Can we condemn a person if he is fanatically devoted to his family, his homeland, his work? Of course not. IN in this case we are dealing with a normal, natural manifestation of the humanistic principles of modern society. Such fanaticism has nothing to do with social phenomenon, which can lead society to fatal tragedies and must be combated.
Unconditional blindness, adherence to convictions, adherence to certain ideas, beliefs or views, especially in the field of philosophical, religious, national or political spheres we call fanaticism (from the Latin fanatismus). Difficult to attribute the problem inappropriate behavior of a person or a large community of people to the purely psychological, it has long ago become both social and philosophical.
Let's remember! IN adolescence intense passion for something was common. Girls run to all the concerts of their favorite ensemble or performer, stand for hours at the box office for tickets, cover the walls of their rooms with cutouts of their favorite performers, and organize an autograph hunt. Boys do the same with their football or hockey team. Gathering in large groups, have their own symbols and attributes, carry out public actions, and are hostile to fans of other clubs. With age, these addictions fade. In this case we are dealing with worship.
The emotional manifestation of fanaticism is characterized by the absence objective assessment own behavior, obsession, belief in the exclusivity of the object of one’s adoration, hostile perception of any criticism, excessive zeal for mass demonstration of one’s views and beliefs. What separates a fanatic from an admirer? A fanatic does not pay attention to the norms and rules accepted in society; he can calmly cross them to achieve cherished goal, the fan does not violate them.
In the classification of mental disorders, seven types of fanaticism are usually distinguished:
religious, political, ideological, health fanaticism, scientific fanaticism, sports stands out in separate group, fanaticism in the arts. Any fanaticism in whatever form it manifests itself is dangerous for society. Even harmless “cranks” who do not want to hear or see anything around them, but live exclusively in the sphere of their own painful preferences and ideas, under certain circumstances, can commit any antisocial actions (from shooting in a supermarket to hijacking an aircraft). True fanaticism is ruthless, it dries out a person, occupies all his thoughts, and can push him to uncontrollable actions.
The most dangerous types of mass fanaticism should be called religious and political. The most dangerous representatives of religious fanaticism, which in this case is very closely related to politics, are Islamic fundamentalists who literally set themselves against the rest of the world. Their fanaticism is based on sincere faith and the holiness of sacrifice in the name of God. Suicide bombers have become a real threat to the world, from individual performances of single fans to military confrontation between states. Islamic fanatics keep innocent people in fear for ephemeral purposes civilians, without sparing, at the same time, either women or children. Where do these fanatics come from? Young people with unstable mental health and weak nervous system form the basis for recruiting Islamic suicide bombers. This is facilitated by poor knowledge of Islamic religious texts and complete isolation from canonical Islam, which rejects all violence. Islamic fanaticism is overcome by enlightenment. It’s not in vain that the first word Holy Quran, transmitted to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) through the Archangel Jebrail, was “read.”
Another very dangerous manifestation of mass fanaticism for society is political extremism, expressed in the activities of a number of extremely reactionary political parties fascist type. Defending the dominant force, they preach national and racial superiority.
Fascist ideology, implicated in the preaching of national exclusivity, always finds fertile ground among young people who, in search of strength and protection, seek unification with their peers on a single ideological basis. The virus of fascist ideology, although latent in nature, is still present in the political spectrum of many states next to democratic institutions (the Baltic countries, Ukraine). And in Russia in the 90s of the last century there were organizations “Memory”, which separated from it “Black Hundred” ", recreated in 2005, the "Union of the Russian People". In principle, a fanatic can arise around any ideal. This was brilliantly shown by Yu. Mamin in the film “Sideburns” (1990). The mechanism of the formation of a totalitarian dictatorship and fanaticism in the town of Zaborsk is shown using the example of the work of A.S. Pushkin.
