What does fanaticism mean? Common Forms of Persuasion

Fanaticism is an extreme degree of a person's commitment to any concepts, ideas or beliefs, manifested in the absence of a critical perception of the chosen system, as well as an extremely negative attitude and lack of tolerance for other ideological positions. Such commitment is similar to blind, unsupported and unjustified faith, therefore, fanaticism is most common in the religious sphere, but is not limited to it (this includes political views and national, musical and subcultural), including any of the spheres of human manifestation where there is a division people about choice, belonging, and taste.

What is fanaticism

Extreme fanaticism is a definition that is not so common, usually people express their inclinations or preferences in an average degree, not brought to the point of absurdity of despotism and imposition. But in critical cases, fanaticism takes on rather destructive, harsh and tyrannical manifestations with the imposition of the will and choices of a fanatic, as well as exposing people with other thoughts to punishment, torture, and sometimes death.

Fanaticism is the definition of one of the polarities of the human attitude to any phenomenon, concept, personality, idea, on the other side of which there is an indifferent attitude associated with the absence of any relatively selected feature. Not every psyche is capable of being in one or the other extreme position, usually people adhere to their own opinion, without imposing others, and do not criticize the choices of others, which is called tolerant relations. In most countries with a developed internal psychological culture, it is present, and those in which totalitarianism and dictatorship dominate, build their ideology on a fanatical perception of the ideas of society.

The difference between fanaticism and adherence lies in the fact that with fanatical worship, generally accepted social norms can be violated, for the sake of one's own passion, a person is characterized as emotionally and mentally unstable, being obsessed with an idea. Often a fanatical attitude towards something is part of the picture of a psychiatric illness (usually the manic phase of a psychotic disorder or schizophrenic). Thus, a mere adherence to an idea may look like strange behavior and a person is more likely to cause a feeling of strange, while the actions of a fanatic are a threat to him and his social life or safety, and the feelings experienced by other people from encountering such a person is usually on the spectrum (from anxiety to horror).

Fanaticism rejects alternatives and is every second ready for sacrifices (up to one's own life or the lives of others), is guided in its actions, being an active form of manifestation, exclusively by the desire to achieve the goals of ideals, while completely ignoring legislative, ethical, social norms. Such a person can be compared with a deaf person who is unable to accept your criticism, with a blind person who does not see the destructive consequences of his own actions, with a madman who lives in a parallel reality with other laws. Reaching out to a fanatic is problematic and sometimes simply impossible, basically you can only try to limit their activities and avoid contact in order to avoid influencing your destiny.

When defining fanaticism, the presence of associates is an important feature, since this phenomenon is not individualistic, but mass. Fanatic following requires a crowd and its leader - this is one of the mechanisms of generation and control. A crowd swayed by an emotionally charismatic leader becomes easier to manage than an individual. When talking face to face, critical questions and remarks can arise, an inner protest is easily felt, while being in a crowd, the feeling of responsibility for the consequences is removed and the person does what others do. Consciousness at such moments is open and any thought and idea can be put there, and if you later discuss his worldview with a fanatic, then he will perceive beliefs that do not correspond to his opinion through the prism of negativity, possibly considering attacks or insults.

Such a mechanism has remained since ancient times, when the reaction of a group of people, as one organism, where everyone does not really think, was aimed at the survival of the species. Roughly speaking, earlier the leader indicated where the enemies and the whole tribe fled to destroy the enemy. In order not to be wiped off the face of the earth by ourselves. Fanaticism has the same mechanism, ancient and strong, and the moral character of the manager of ideas often leaves much to be desired. So it turns out that the dialogue and calls for critical thinking do not work, the cessation of fanatical activity is possible only by force, with the use of force, significantly exceeding the capabilities of the fanatic himself.

