“Let’s just not be fanatical,” says the wife to her husband, who has decided to work late at the computer. By this she means concern for his health and expresses hope for her husband’s prudence. Or a manager says the same thing to a subordinate when he worries that the well-intentioned latter will overdo it, and the result of the matter will be disastrous. What is fanaticism and why is it dangerous? Let's figure it out.
Fanaticism is a blind and ardent commitment to a religion, idea, person, cause, etc. This is an inadequate, uncritical belief in something or someone, in something or someone.
Fanaticism is a variant of inadequate self-realization and withdrawal from oneself and the world. The whole life of a fanatic revolves around one object. Examples of fanaticism:
- A scientist may be fanatical about science and his latest research.
- The football fanatic is ready to receive again and again severe injuries in fights.
- Fanatical fans are ready to kill for a photo with their idol (including killing him).
There are fans - people who support the artist, faith or idea. They criticize, blame and praise, and respect the opinions of other people. And there are fanatics - people who blindly cultivate something or someone, they do not accept the opinions of other people, they are capable of wars and murders, including the destruction of their own ideals.
In ancient times, fanatics were called adherents of a cult who carried out rituals and outrages. Just imagine: dancing in a trance state, sacrifices, howling chants and the like. It’s frightening, but what’s even scarier: this is happening in our 21st century.
Forms of fanaticism
Ideas or ideas can turn into fanaticism, political parties. In general, fanaticism can arise in any area where there is law personal choice and beliefs: tastes, group membership, theoretical concepts, music and more. But freedom in conditions of fanaticism looks conditional. The fanatic is not free, he is dependent and sick.
More often the phenomenon of fanaticism is discussed within the framework of religion. Believers do not join sects, do not kill themselves for the sake of enlightenment, and do not give all their earnings (not just their own) to the religious treasury. This is what fanatics do. Terrorism is also a variant of a fanatical attitude towards faith.
Based on the degree of danger, we can distinguish two forms of fanaticism:
- Average. Adherents of the idea deny alternatives and defend their point of view. Fanatics of the average type mainly communicate with their own kind and, if necessary, defend their faith.
- Severe form. Fanatics try to convince adherents of other opinions or win over neutral people to their side. To convince them, they use harsh methods: torture, beatings, threats, punishment.
In addition to the above forms, we note:
- Socially acceptable fanaticism, for example, football (they treat it with caution, but more or less loyally), (teenage thematic associations based on interests: music or philosophy, clothing style).
- Socially condemned fanaticism (sects, terrorism).
It is worth noting that any form of fanaticism is potentially dangerous. Football fanatics often continue their path in the criminal direction. Teenagers can kill for wearing the “wrong” clothes (reports about this are not so uncommon, for example, the sensational “explain about your clothes”).
Reasons for fanaticism
Fanaticism arises where there is room for dictatorship, authoritarianism and total control. Not necessary we're talking about about the structure of society. These may be internal traces. In addition, people are susceptible to fanaticism:
- not self-confident;
- those in need of a manager, experiencing subordination;
- experiencing difficulties in self-identification and self-realization;
- not trusting the world and themselves;
- uneducated, believing in superstitions, located in (especially relevant for religious fanaticism);
- suggestible, “empty” (does not have its own worldview, ideals,);
- those suffering from schizophrenia and;
- schizoid, hysterical or stuck.
A predisposition to fanaticism is formed in childhood under the influence of a destructive style family education. This effect is caused by authoritarianism, demandingness, manipulation of the child, isolation, deprivation, violence, lack of love and care. The feeling of uselessness, inadequacy and helplessness is a direct path to fanaticism.
Personal fanaticism is the result of someone else’s. The victims of manipulators are people who are uncertain in life, uneducated, and gullible. Fanatics come out of the government. Mass fanaticism is many times more destructive and dangerous than individual fanaticism. Crowds of people destroy clubs, churches, houses, shops, and burn cities.
Signs of fanaticism
A characteristic feature of fanaticism is that a person does not divide the content of his faith into good and bad elements, acceptable and unacceptable. He considers everything that relates to his idea to be correct and all outside opinions to be incorrect.
