Fanaticism as a psychological phenomenon - types and signs

The brain of a healthy person is able to process up to 10 thousand thoughts per day. For 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, it is automatically and for 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 differ from ordinary people in their willingness to sacrifice their own and others’ lives, their denial of criticism, social norms and common sense. Such people are not aware of the destructive consequences of their behavior.

Fanaticism is a mental illness that 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.

Jealousy is beyond reason

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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 areas of a person’s church life, starting with determining the measure of fasting and prayer rules and ending with the choice of a 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.

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 of physical violence. Symptoms of the disease manifest themselves in the following deviations from the norm:

1. 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.
2. A person accompanies the object of worship on tour, is on duty at the house, and buys accessories and attributes associated with it.
3. Fanatical people constantly talk about “idee fixes” - they are not interested in other topics.
4. Interests and hobbies that used to be a joy fade into the background.
5. A fanatic reacts aggressively to any attacks from others regarding the object or subject of his worship.

Psychological typologies of personality

It is necessary to distinguish between two ways of constructing typological classifications - the path from below and the path from above. The path from below is also called empirical or inductive, when we go from a particular property to a set of properties, their generalization. This is how specific basic personality typologies are constructed, such as, for example, the classification of psychopathy in psychiatry. The second way, the way from above, can be called theoretical and deductive

The researcher here proceeds from a theoretical assumption, from some important, but perhaps not always provable axiom, from the general to the particular, first identifying the main features of the type, which he then tries to empirically substantiate and verify. Psychoanalyst Carl Jung built his typology in this way.

The main personality typologies for their construction have three tasks. The research task is to find a justification, usually physical, morphological, anatomical or anatomical-physiological, for character types - as the ancients said, to connect the soul with the body. The empirical-descriptive task is to identify the maximum number of individual classes or specific types, for example, character anomalies, with the goal of developing specific advice specifically addressed to them for managing behavior for each such group. The more diverse the classification, the more accurate such individually targeted advice and guidance can become. The third, actually therapeutic task, which is not always immediately noticeable, is associated with building a typology from above, more precisely, deductively. Any discussion of individuality is associated with psychotherapy, and the researcher here risks not knowing exactly the characteristics of each representative of the types, but this is justified by the fact that the identification of such general characteristics is a certain language and means that are offered to the person being typed to understand his own individuality.

The presence of psychophysical correspondences in the structure of the body and character allows us to substantiate the physical essence of psychological properties. Hippocrates described the humoral, fluid theory of this relationship. Sechenov, Pavlov, Teplov, Nebylitsyn relied on the properties of the central nervous system. Temperament is based on the bodily constitution of the subject, which even in everyday life is combined for us with his certain life style, way of behavior. This is well shown in the short story “Thick and Thin”. The fat one is good-natured and talkative, while the thin one is wary, sometimes vindictive, vindictive, and observant. However, everyday observation is always superficial, intuitive, in which the particular is taken for the general.

Ernst Kretschmer, a German psychiatrist at the beginning of the last century, built his constitutional typology, which is described in his book “Body Structure and Character,” in three steps. At the first stage, he identified the main types of constitution and correlated them with the presence of mental illness. Kretschmer set himself the task of identifying clear parameters in the appearance of each personality type he discovered so that he would have a specific face. As a result, he later separated three types, maximally different from each other, although initially there were many more types, also mixed, without qualitative specificity.

The first type, asthenic, is characterized by weak development of the musculoskeletal system, appears taller than its actual height due to thinness, and has an angular profile - a somewhat reduced chin and an elongated nose. The second type, called athletic, has a figure that meets the stereotype of masculinity. The third type, called picnic, has developed body cavities, its figure resembles the model of a snow woman. Even if the picnic takes care of himself, his face gives him away - it has a pentagonal profile, as well as a short neck.

An asthenic physique is characterized by psychological characteristics described as schizothymia, literally - a tendency to split. A schizothymic person has abstract thinking, he can be found among mathematicians and philosophers, where there is a need to build a model of the world, to distance himself from the world in order to systematize it. A schizothymic person is a person of ideas, a consistent and ardent supporter of them. The picnic person is characterized by cyclothymia associated with emotional fluctuations. Cyclothymics prefer those areas of knowledge in which there is a need to describe an object as it is, for example, geography, botany. He not only perceives the world, but feels it, gives it an emotional assessment. He is inclined to take into account the real situation, change his positions if reality has changed, and is inclined to compromise.

Kretschmer outlined a certain polarity, a confrontation between types, which will be developed in further typologies. He also approached the selection of properties according to the principle of correlation, which is why today Kretschmer’s approach to differentiation is manifested in an attempt to find a third party, for example, environmental influences that explain the formation of certain bodily and psychological parameters.