Famous Soviet philosopher Merab Mamardashvili wrote: “For a person who is not ready to expend effort to look for an individual answer, the easiest way is to find a banner under which to stand in the general ranks.” He called this path: “the seductive abyss of lightness”
For any civilized society built on humanistic principles, fanaticism, which turns a person into an obedient, gregarious, faceless creature, capable of breaking all moral and legal barriers for the sake of crazy ideas, is not the best acquisition. A normal democratic society should put a barrier to it!
Fanaticism in in a broad sense words are commitment and worship of someone or something, reaching an extreme degree, as well as categorical rejection of other beliefs and values. In relation to religion, fanaticism is manifested by absolute passion for religious activity with the formation of a cult out of it, worship and unaccountable following of a group of like-minded people.
Origins this phenomenon lie in the original claims of every world religion to possess the truth in last resort about the origin and essence of the world, about what determines the death and resurrection of everything human race. In all eras and at the present time, religion is the most dangerous and powerful type of fanaticism. History contains many examples when obsession with religious ideas had a destructive effect on entire nations. Religious fanaticism turns a group of people into a herd living according to imposed rules, deprives each person of individuality and inner freedom, thus turning people into a means for establishing certain tenets of faith.
Causes of religious fanaticism
Fanaticism in religion can be considered a form of severe psychological dependence. After all, a person, having gotten involved in this, does not belong to himself, but thinks and acts according to dogmas imposed “from above” (by the spiritual leader of a sect, for example). The addict simply cannot imagine any other life.
What makes an individual person become a crazy religious fanatic? Of course, a lot depends on the personality type. Psychologists believe that people who are susceptible to fanaticism, including religious fanaticism:
- don't have critical thinking, usually act under the influence of emotions;
- easily suggestible and led;
- subject to other people's influence;
- have not formed their own worldview and value system;
- they lead an “empty” life and are not interested in anything.
It is precisely such people who are easily caught in the net of religious fanaticism. Ready ideas and views are easily “invested” into a consciousness that is not filled with one’s own ideas about the world, allowing a person to feel self-worth, be part of an important team.
By the way, almost all religious fanatics are not distinguished by true religiosity, much less piety. But they are ready to defend their ideas at any cost. The most important thing for such people is to feel a close connection with their group and to go against those who do not support their beliefs (even to the point of war and murder).
Signs of religious fanaticism
One religious fanatic is unlikely to harm society or a specific person. The danger is posed by a group of people dependent on religious dogma. So, what are the characteristics of a rabid religious fan?
- Intolerance towards other religions. This also adds obvious hatred and aggression towards adherents of other faiths. Mass fanaticism also has a destructive effect on atheists and less religious citizens;
- Religious fundamentalism, which does not accept anything new. A fanatic has extremely limited thinking, and he perceives judgments that are not related to his religious doctrines negatively. At the same time, a fanatic may not even understand the meaning of “hostile” ideas.
- Rejection of criticism. Even if the beliefs of an addict can easily be refuted by scientific and logical arguments, an orthodox fan will still insist on his own. Discussion with him is impossible. A fanatic often gets into a fight in a state of passion, proving his rightness to the last.
- Labeling others. A person obsessed with religion likes to define “enemies”, for example, “pagan”, “blasphemer”, “heretic”. Thus, he puts his opponent in an awkward position and forces him to retreat. The main task of a fanatic in a dispute is to win a verbal duel (sometimes hand-to-hand), and not at all to establish the truth “whose god is more correct.”
Currently, religious fanaticism in on a large scale is inherent mainly in Islam, as evidenced by acts of terrorism, Sharia courts, and jihad. There is an opinion that this is how rabid Muslim fanatics fight the “infidels.” In fact, under the mask of religious fanaticism, specific political and economic motives that are far from Islam and religions in general are often hidden.
Can religious fanaticism be cured?
Religious fanaticism is not only psychological dependence, but also mania, and therefore requires intensive long-term psychotherapy. Of course, in completely hopeless cases, treatment is not only hopeless, but also impossible - for example, when a person is hiding from his family in a religious community. But sometimes help still makes sense.