Fanaticism is an example of a primitive, unconscious faith, decomposed into its components, one can notice the skillful manipulation of human consciousness. And not the truth of his faith and choice. When communicating with a person, you can notice signs of fanaticism, which consist in not dividing good and bad, permissible and criminal - the scanning system of the world is simplified to the point that everything related to his faith is correct and permissible, and everything that is different is bad, condemned and must be fought or destroyed. A fanatic often cannot justify such a position, or these explanations do not have a logical connection (the answer to the question "why do you think I'm bad?" may be "you wear trousers instead of a skirt").

In an attempt to enter into a productive dialogue and find the truth or at least somehow establish a person’s contact with reality, expanding its prism, you are irreversibly faced with an unwillingness to talk about the possibility of his mistake. Such people are infinitely confident that they are right and do not want to think about your words, they will rather rush to beat you for objectionable speeches. This characteristic is to see negativity and enemies in people who express other ideas and fight people (often physically) instead of fighting phenomena and ideas. So, a person who is a believer will educate his willpower so as not to steal and instill a similar worldview in children, and a fanatic will shoot thieves.

There are also emotional signs of fanaticism, including excessive emotionality, and the saturation of emotions will be high, and the range will be low (ecstasy is available when in contact with the source, fear, when feeling the unsteadiness of the built concept and hatred, when confronted with dissidents). In relation to the world, it prevails, with the thought of the insignificance of those who do not support the idea, but such assurances of their uniqueness and superior position are doubtful, since the fanatic himself is a person closed from development.

Fanaticism can relate to anything, some of its forms are accepted and quite normal in society (football fanaticism), while others cause fear and a lot of resistance (religious). The word itself is quite widespread and may not always be used in an authentic situation, but if based on a scientific definition, then in the medical classification of violations of behavior, emotions and perception, types of fanaticism are distinguished: religious, political, ideological, scientific, a separate group is the fanaticism of sports, nutrition, art. The last three are the least destructive in their manifestation and more often the negative consequences come down to disputes with relatives and adherents of other positions. Whereas the first three are capable of pushing a person to crimes and dangerous actions. According to the degree of manifestation, there is hard and soft fanaticism, which determines how far a person can go in pursuit of his goals.

Religious bigotry

Religion and the sphere of beliefs are perhaps the most favorable of all human ones for the development of fanaticism. As a way of mass consciousness, any religious structure is ideal, having a concept that is inaccessible to objective verification, a leader who explains interpretations and a set of rules, usually promising many goodies to those who obey and terrible punishment for apostates. Fanatic adherence to religious concepts is due to fear. Moreover, at the beginning of his conversion, a person seeks reassurance and protection in faith, trying to get rid of fear and gain hope, instead he receives only that which changes the source of fear, choosing his own master, and finds himself in an even greater situation in its horror. And if earlier fear was in the social sphere, where the worst thing that could happen was murder, then in religion there are things that are more frightening than death. It is this feeling of fear that pushes a person to violence against those who think differently, to intolerance towards other people's manifestations. Remember at least one person who does not experience wild horror - it is unlikely that he rushed at others, while the frightened one begins to defend himself, including the attack.

People who have faith show a lot of patience and love for any manifestations of the human soul, and often even the perception of negative traits is positive with the hope of change. They also perceive their own god as loving and accepting, understanding and forgiving, and the opposite dark forces do not frighten them, but only force them to concentrate in order to win the confrontation.

The fanatic is afraid of everyone: the deity - for the punishment of his sins, the dark force - for the threat of torment, the abbot or high priest - for condemnation or deprivation of blessing. Each step takes place in tension, requiring tight control, which eventually extends to the outside world and a suffocating demand to comply.

Many religions condemn the fanatical manifestations of the faith of their adherents, criticizing such behavior and forcing a person to return to the real world and worthy interaction, since some manifestations of fanaticism contradict the very religious concept. But do not forget that some currents of faith, on the contrary, push people to such blind following, encouraging people to commit anti-social actions. Behind such an attitude is usually a person who is far from faith himself, who soberly assesses the situation, but uses the feelings of believers who have fallen under his influence to manipulate in achieving their own interests.