Kretschmer was followed by his follower Sheldon, who continued to study personality types in relation to the body. Sheldon's analysis strategy has changed. If Kretschmer considered specific carriers of types, then Sheldon does not identify holistic types and does not aim at qualitative analysis, but describes each character with a list of parameters, quantitatively. Sheldon identifies signs of a certain physique, its indices, for each carrier.

Further, at the intersection of psychology and psychiatry, mental illnesses were identified, followed by accentuations, which are an exacerbation of traits, but are not a violation and are within normal limits. Gannushkin and Lichko studied accentuations; their methods are now widely used in psychiatry and the differential field of psychology.

Fanaticism towards a person

This type of mental disorder differs from others in that a specific person becomes the object of persecution and worship of the fanatic. Often the victim of fanaticism is a popular singer, musician, actor or other famous person. The main danger of this state is 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 a sober assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of her partner, while fanatical infatuation idealizes and deifies him, worships him, does not notice his shortcomings, and justifies any words and actions of his deity.

Meaning of "Fanaticism" in dictionaries

Fanaticism – Philosophical Dictionary

(Latin fanaticus - frantic) - a concept used to assess the nature of people’s beliefs and behavior, which manifests a blind, uncritical adherence to the professed idea and a prejudiced attitude towards all other teachings that excludes a reasonable approach. As a principle of behavior, F. means complete intolerance towards dissidents, which is usually accompanied by cruelty (the extreme case is fanaticism), the use of any means and the sacrifice of people for the sake of the pursued goal (Goals and Means), refusal to resolve ideological conflicts by means of persuasion and reasonable evidence . F. is usually associated with religious beliefs, which are most characterized by dogmatism and persecution of “non-believers.” Religious philosophy serves as a weapon for maintaining the dominance of the church over believers. In history, it has repeatedly led to bloody reprisals against “infidels” (medieval Inquisition, witch hunts); savage F. is characteristic of some modern ones. sect. F. is also inherent in fascism with its misanthropy and cult of blind obedience. Communist morality rejects F, Marxist-Leninist ideas are substantiated scientifically. Conviction in their truth is the opposite of blind faith; it is confirmed by practical data and presupposes a creative attitude of the Marxist to theory. Communist parties and socialist states in their practical activities proceed from the fact that communism is the highest humanism. Intransigence towards ideological opponents does not mean preference in any conditions for extreme, violent means in the fight against them.

As soon as I started doing network marketing, I decided to do everything that network business gurus recommend. I stopped watching TV, with the exception of watching boxing matches, KVN and COMEDY CLUB. I stopped reading fiction and the yellow press. I began to communicate less with people who were not interested in network marketing and, accordingly, tried to spend more time with successful people.

I began to attend a large number of different trainings and educational seminars conducted both by the Tiens Corporation and other companies and individuals. I read a lot of literature on success, personal development, business, career, health, autobiographies of famous businessmen and entrepreneurs, NLP.

During this time, I changed a lot as a person, as a person. I like to constantly be in training, learn something new, achieve my goals, and help people.

I remember the first year and a half at the beginning of my networking career, I was reading “The Greatest Salesman in the World,” a book that Og Mondino wrote. Anyone who has read this book knows that it consists of 12 scrolls. Each of these scrolls must be read 3 times a day for 1 month. Accordingly, the book needs to be read for 365 days. I read it for a year and a half.

But there is a limit to everything!

So I decided to take a break for a while and read fiction.

I remember reading The Martians by Edgar Rise Burroughs as a child. Edgar Burroughs is known as the author of a series of books dedicated to the adventures of Tarzan in the jungle.

And I decided about

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, a subculture, or part of a sports game. You can distinguish a fan from an ordinary fan by the following characteristics:

1. Abuse of beer and other alcoholic drinks.
2. Taking doping (soft drugs, pills, energy drinks).
3. 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:

1. They have a leader who calls himself the messiah.
2. They are ruled by a totalitarian system and philosophy.
3. Cult members unquestioningly obey the rules of the community.
4. Fanatics unquestioningly give property and money for the benefit of the community.

Soil preparation

The best time to plant strawberries is at the end of the summer season in August. It is advisable to do this in sunny places and on southwestern slopes with a slope of 2-3 degrees. It is not advisable to use lowland or closed areas for growing this plant. The acidity of the soil for planting strawberry seedlings should not be more than 5.5-6.5. The berry bushes will give a good harvest if they are planted on podzolized chernozem soils or on dark gray forest soil, which has a medium or light composition.