Other signs of fanaticism include:
- close and painful experience, violent reactions to everything related to faith;
- the presence of attributes of faith, the pursuit of an idol;
- defending one's own rightness, not the truth;
- in relation to surrounding people;
- loss of interest in previous hobbies;
- slang, rituals characteristic of the subject of fanaticism;
- belief in own rightness and a sense of superiority;
- isolation or communication with “associates”.
Fanatics are not psychologically stable, antisocial and aggressive. They are dangerous to themselves and others, as they do not succumb to any kind of attack. A fanatic causes fear in those around him by his very appearance and behavior. They are often described with the phrase “he’s like he’s out of his mind, crazy.” The appearance is usually appropriate: loud speech, harsh and expressive expressions, screams and threats, an abnormal shine in the eyes, active gestures. The fanatic neither sees nor hears real world, he lives in his reality.
Why is fanaticism dangerous?
Fanaticism is a destructive commitment to something. It deprives personal freedom, development and self-realization. But that's half the problem. The second part of the danger lies in the inability of the fanatic to accept another point of view, to generally recognize the very fact of the coexistence of alternative ideas. The result of non-acceptance of other ideas is hostility, war, violence, discrimination.
The fanatic's aggression is a defensive response. The point is that any alternative opinion he perceives attacks from others as threats.
Anything becomes a reason for a fanatic and another person: a skirt instead of trousers, long hair, decoration, going to clubs. For any little thing that seems oppositional, a fan is ready to be torn to pieces. However, just as pronounced positive emotions. Thus, a crowd of fanatics is capable of literally tear your leader (idol) into pieces.
How to get rid of fanaticism
How to determine whether a person is a fanatic or not? If he is ready (in reality, not in words) to kill himself or another person for his faith, then he is a fanatic.
- To get rid of and prevent fanaticism, it is necessary to develop a culture of mind and respect for humanity as such.
- The second option is to devalue it, to be so disappointed that instead of vivid emotions, you feel nothing for the previous object, that is, to be indifferent.
It is impossible to independently convey to a fanatic the danger and abnormality of his condition. You need to contact a psychotherapist, however, they do not give a 100% favorable prognosis. To get rid of fanaticism, full treatment and rehabilitation are necessary, sometimes with social isolation.
But the most important thing for treatment is the individual’s desire to get rid of fanaticism and recognition of the problem. Then there is at least some chance.
Before visiting a psychotherapist, loved ones can try:
- Develop critical thinking fanatic: expand his perception, find several reliable literary sources, demonstrating the pros and cons of the patient’s faith. We need to focus on the destructive power of blind faith. History knows many examples.
- Help a fanatic identify the main fear that drove him into blind faith. Fear is the main emotion of all fanatics. They are afraid of the world, themselves, the leader, past experiences, the future, etc.
- Cult worship is similar to . Even the mechanism of development and disposal is approximately the same. Accordingly, the recommendations are the same.
At the time of therapy, it is important to separate the fanatic from the source of excitement (the cult). His condition during this period will resemble withdrawal. Therefore, someone close and understanding must be nearby.
Getting rid of fanaticism is not easy; long-term psychotherapy and full rehabilitation are needed. It is necessary to help a person re-socialize in society, get rid of unimportant things, get a job, work and stop running away from them.
Brain healthy person able to skip up to 10 thousand thoughts per day. Among the fanatics life circumstances and actions are subordinated to one dominant thought, which is why they cannot switch to everyday problems and needs. If they succeed, then automatically and a short time. Fanatics live in constant stress.
Fanaticism - what is it?
“Fanaticism” is translated from Latin as “frenzy.” People suffering from this pathology have atrophied doubt - they blindly believe in an idea or a person who excites and impresses them, and deify their ideal. Fanatics are different from ordinary people willingness to sacrifice one’s own and others’ lives, denial of criticism, social norms And common sense. Such people don't realize devastating consequences your behavior.
Fanaticism is mental illness, which can affect any area. IN international classification 7 types of disease are indicated, 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 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.
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, 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.
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 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.
- "Fan" with Robert De Niro - drama about difficult relationships professional athlete and his fan.
- "Master" tells about 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.