Thus, for a person dependent on a sect and its religious tenets, it is suitable psychological technique called deprogramming. This method develops creative, critical and flexible thinking in the patient, gradually eliminating false beliefs regarding religion and cult life. With the help of questions, the psychotherapist leads to establish the causes of fanatical behavior, as a result of which the patient comes to realize the error of his activities and behavior.
During the treatment process, the addict is haunted by the desire to understand what exactly is wrong with him, and when this moment comes, it becomes very difficult. The fanatic is fully aware that he lived stupidly and incorrectly, but the thought of how to return to his previous image remains with him. A psychological “breakdown” occurs.
The success of therapy is largely determined by the behavior and support of loved ones dependent person. It is recommended to create a strong and friendly team, which also includes former members religious communities and help each other overcome the consequences of their former existence, set each other up for a free and independent existence.
In general, the therapy of religious fanaticism is an extremely difficult task, which cannot always be successfully resolved. Thus, many patients become depressed and attempt suicide, because even during the heyday of their fanaticism they were programmed for self-destruction. It is extremely important for patients to understand that they are not responsible for what happened to them and that they were simply “brainwashed,” and now they are returning to a normal, full life.
Each of us must have encountered manifestations of religious fanaticism in our lives. At the very least, he certainly knows about it well from the news or history. We will talk about whether this kind of fanaticism exists in Orthodoxy. How does it manifest itself and what does it lead to?
What is religious fanaticism?
The word itself ( "fanum" translated from Latin means “temple”) indicates the pagan, cultic origin of this concept. "Fanatic" translated as "frantic" - it means that a person who “doesn’t know what he’s doing”, doesn’t realize it, is sick.
What is the difference between fanaticism and religious grounds? Firstly, excessive adherence to one idea, often distorted. Secondly, the lack of self-criticism, the reluctance to look at oneself from the outside, self-confidence. And thirdly, rejection of other views, even to the point of severe aggression.
Religious fanaticism, as a form of intolerance towards others, denies the very religion to which it supposedly belongs. He is big destructive force, pathology. Orthodoxy, for example, clearly teaches that we must hate sin, but love the sinner. The fanatic distorts everything and, driven by jealousy beyond reason, transfers everything to a specific person. Here it would be appropriate to recall the words of Theophan the Recluse:
Our God is the God of peace, and brings all God’s peace. And zeal for truth, when it comes from God, is peaceful, meek, compassionate towards everyone, even towards those who violate the truth. Therefore you will understand that the zealous ferocity that kindled you is not from God.
It is worth mentioning, however, that non-church people mean something completely different by this concept. They consider those who go to church more often than on Easter and Epiphany to be religious fanatics. This, of course, is not worth paying attention to.
How does it manifest itself?
Religious intolerance manifests itself, first of all, in the fact that a person obsessed with it, being confident only in his own rightness, is unable to hear others. He, as a rule, pours out his aggression on specific “mistaken” people. In real Orthodoxy, we know, everything is not like that. Although we are convinced that our faith is the only true one, most of all the Lord teaches us to respect the freedom of others.
That is why, most often, conflicts on religious grounds are fueled by various sects, each of which defends its rightness at any cost. Islamic extremism is similarly “spiritually” nourished by various Islamic sects. In the history of our Church there were also such mysterious associations of religious fanatics, such as, for example, whips And eunuchs who came up with their own new creed, completely alien to Orthodoxy.
The largest and most tragic manifestation of such religious fanaticism was Old Believers . They grabbed hold of the letter, the dogma of the creed, and forgot about the spirit. Now we call such adherents of one rite ritual believers. At the same time, people even burned themselves alive, not wanting to deviate from the ancient form of confessing their faith. We know how many human sacrifices this cost.
Mass murders and suicides are, of course, extreme manifestations of pseudo-spiritual fanaticism. In our Everyday life we most often encounter other manifestations of it. For example, when someone frantically begins to impose their faith or rushes to “save” someone when the “perishing” person does not ask for it. All this is also an abnormal form of manifestation of one’s religiosity.
