Fanaticism refers to all that passion and/or activity that manifests itself with an exaggerated, excessive, tenacious and irrational passion, around an idea, a theory, a culture… Adherence to this idea is total and unconditional, it is related fanaticism with sects.
In this Psychology-Online article we will see in depth the meaning of fanaticism, the types What can we find and some examples that make us better understand what exactly we are talking about.
Meaning of fanaticism
For various authors, fanaticism is a mental state characterized by tenacious and prolonged adherence to certain beliefs. In the mind of a fanatical person, these beliefs acquire a much higher importance than other ideas to the point of transforming his actions into ways of manifesting these ideas. They believe absolutely and unconditionally in a given topic or issue and show a strong emotional attachment to it.
According to the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language, it is defined as fanatic to anyone who defends with excessive tenacity and passion a belief, a culture, an idea, an opinion… Above all, it refers to religious or political ideas.
What is a fan like?
To better understand what we are referring to, we must emphasize the double dimension of fanaticism, since beliefs alone do not constitute the fanatic, beliefs are part of the human being and we all have them. They are the way we create a world and with it, our way of being.
Cognitive dimension
The cognitive dimension of the fanatic is made up of the set of ideas with certain characteristics and beliefs that the fanatic subject makes his own. The believer usually believes not only that the world is one way but that he can transform it through that belief in what he wants.
Personological dimension
Currently, there is insufficient evidence to classify fanaticism as a . It is true that some fanatic people may have personality disorders, but it does not mean that fanaticism is. However, common features are found in the personality of the fan:
- Combative self-image
- Observable suspicious and explosive behavior
- Dichotomous and dogmatic cognitive style
- Irascibility
- Interpersonal behavior that ranges from submission to extrapunitive
- Certain such as rationalization and sublimation
- A certain fragility of the self
The types of fanaticism that exist
There are different types of fanaticism depending on what type of idea predominates in the fanatic:
- religious fanaticism: one of the ones that has generated the most controversy throughout history. Under his influence genocides, war conflicts, terrorist acts have been carried out…
- sports fanaticism: towards a team.
- Political fanaticism: towards a party, an idea…
- Anti-religious fanaticism: anti-Christian, anti-Muslim…
- Fanaticism towards the unknown: predict the future, for example.
- Fanaticism towards a person: singer actor…
Examples of fanaticism in our society
An obvious example of fanaticism in our society and that caused a lot of pain in history is the holocaustwhich led to genocides, massacres, wars… Another example is found with the Ku Klux Klan, or with the Inquisition, the Crusades…
We also find, for example, a high level of fanaticism in the case of the writer Emily Brontë. Many fans of hers began to consider that in her novel “Wuthering Heights” she invited people to dine with the devil and she herself was almost a victim of those fans.
Something similar happened with the poet Baudelaire, he was accused of being harmful and they wanted to send him to the stake for writing “The Flowers of Evil.” In this case, he was also being a victim of bigoted ideas like Emily. Karl Marx He has also unleashed many fanatics, using his work as an impetus to commit terrorist crimes.
Ultra sports groups They are also related to fanaticism, in fact, it is something we see on television quite often in our society.
The well-known case of the book “The Catcher in the Rye” of JD Salinger with which various fans have associated their ideas of murder, for example, the boy who killed John Lennon later sat quietly reading this novel. The writer Salinger ended up secluding himself in a house far from the world to write and not be a victim of these fanatics.
Examples of religious fanaticism today
A clear example of religious fanaticism today would be the terrorist group ISIS. The recruited boys, in many cases, have identity and social or family relationship problems. Religious fanaticism in this case clearly functions as a sect of followers. Physical violence and the idealization of death also intervene in this specific case of religious fanaticism.
According to psychologist Peraldo in an interview conducted for the newspaper Public about this issue: “We are clearly faced with a phenomenon known in psychology and psychiatry as dissociation. Firstly, all those essential aspects that define their identity are eliminated from the individual and progressively, are replaced by a new identity through a process that requires unwavering and seamless adherence to the new group.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- Anonymous. (2015). In the brains of ISIS fanatics. Public Newspaper. Retrieved from: https://www.publico.es/internacional/cerebro-fanaticos-isis.html
- Rey, GH(2018). The dangers that can be reached with fanaticism. Time. Recovered from: https://www.eltiempo.com/salud/como-afecta-el-fanatismo-a-las-sociedades-254464
- Villarejo, A. (2010). Fanaticism: interest in criminal forensic psychiatry. Cuad Med Forensic,16(3), 137-144.