FANATICISM(from lat. fanum
- altar) - unshakable and rejecting
alternatives are the individual's commitment to certain beliefs, which
finds expression in his activities and communication. F. is associated with
readiness to sacrifice; devotion to the idea is combined with intolerance towards
dissidents, disregard for ethical standards that prevent
achieving common goal. F. - phenomenon group psychology. For
fanatics who find support in mutual recognition are characteristic
increased emotionality, uncritical attitude to any information,
confirming their views, rejection of criticism, even benevolent. F.
often has ideological (including religious) overtones.
Everything is clear with the term, I hope... I just want to tell you a little about the phenomenon as such. I won’t go into science, but I’ll just try to break it down. To begin, let me once again quote one of my favorite quotes:
“It is generally accepted that in an equal dispute, the one who is smarter usually wins. Bullshit!.. Firstly, a stupid person is always confident in his own rightness, while a smart person always doubts it. In addition, a smart person understands the opponent’s arguments, and stupid - no, at least split... And if, in addition, we remember that fools are also lucky, then who, one might ask, should emerge victorious among the two?” (C) Evgeny Lukin.
A fanatic is much worse than a fool in an argument. For the simple reason that he not only does not accept anything that does not correspond to his beliefs, but perceives it as an attack on him personally. True, unfortunately, there are no single fans. Fanaticism is a crowd that blindly follows a leader. The leader, by the way, most often does not believe what he says to the crowd of fans. No, there are such people, of course, but such a crowd is very quickly destroyed by those around them, because no society accepts white crows... More often than not, the leader is a pragmatist who knows how to analyze the situation and guide fanatics in the right way. myself direction (which, by the way, many churches have been using for centuries).
Question for thought: why do both states and churches have a normal attitude towards different confessions within themselves, but do not accept sects?
The answer is simple: most sects are organized on the basis of fanaticism, and the state and church reserve this prerogative.
It’s absolutely not difficult to create a crowd of fans (I won’t give recipes, though, so take my word for it), it’s not much more difficult to manage this crowd at first. Then, most often, the leader changes to a pragmatist and a crowd of fans puts on a “spectacle” for the amusement of everyone except the participants.
And the worst thing about fanaticism is that it is more contagious than mental illness... Yes, yes - mental illness is contagious. Only this requires a lot of time and appropriate conditions. I can even bring everyone famous examples: when one person yawns in a group, almost everyone will yawn within a minute, many will yawn more than once... The second example is an example of crowd induction: a goal in the stadium - everyone screams. Even if a person is not exactly a fan, he is “infected” by the general mood. At first he may not express his violent feelings, but each time it becomes more and more difficult for him to restrain himself. And if the leader directs the crowd with precise phrases, then fans appear. Ready for anything.
Fanatics are dangerous primarily because dialogue with them is useless. If a fan has received instructions for some action, then the only way to stop him is by physical methods, and only with significantly superior force. And the worst thing is when fanatics gather into one monolithic crowd - then mindless rage and a readiness to crush everything in its path spill out.
In general, this phenomenon is an atavism and one of the proofs that man is a beast, and the most dangerous beast that exists. This is also observed in animals - this defense mechanisms for the survival of the species. But a person does not live in animal rhythms, he obeys the laws of the group that he considers dominant. This is why many sectarians abandon their families - the influence of the family as a group on them weakens and they become subordinate to a stronger leader. Which, by the way, does not always obey his own laws - for him they are only a way to control a crowd of fans.
I’ll even give you a little hint on how to control a crowd: the main thing is to force everyone all the time and at the same time(according to a schedule) to perform some, preferably stupid (with a “smart” sauce) actions.
Declassified archives on the execution case royal family revealed the deep roots of Jewish Orthodox fanaticism. Ritual murder was committed on the eve of the “9th of Av” - the capture of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple of Solomon.
Another sign of religious fanaticism is orthodox religious fundamentalism, which does not accept anything new. A fanatic perceives his idea as an absolute truth, not subject to criticism in any of its manifestations. Even if the criticism is fair and justified, an ardent follower of a religious idea is not able to treat objections constructively. Often a fan considers it a personal insult and is capable of leading an argument to a fight, in which he quickly becomes impatient. At the same time, realizing that he may be defeated, he perceives what is happening as his fight against evil, and is ready to either kill his opponent or accept “” death.