Jealousy is beyond reason
In Orthodoxy, another name is used to denote religious fanaticism: “jealousy not according to reasoning.” The expression is taken from the Epistle to the Romans of the Holy Apostle Paul: They have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge (Rom. 10:2). Already from these words it is clear: true Christianity calls for a sober, judicious attitude towards everything. It is not a religion of ecstatic dreamers.
This applies to all spheres of a person’s church life, starting with determining the measure of fasting and prayer rule and ending with choice life path. Therefore, cases when people “grind” or exhaust themselves by hunger until they end up in appropriate medical institutions are not the norm for Orthodoxy. At least, the Church certainly does not teach this.
Causes of the disease
Of course, religious intolerance, like any intolerance towards one’s neighbors, is a sin, and a rather serious one at that. It completely contradicts one of the two most important commandments of the Gospel preaching: Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39). Like any sin, fanaticism in Orthodoxy has as its source (or basis) other sinful inclinations:
- pride;
- vanity, narcissism;
- exaltation over others;
- conceit (or self-delusion);
- lack of self-criticism;
- unreasonableness;
- self-confidence and others.
Also, the reason for this kind of extreme manifestations of intolerance towards other people’s views may be various psychical deviations. It has been established, for example, that people of a certain psychotype are most susceptible to religious fanaticism. As a rule, these are unbalanced, exalted people, prone to big emotional experiences, with a flat and limited worldview.
It has also been noted that people who lived in misunderstandings in childhood are often prone to conflicts on religious grounds. constant fears on this occasion. In adulthood, such people, having found a group of like-minded people, try to hide behind it, like behind a stone wall. However, the feeling of fear already embedded in the subconscious continues to torment them, forces them to fight with all dissidents “until last straw blood,” trying to protect their supposedly newfound “peace.”
Is fanaticism curable?
Of course, through the Sacraments existing in the Church, any human sin can be healed. There is only one condition - repentance. But the peculiarity of religious fanaticism is precisely that a person does not perceive his jealousy beyond reason as something wrong, distorted. He is sure that the “ultimate truth” belongs to him alone, and he does not agree to take other opinions into account.
This is what main difficulty corrections of a religious fanatic. Until he thinks for himself, begins to look at himself self-critically (or something happens that makes him look at himself differently), any of your arguments will be useless. You still won't be able to convince him. Therefore, it is best to try to somehow influence a person when the first signs of an incipient disease appear.
In cases where the cause of such obsession is a person’s serious mental abnormalities, medical intervention may be necessary. Especially if such a fanatic poses a great danger to society.
What could be the consequences?
The consequences of religious intolerance can be dire. Fanaticism in Orthodoxy in itself cannot pass without a trace, without harming anyone. Firstly, it causes irreparable damage to the soul of a person susceptible to fanaticism. In its extreme manifestation, this disease can turn into delusion. This is what it is spiritual state, in which a believer, caught in a demonic deception, is in self-delusion and considers himself to have achieved some kind of holiness. Return to correct spiritual path deceived is almost impossible.
Secondly, such fanatics are initially determined to “correct” those around them, which is why human casualties are a frequent result of conflicts on religious grounds. A striking example This is caused not only by modern Islamic extremism, but also by the well-known Crusades.
Thirdly, religious fanaticism, without a doubt, has a detrimental effect on the “image” of the religion itself, under the guise of which it is hidden. It is clear that atheists will judge this or that faith not by what is good in it, but precisely by such incorrect, distorted radical manifestations of it.
All this suggests that we ourselves need to be very careful so as not to become infected and fall into such a destructive disease. And also try to protect your loved ones from it.
Archpriest Dmitry Smirnov talks more about this problem:
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Fanaticism is mental illness, which can affect any area. The international classification indicates 7 types of disease, some of them are normally perceived in society:
political;
health;
ideological;
scientific;
religious;
sports;
cultural.