There are certain personality types that are prone to the emergence of religious fanaticism, usually these are people who have a character accentuation of a schizoid, hysterical or stuck type. Such people often end up in totalitarian sects or on their own turn another religion into a farce with their own evidence of faith grotesque in its manifestation.

How to get rid of fanaticism

Liberation from fanatical behavior is aimed at developing critical thinking, restoring adequate perception, and working out the image of the cult. Any fanatical adherence is essentially a psychological, emotional and chemical dependence (if drugs are not used, then periodic states of ecstasy and bursts of adrenaline force the human body to produce opiates on its own in the required quantities). Accordingly, getting rid of bigotry includes many similarities with getting rid of addiction. In the process of joint critical analysis of the provided concept for the presence of contradictions, destructive moments and little-disguised manipulation, a fanatic can reach a certain point, and then breakage begins.

During such periods, the support of people who are not associated with the society of a fanatic is very important, because in an unstable state of disorientation, a person sees the world as gray (the ecstasies are gone), hostile (no one hugs when he just entered) and confused (no one determines where the black is, where is white). It is very easy to return back to the world of dependence and infantile existence, and a new organized life, in which there will be people with successful experience of getting out of the influence of a religious cult, can prevent this.

Objectively, a former fanatic needs psychological help and long-term therapy, with the same degree of seriousness with which drug addicts and victims of violence go through rehabilitation, but only a fanatic in his past role was subjected to both violence and addiction. Often this is a family problem of a systemic type and the rehabilitation of not only one person is necessary, with a high probability in his close circle there will be people who have one or another addiction, who show excessive cruelty, despotism, manipulation of feelings. If you do not pay due attention to changing the whole way of life, then it will be like trying to quit, sitting in a den with friends, and having a new dose in the kitchen cabinet at home.

from lat. fanum - altar, temple) - complete preoccupation with some idea, worldview, religion, passionate and blind commitment to a cause, ideology.

Great Definition

Incomplete definition ↓

FANATICISM

passionate attachment to an opinion, usually religious or political. It was fanaticism that lay at the origins of religious wars and the Inquisition, and today it can lead to ideological wars. Its principle is not to include in the human race those who profess a different religion, belong to a different party, or are supporters of a different ideology. Religious fanaticism was condemned by the Church Council of 1962, which put forward the principle of the unity of the human race; As for ideological fanaticism, Khrushchev spoke out against it, defending the peaceful coexistence of two ideologies (communist and capitalist), dividing the world between them. Fanaticism is the opposite of tolerance. Usually fanaticism, which is a universal human phenomenon, is inversely proportional to the competence (political fanaticism), knowledge and culture of an individual or people. It is also associated with the passions that can be caused by differences in the living standards of Individuals or peoples, in particular poverty and political dependence.

from lat. fanum - altar] - a firm and non-alternative non-alternative adherence of a person to certain ideas and beliefs, which decisively determines almost any of its activity and evaluative attitude towards the world around. Fanaticism is a socio-psychological phenomenon that characterizes the personal position and the system of relations of this person with reference groups and membership groups in the logic of rejection of even justified, but contrary to the fan’s rigid attitudes, information, reflecting the individual’s uncritical approach to any information that, to one degree or another, reinforces him position, attitudes, ideas and beliefs, readiness for sacrificial behavior in the name of the latter, regardless of whether such activity is moral or immoral. Fanaticism sets a distinct mutual acceptance and mutual acceptance of each other, for example, within the framework of fan clubs, helps to strengthen intergroup boundaries, increase their rigidity and conservatism, generates a tough confrontation with the outside world, built on a sometimes pathologically expressed sense of “we” in the logic of hostile opposition and confrontation "we are them". As a rule, fans, uniting in groups, create closed communities characterized by a rather rigid intra-group structure, often of a stratified nature, mono-activity, leading to a distinct difference in status among members of the community. Often fanaticism is of a national, religious and ideological nature and is the basis of various asocial and sometimes antisocial manifestations at the level of not only small but also large groups.