Fanatics love to be the first to label people, loudly pronouncing: “”, “sectarian”, “”, etc. By putting a person in an uncomfortable position, the main task of such a frantic person is to force the opponent to retreat and become confused. In this case, the main goal is to win a verbal or hand-to-hand duel, and not ideological issues from the series “whose god is more correct.”
Examples of religious fanaticism in history
Religious struggle in ancient world was present in many areas modern countries. The most famous persecutions on religious grounds considered to be the extermination of followers religious reform Akhenaten's Ancient Egypt, persecution of Christians during the heyday of the Roman Empire.
But perhaps the most known victim Jesus Christ and almost all his apostles became dissenters. For their ideas and “heretical” sermons among the Jewish population, each of them suffered a terrible martyrdom.
Mass religious fanaticism in medieval Europe resulted in Crusades, destroying foreign cultures, and “witch hunts”. Entire generations of such fanatics saw paganism and dissent as a threat to their spiritual world and tried to physically exterminate everyone who did not fall under their true control.
Giordano Bruno, Joan of Arc, Jan Hus and many others died at the hands of fanatics. Those scientists, thinkers, philosophers who could not be burned at the stake were forced to abandon their ideas: Galileo Galilei, Nicolaus Copernicus.
St. Bartholomew's Night is a terrible massacre of Huguenots (French Protestants), provoked by the ardent Catholic Catherine de' Medici in August 1572. On that day, according to some sources, more than 30,000 people died, all of them were branded with the word “heretic.”
Religious fanaticism in the modern world
In the modern world, religious fanaticism is most often associated with the Islamic world - terrorism, jihad, Sharia courts, etc. In particular, the tragedies of September 11, 2001 in the USA are cited, massacres Muslim Christians in Indonesia in 2000, contemporary religious clashes in India, as well as individual Act of terrorism Worldwide. However, very often, under the guise of religious fanaticism, in reality certain political and financial forces operate, the goals of which are very far from Islam in particular and faith in general.
Fanaticism is much more widespread in our lives than is usually believed. Do you think fanatics are only sports or religious? No better than them are all the others who blindly believe in the dogmas of some ideology or even science. So, what is, for example, better than a scientist who blindly accepts hypothetical assumptions described in textbooks as “immutable truths”, or some religious sectarian who also blindly believes the words of his “guru”?
Meanwhile, there are characteristic features, by which you can immediately identify any fanatic. Here, for example, is how psychotherapist V. Sinelnikov describes the phenomenon of fanaticism and its signs:
"Abundance of information makes a person fall into cynicism. Vera modern man very shaken. Some people no longer believe in anything. Others become fanatics. And it's scary.
So what is Faith? Faith is conviction, confidence in someone or something. The willingness to accept the existence of something as true.
However, Truth cannot be described in words. Any attempt to do this takes away from her. What turns out is not the Truth, but just its description, that is, someone’s point of view. A thinking, intelligent person does not need absolute, blind faith at all. Knowledge does not need faith.
The word "Faith" consists of two words: Veda and Ra. It turns out literally the following - knowledge of Light, Truth. A believer strives to know the truth and puts this knowledge into practice. The question of faith is the choice of each person. We must strive to be, first of all, a knowledgeable, in-charge person.
And it is very easy to distinguish a knowledgeable person from a fanatic. A man of knowledge will never convince anyone of anything. He lives in harmony with himself and with the world around him. Does not limit himself to any one point of view. Doesn't deny anything. Accepts the world as it is, and at the same time is in a state of constant search and development."
Well, fanatics differ from people of knowledge precisely in their blind faith in existing dogmas (no matter - scientific, ideological or religious), worship of “authorities” and their leaders, strict adherence to rituals and relationships in the hierarchical Pyramid of Power, intolerance of dissent and the mandatory imposition of their own opinion as "the truth in last resort"And most importantly, they are afraid of any radical changes and paradigm shifts.
And it is completely in vain that many atheists who blindly believe in the absence of God, as well as “fighters against pseudoscience,” think that they do not fit into the category of fanatics. After all, it is fanatics who always need to debate and prove something to others and, first of all, to themselves.
Well, those who have already matured to knowledge, and not blind faith, know perfectly well that any consciousness must a certain level knowledge first "grow". Therefore, it is impossible to “pull” to him “by the ears” all those who prefer to hallucinate on long-outdated ideas about reality: “Before it falls, the apple must ripen.”