Signs of fanaticism
Fanaticism has two degrees - moderate and extreme. The middle degree is common and manifests itself in the fact that a person is subject to a dominant idea, but does not take it to the point of absurdity and does not impose it on others. The extreme degree of mental disorder is diagnosed less frequently and is expressed in the rigid imposition of one’s choice on other people, tyranny towards them, including torture and other types physical violence. Symptoms of the disease manifest themselves in the following deviations from the norm:
The fanatic takes events concerning his idol to heart. He suffers, becomes depressed, even to the point of committing suicide because of his idol’s marriage and the loss of his favorite football club.
A person accompanies the object of worship on tour, is on duty at the house, and buys accessories and attributes associated with it.
Fanatical people constantly talk about “idee fixes” - they are not interested in other topics.
Interests and hobbies that used to be a joy fade into the background.
A fanatic reacts aggressively to any attacks from others regarding the object or subject of his worship.
religious fanaticism
Fanaticism towards a person
This type of mental disorder differs from others in that the fanatic becomes the object of persecution and worship. special person. Often the victim of fanaticism is a popular singer, musician, actor and other famous person. Main danger such a state in its stability - the closer the idol, the more dangerous the behavior of his fans. The modern stage knows hundreds of cases when fans in ecstasy tore the clothes of celebrities, broke into their homes, and chased them on tour.
Fanaticism can manifest itself towards a person of the opposite sex. This form of disorder is often confused with love. A woman's love for a man implies sober assessment advantages and disadvantages of his partner, and fanatical passion idealizes and deifies him, worships him, does not notice his shortcomings, and justifies any words and actions of his deity.
Sports fanaticism
A sports fanatic is a person who is generally accepted by society. An army of football fans comes to other cities and countries to support their favorite team. Matches end peacefully or with fights started by fans. IN modern society such behavior is considered a fan movement, subculture or part of sports game. You can distinguish a fan from an ordinary fan by the following characteristics:
Abuse of beer and other alcoholic drinks.
Taking doping (soft drugs, pills, energy drinks).
Permissiveness in words and actions during competitions and after their completion.
Religious fanaticism
Religious fanatics elevate their religion to a cult, denying the existence of other faiths. They and their like-minded people are driven by the desire to rule over people of other faiths. The group values of fanatics are elevated to a cult of worship - they blindly believe in the religious leader, obey him unquestioningly and are ready to give their lives if necessary.
Muslim and Orthodox fanaticism are equally dangerous with extremist aspirations. New members of the sect are “brainwashed” in 2-3 weeks, and after 4-5 years of living according to the rules of the religious community, the changes become irreversible. Any cult shares the same characteristics:
They have a leader who calls himself the messiah.
They are ruled by a totalitarian system and philosophy.
Cult members unquestioningly obey the rules of the community.
Fanatics unquestioningly give property and money for the benefit of the community.
fanaticism
How do you become fanatics?
The psychology of fanaticism identifies 3 reasons that push a person to change.
Envy of other people's successes.
Low self-esteem.
A famous person who has achieved everything and shines.
The psychology of religious fanaticism is based on the hopelessness of a person when he finds himself in a difficult life situation and sees no way out of it. At such moments, he goes into religion and, unbeknownst to himself, falls under the influence of the adherents of the sect. They instill in him the knowledge of " the right way", they sympathize, express their readiness to support and talk about problems that they themselves have recently encountered. Fanatics flee from reality into religion not out of love for God, but from their own suffering and the indifference of others.
How to get rid of fanaticism?
Fanaticism as psychological phenomenon appeared in the 17th century, when the Catholic Bishop Bossuet introduced this concept into use. Successful recovery from the disease is possible if:
The fanatic will realize that his claims are false.
Learn to analyze intrusive thoughts and look at the situation from the other side.
Will switch to other events.
Increase self-esteem.
Seek help from a psychologist.
Films about fanatics
Fanaticism in love, religion, sports and any social sphere– a sign of emotional instability, impressionability, lack of leadership qualities, suggestibility. Dozens of films have been made about fanatics - they talk about the consequences of blind faith and following idols, religious servility.
“The Fan” with Robert De Niro – a drama about difficult relationships professional athlete and his fan.