It is quite obvious that, as in the case of terrorism, the predisposition to fanaticism is largely due to certain personal characteristics. What is called, “offhand” it is easy to assume a tendency to such an uncontested, largely irrational adherence to one or another views and doctrines of authoritarian personalities.

A rather peculiar analysis of the personal determinants of this socio-psychological phenomenon is presented, in particular, in the works of E. Erickson. Although he did not consider the problem of fanaticism, as they say, “on the forehead”, his studies clearly show that the total fixation of the individual on any point of view and the resulting behavioral activity are derivatives of the intrapersonal organization according to the principle of totality. The most critical in this context is the first stage of the epigenetic cycle. In the case of a destructive resolution of the conflict “trust versus distrust”, the individual in adulthood periodically regresses into a state of childish helplessness and convulsively looks for ways to cope with the overwhelming anxiety associated with a sense of his own defenselessness in a hostile world. This pathological, in fact, condition, according to E. Erikson, is especially aggravated in a situation of sharp historical and economic changes. In such conditions, in search of a foothold in a changing world and protection from the threats and insults that it brings, many individuals with a stable basic mistrust experience a keen desire "... to succumb to the totalitarian and authoritarian illusion of integrity, set in advance, with one leader at the head of a single party , with one ideology that gives a simple explanation of all nature and history, with one unconditional enemy that must be destroyed by one centralized punitive body - and with the constant direction of the impotent fury accumulating in this state against an external enemy.

In his work “Childhood and Society”, using the example of Nazi Germany, E. Erickson showed how mass fanaticism among young people in a totalitarian society is formed by an authoritarian leader through the targeted exploitation of a lack of trust. As he noted, “in children, Hitler tried to replace the complex conflict of adolescence, which tormented every German, with a simple template of hypnotic action and freedom from reflection. To achieve this, he created an organization, an educational system and a motto that would divert all youthful energy into National Socialism. The organization was the Hitler Youth, and the motto was the notorious saying "Young people choose their own destiny."

God no longer mattered: “In this hour, when the earth devotes itself to the sun, we have only one thought. Our sun is Adolf Hitler." The parents didn't matter either: "All those who, from the height of their 'experience', and only him, are fighting our method of letting the young lead the young, must be silenced...". Ethics did not matter: "A completely fresh, newborn generation appeared, free from preconceived ideas, free from compromise, ready to remain true to the orders that constitute their birthright." Brotherhood, friendship also did not matter: "I have not heard a single song that expresses a tender feeling of friendship, parental love or love for comrades, the joy of life or hope for a future life." The doctrine, of course, did not matter: “The ideology of National Socialism must be a sacred foundation. It cannot be blurred with a detailed explanation.

What mattered was to be on the move and not look back: “Let everything perish, we will go forward. For today Germany belongs to us, tomorrow the whole world.

It is worth noting that in fascist Germany, as well as in the Soviet Union and Jacobin France - that is, in societies where fanaticism not only flourished, but was also cultivated at the state level, the institution of religion was purposefully suppressed. This fact is indicative for the simple reason that, according to the concept of E. Erickson, religion is the very basic institution of society, “... which throughout human history has struggled to establish basic trust ...”2. In this regard, when considering the phenomenon of fanaticism from the standpoint of a psychosocial approach, the question inevitably arises, how to explain religious fanaticism, which played a gloomy role in the past and is the most serious problem of the modern world, closely related to such a monstrous phenomenon as terrorism? In fact, there is no contradiction here. As has been shown not only in the works of E. Erickson, but also in other researchers, religion is indeed a universal basic institution of society, fundamentally supporting trust. However, like other basic institutions, under certain conditions the institution of religion may lose its institutional function, and in this case it will objectively contribute to the destructive resolution of the first psychosocial crisis in a given society.

