Through this process, the sense of identity would be maintained where it could be perceived as elusive , renouncing novelty due to difficulties in understanding it .

Some studies also point to the hypothesis that individual frustration is a breeding ground for fanaticism. This sensation of incompleteness would promote the approach to an external element that compensates for the deficiencies in self-confidence , in such a way that a reality in which the multitude believes (or at least a significant percentage of it) would be accepted as its own, in the absence of the capacity to believe in oneself. In this way it would be possible to obtain a rapid response to a vacuum, precipitated by culture or an existential crisis, and to satisfy in the same way the need for affiliation.

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.