“The Master” tells the story of a sailor who got a job in a photo studio after the war. After a while, the former military man falls under the influence of a religious leader and begins to preach his precepts.
"Die, John Tucker!" The plot of the film tells about a school macho who wants revenge on his three ex-girlfriends. They are not stopped by what is bait in insidious plan a girl who has just arrived in the city performs.
“For the sake of our guru, I will do anything, I will sacrifice myself, I will not regret anything, and if anyone says a word against him, I will punish him cruelly!” shouts one of its followers, beating himself in the chest, at a meeting of the sect, and the rest the sectarians echo him as if hypnotized.
“Our family should eat only vegetables and bread, no animal products, because meat, eggs and milk are poison that brings nothing but harm to the body. If any of you dares to disobey me, he is no longer my family! I’ll kick you out of the house!” the woman indignantly tells her household.
How different these three examples are, and it would seem that there is nothing in common between them. But both a sectarian and teenage girl, and the woman is obsessed with one idea, serves it entirely and does not recognize deviations. Thus, a girl is obsessed with the idea of being close to her favorite actor, the leader of a sect and its members are obsessed with the idea of “serving” God, and a woman is obsessed with the idea of “healthy” eating.
All these are manifestations of fanaticism. In the first case, we can talk about ideological fanaticism, or fanaticism of art. I don’t know why they call it that, but this type includes both football fanaticism and fanaticism from pop and film artists. In the second case, we see manifestations of religious fanaticism, and in the third, health fanaticism. Although, in principle, the third example can also be attributed to ideological fanaticism, because the woman worships the idea of vegetarianism.
What is it fanaticism? This is the relentless pursuit of any idea, reckless, passionate worship of something (someone), deification, idealization of the object of worship, blind faith in something, in someone.
The international classification of diseases (mental disorders) distinguishes seven types of fanaticism:
religious, political, ideological, health fanaticism, scientific fanaticism, sports fanaticism stands out as a separate group, fanaticism in the field of the arts.
What does it have to do with international classification diseases? The fact is that, for example, in the USA, fanaticism is considered a deviation from the norm, a mental disorder that needs to be treated psychological methods. Three types of these are the most common: religious fanaticism (cults, sects, mentally ill people who are not members of any groups), sports fanaticism (most often football fans) and art fanaticism (when the objects of worship are artists, actors and other ministers). art).
Here signs, characteristic of people suffering from the last two forms of fanaticism.
1. A fanatic experiences too much everything that happens in the life of the object of his worship (he becomes depressed after a match he lost, a girl loses peace if her favorite artist gets married, etc.). The extreme form is suicide, especially if the object of worship dies or leaves the scene.
2. Most of financial costs goes off to pursue the object of worship: the fanatic follows him to performances, accompanies him everywhere, buys all the paraphernalia: discs, cassettes, posters, clothes, symbols, participates in auctions to buy as many things as possible that belonged to the object of worship.
3. The object of worship becomes a “fixed idea” for the fanatic. A person cannot concentrate on anything else, think or talk about anything other than him, bombards him with letters, bothers him with calls, waits at the entrance, in dressing rooms, etc.
4. The range of interests is noticeably narrowing: study, communication, and other hobbies that previously brought joy fade into the background or disappear altogether. This symptom most often appears in adolescents.
5. If someone speaks badly about the object of worship or makes a caustic remark about him, the fanatic either stops communicating with this person or reacts aggressively (fights between fans of different football teams).
6. The object of worship is elevated by the fanatic almost to the rank of saints, deified, and idealized by him. Negative information about the behavior and actions of the “object” is rejected fanatical person. Such a person believes that his favorite actor is simply not capable of making a scandal, being rude, abusing alcohol, etc.
Extreme manifestations of fanaticism are found in pure form quite rare. In most cases, fanaticism is a transitory phenomenon, characteristic of adolescence and youth. Over time, it disappears without a trace, leaving bright Nice memories, or turns into a stable, non-pathological attachment of a person to the object of past passions, that is, a person may really like music all his life, the performer of which he was previously a “fan”.