This happens in cases where a specific religious organization merges with the state, thus turning, in fact, into an ideological appendage of the institution of politics, or in itself declares the achievement of political or other goals that have nothing to do with truly religious values ​​as a priority of its activity. . An example of the first kind, unfortunately, can be the modern ROC, which more and more insistently claims to be the "state religion", unconditionally supporting any actions of the authorities and in return demanding not only material, but also other benefits, such as the right to be final and, moreover, the only authority in matters of morality and morality, the right to influence social and cultural policy, the right to introduce the essence of elements of religious education in secular schools, etc. citizens” and the like, openly professing religious fanaticism. The second trend is especially clearly seen in the extremist currents within contemporary Islam. Supporters of Wahhabism, pan-Islamism and other similar movements, among which religious fanaticism flourishes, openly proclaim political and extremist goals: the creation of all kinds of "caliphates", jihad against the "crusaders" and Jews, etc.

It should be especially noted that representatives of political and religious fanaticism, as well as "ideological" terrorists (it is quite obvious that in many cases these are the same persons), are characterized by a complete disregard for human life - both those around them, including those close to them. , as well as his own. A typical example is the Japanese kamikaze, not only willingly, but also happily going to suicide "in the name of the divine Tenno (emperor)". Exploring the psychology of fanatics on the example of the murderer of the German Foreign Minister W. Rethenau (this incident occurred in 1922) Kern, E. Fromm cites the following statement of his: “I would not be able to bear it if the defeated fatherland, split into pieces, was again reborn into something great ... We do not need “the happiness of the people”. We are fighting to make him come to terms with his fate... When asked how he, a Kaiser officer, could survive the day of the revolution, he replies: “I did not survive it. I, as honor commanded me, put a bullet in my forehead on November 9, 1918. I am dead, what remains alive in me is not me. I no longer know my "I" from this day... I do what I have to. Since I had to die, I die every day. Everything that I do is the result of one single powerful will: I serve it, I am completely devoted to it. This will wants destruction and I destroy ... and if this will leaves me, I will fall and be trampled, I know it. E. Fromm notes: “We see in Kern's reasoning a pronounced masochism, which makes him an obedient instrument of higher power. But the most interesting thing in this regard is the all-consuming power of hatred and the thirst for destruction, he serves these idols not for life, but for death. ... And when we analyze the psychic reality of such people, we are convinced that they were destroyers ... They not only hated their enemies, they hated life itself. This can be seen both in Kern's statement and in the story of Solomon (one of Kern's associates - V.I., M.K.) about his feelings in prison, about his reaction to people and to nature itself. He was completely incapable of a positive reaction to any living being.

Along with political and religious fanaticism, its less global, so to speak, “everyday” manifestations are becoming more widespread in modern society - sports and music fans, etc. Although they are, no doubt, much less socially dangerous than political and religious fanatics, however, they also require increased attention, including from social psychologists, because, firstly, representatives of such movements are also often prone to antisocial behavior, and, secondly, some forms of fanaticism easily “flow » to others. For example, many of the sports "fans" are also members of extremist nationalist groups.

Concluding the conversation about fanaticism as a socio-psychological phenomenon, it should be noted that a particular danger is the situation when individual politicians and representatives of power structures divide fanaticism into supposedly “good” - “ideologically close” and “harmful” on a reflexive or subconscious level. At the same time, manifestations of fanaticism classified in the first category are not only not suppressed, but often receive open or indirect support from state institutions. For example, during the trial of members of extremist youth groups who committed a number of murders motivated by ethnic hatred in Voronezh, it turned out that local representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB, in whose field of vision these groups came long before they committed serious crimes, considered them as exceptionally "useful", professing a "healthy lifestyle", "patriotism" and similar absolute values, from the point of view of the provincial "siloviki". It is quite clear that this kind of approach to the problem of fanaticism on the part of officials vested with official powers is also, in fact, one of its varieties, since it is based on an exclusively “black and white” vision of the world, combined with the conviction that “ the end justifies the means”, and to determine what is “white” and what is “black” is available to them and only to them. In this sense, one can speak of "state fanaticism" as a very special manifestation of this phenomenon in the life of modern, and of course, not only Russian society.

A practical social psychologist, having fixed the fact of the manifestation of the phenomenon of fanaticism, first of all, should try to determine its causal basis and further strive to either debunk the beliefs of the fans, or, if possible, "embed" them into the pro-social value system of the group or organization supervised by him.