The berry will also bear fruit well on sod-podzolic, sandy loam soils. It is not advisable to plant strawberries where groundwater is close to the surface. Before planting seedlings in a certain area, it is necessary to first examine it for the presence of pests, and if they are found, destroy the insects with special means. The land for planting strawberries is first cleared of weeds. Then, 2 weeks before planting the seedlings, prepare the soil for planting the seedlings. 2-3 buckets of organic matter per 1 square meter are scattered around the site. m.

What crops to plant after: predecessors of strawberries

When choosing a site for planting strawberries, consider what plant grew there before. You should not use the land for growing this tasty berry if plants from the Asteraceae, Ranunculaceae, or tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, or sunflowers have recently grown on it. So after what can you plant strawberries? And is it possible to plant this plant after onions? The berry harvest will be good if you plant the seedlings in the soil where they previously grew:

• peas;
• beans;
• radish;
• garlic;
• parsley;
• radish;
• mustard;
• dill;
• salad;
• oats;
• onion.

At what distance to root berries: planting diagram with photo

When planting seedlings, you should not bury them too deep into the ground, otherwise the center point or heart of the bush will be below ground level, which will lead to the death of the plant. Shallow planting of strawberries is also not allowed. This is fraught with drying out of the heart and death of the bush. The seedlings will take root well and grow if you plant them so that the center point of the seedling protrudes slightly above the soil surface.

• When planting seedlings in a hole, you need to make a mound in it and place the plant on it.
• The roots should not be bent; they should smoothly descend along the tubercle. If they are too long, be sure to trim them down a bit.
• After planting the seedlings, the plant must be watered generously and a liter of HB 101-93 solution added under each seedling, diluting 93 drops of this substance in 1 liter of water.
• Then the young bushes are mulched with compost (5-6 cm) or straw, hay, sawdust (10 cm) and covered with special material to create a greenhouse effect for better rooting of seedlings.

Subsequently, the bushes are regularly weeded and the mustache is removed. If the weather is dry after planting the seedlings, you need to water the crop so that the soil on the site is moist. During this period, flower buds are being laid, on which the berry harvest next year depends. There are several schemes for planting strawberries:

• One-line. This is planting seedlings in one row. The distance between plant bushes should be 15-20 cm, and between rows - 60-70 cm.
• Two-line. This is planting in ribbons consisting of 2 rows of bushes. The distance between ribbons is 60-70 cm, in rows - 30 cm, bushes - 15-20 cm.
• Natural agricultural technology. With this scheme, seedlings are planted every 50 cm in one row on beds 50 cm wide. The distance between rows is 50 cm.

How to fertilize the soil before planting

2 weeks before planting seedlings, it is advisable to add 40 g of double superphosphate and up to 20 g of potassium fertilizers (wood ash or potassium sulfate) to the soil (for every 1 m2). It is advisable to add organic matter to the holes for planting seedling bushes. To do this, dig a 25x25x25 hole for each seedling and fill it with a mixture consisting of 1 bucket of soil from the site, 1 bucket of compost, 1 bucket of rotted horse manure, 2 cups of ash.

How do you become fanatics?

The psychology of fanaticism identifies 3 reasons that push a person to change.

1. Envy of other people's successes.
2. Low self-esteem.
3. 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 knowledge of the “right path”, 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.

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 cause of this kind of extreme manifestations of intolerance towards other people’s views can be various mental disorders. 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 great emotional experiences, with a flat and limited worldview.

It has also been noticed that people who lived in misunderstandings in childhood, with constant fears about this, are often prone to conflicts on religious grounds. 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, forcing them to fight with all dissidents “to the last drop of blood,” trying to protect their supposedly newfound “peace.”

How to get rid of fanaticism?

Fanaticism as a 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:

1. The fanatic will realize that his claims are false.
2. Learn to analyze obsessive thoughts and look at the situation from the other side.
3. Will switch to other events.
4. Increase self-esteem.
5. Seek help from a psychologist.

Films about fanatics

Fanaticism in love, religion, sports and any social sphere is a sign of emotional instability, impressionability, lack of leadership qualities, and suggestibility. Dozens of films have been made about fanatics - they talk about the consequences of blind faith and following idols, religious servility.

1. “The Fan”
   with Robert De Niro is a drama about the complex relationship between a professional athlete and his fan.
2. “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.
3. "Die, John Tucker!"
   The plot of the film tells about a high school macho man, against whom his three ex-girlfriends want to take revenge. They are not stopped by the fact that the bait in the insidious plan is a girl who has just arrived in the city.