“Let's just not fanaticism,” says the wife to her husband, who decided to work late at the computer. By this, she means taking care of his health and expresses hope for the prudence of her husband. Or the leader says the same thing to a subordinate when he is worried that the latter will overdo it out of good intentions, and the result of the case will be deplorable. What is fanaticism and why is it dangerous? Let's figure it out.

Fanaticism is a blind and ardent adherence to religion, an idea, a person, a cause, etc. This is an inadequate, uncritical faith in something or someone, in something or in someone.

Fanaticism is a variant of inadequate self-realization and withdrawal from oneself, 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.
  • A football fanatic is ready to get seriously injured in fights again and again.
  • Fanatical fans are ready to kill for a photo with an idol (including killing him).

There are fans - people who support the performer, faith or idea. They criticize, blame and praise, 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 the cult, arranging rituals and outrages. Just imagine: dancing in a trance state, sacrifices, howling chants and the like. Frightening, but what is even more terrible: this is happening in our 21st century.

Forms of bigotry

Ideas or political parties can turn into fanaticism. In general, fanaticism can arise in any area where there is a right of personal choice and belief: tastes, belonging to a group, 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 go into sects, do not kill themselves for the sake of enlightenment, do not give all their earnings (not only their own) to the religious treasury. This is what fanatics do. Terrorism is also a variant of a fanatical attitude towards faith.

According to the degree of danger, we distinguish two forms of fanaticism:

  • Average. Adherents of the idea deny alternatives, defend their point of view. Fanatics of the middle type mostly communicate with their own kind, 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, punishments.

In addition to these forms, we note:

  • Socially acceptable fanaticism, for example, football (it is treated with caution, but more or less loyally), (teenage thematic associations according to 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 a criminal direction. Teenagers are capable of killing for the “wrong” clothes (reports about this are not so rare, for example, the sensational “explain for the gear”).

Reasons for fanaticism

Fanaticism arises where there is a place for dictatorship, authoritarianism and total control. It doesn't have to be about the organization of society. These may be internal traces. In addition, people are subject to fanaticism:

  • not self-confident;
  • in need of a manager, experiencing in submission;
  • experiencing difficulties in self-identification and self-realization;
  • not trusting the world and themselves;
  • uneducated, believers in the prejudices that are in (especially true for religious fanaticism);
  • suggestible, "empty" (there is no worldview, ideals,);
  • suffering from schizophrenia and;
  • schizoid, hysterical or stuck.

The predisposition to fanaticism is formed in childhood under the influence of a destructive family upbringing style. Such an effect is exerted by authoritarianism, exactingness, child manipulation, isolation, deprivation, violence, lack of love and care. The feeling of uselessness, failure and helplessness is a direct path to fanaticism.

The fanaticism of the individual is the result of someone else's. The victims of manipulators are uncertain in life, uneducated, gullible people. Fanatics get out of control. Mass fanaticism is many times more destructive and dangerous than individual fanaticism. Crowds of people smash clubs, churches, houses, shops, burn cities.

Signs of bigotry

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 right, and all third-party opinions are wrong.

Other signs of fanaticism include:

  • close and painful experience, violent reactions to everything related to faith;
  • the presence of paraphernalia of faith, the persecution of an idol;
  • defending one's rightness, not the truth;
  • in relation to the people around;
  • a decline in interest in former hobbies;
  • slang, rituals inherent in the subject of fanaticism;
  • conviction in one's own rightness and a sense of one's own superiority;
  • isolation or communication with "comrades-in-arms".

Fanatics are not stable psychologically, antisocial and aggressive. They are dangerous to themselves and others, as they do not lend themselves to any. A fanatic causes fear in those around him by his appearance and behavior alone. They are often described with the phrase "he seems to be out of his mind, crazy." The appearance is usually appropriate: loud speech, harsh and expressive expressions, screams and threats, abnormal gleam in the eyes, active gesticulation. The fanatic does not see or hear the real world, he lives in his own reality.

What is the danger of fanaticism

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 a different point of view, to acknowledge the very fact of the coexistence of alternative ideas. The result of not accepting other ideas is enmity, wars, violence, discrimination.

The fanatic's aggression is a defensive response. The fact is that he perceives any alternative opinion as a threat and attacks from others.

Anything becomes a reason for a fanatic and another person: a skirt instead of trousers, long hair, jewelry, going to clubs. For any trifle that seems oppositional, the fan is ready to tear to pieces. However, positive emotions are just as pronounced. So, a crowd of fanatics is capable of literally tearing its leader (idol) apart.

How to get rid of fanaticism

How to determine if a fanatic is a person or not? If he is ready (for real, and 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 the human as such.
  • The second option is to devalue, to become so disappointed that instead of vivid emotions, you don’t feel anything towards the previous object, that is, to be indifferent.

It is impossible to convey to a fanatic the danger and abnormality of his condition on his own. You need to contact a psychotherapist, however, they do not give a 100% favorable prognosis. To get rid of fanaticism, full-fledged treatment and rehabilitation is necessary, sometimes with social isolation.

But the most important thing for treatment is the desire of the individual to get rid of fanaticism, recognition of the problem. Then there is at least some chance.

Before visiting a psychotherapist, loved ones can try:

  • To develop the fanatic's critical thinking: expand his perception, find several reliable literary sources that demonstrate 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 the fanatic identify the main fear that has driven him into blind faith. Fear is the main emotion of all fanatics. They are afraid of the world, themselves, the leader, past experience, future, etc.
  • Cult worship is similar to . Even the mechanism of development and deliverance is approximately the same for them. Accordingly, the recommendations are the same.

At the time of therapy, it is important to wean the fanatic from the source of excitation (the cult). His condition during this period will resemble withdrawal. Therefore, someone close and understanding must be nearby.

It is not easy to get rid of fanaticism; long-term psychotherapy and full-fledged rehabilitation are needed. It is necessary to help a person re-socialize in society, get rid of the secondary, get a job, work out and stop running away from them.

m. french german fanaticism; gross, stubborn superstition, instead of faith; persecution of dissidents in the name of faith. Fanatic, fanatic. Fanatic persecution.


Watch value Fanaticism in other dictionaries

Fanaticism- fanaticism, pl. no, m. Way of thinking and acting of a fanatic, extreme intolerance. religious fanaticism. He is blinded by fanaticism.
Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov

Fanaticism
Political vocabulary

Fanaticism- -a; m. [French. fanaticism]
1. The mindset and actions of a fanatic (1 character). Fanatically follow smth. wild f. religious f. F. collector.
2. Passionate devotion to smth.,........
Explanatory Dictionary of Kuznetsov

Fanaticism- based on blind faith, the extreme degree of commitment of the subject to a certain idea or way of thinking with a pronounced low self-criticism.
Law Dictionary

Fanaticism- (from lat. fanaticus - frenzied) -..1) adherence to any beliefs or beliefs, intolerance to any other views (for example, religious ........
Big encyclopedic dictionary

Fanaticism- - frenzied - adherence to any beliefs or views, intolerance to dissent brought to an extreme degree. Passionate devotion to something. FANDANGO........
Historical dictionary

Fanaticism- (from lat. fanaticus - frenzied),
Sexological Encyclopedia

Fanaticism- (‹ lat. fanurn temple, altar) - complete absorption in some idea, worldview, religion, passionate and blind commitment to a cause, ideology. (Dictionary, p. 299)
Psychological Encyclopedia

Fanaticism- (from lat. fanaticus - frenzied) - eng. fanaticism; German Fanaticism. 1. Passionate devotion to one's convictions, combined with extreme intolerance for other people's views and aspirations .........
sociological dictionary

Fanaticism- (lat.-frantic): passionate attachment to any opinion, as a rule, religious or political, moral position, which is characterized by: uncritical ........
Philosophical Dictionary