We explain what fanaticism is, what are the oldest fanaticisms. In addition, the types of fanaticisms that exist today.
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What is fanaticism?
Fanaticism is the following and vehement defense of a person, doctrine or religion in an extremely passionate way, thus losing any critical sense about what is fanatic.
The suffix ism refers to a doctrine, a particular belief. On the other hand, the term fan refers to a rather enthusiastic follower of a particular person or thing.
The fanaticism, in many occasions, breaks the barriers of rationality and leads people to take actions that can undermine even common sense. It is important to clarify that the fanatic person is very different from a faithful follower or from those who have a very marked taste about a certain person or thing.
Fanaticism is characterized by its vehemence and discourse , generally violent , which tends to defend and exacerbate one’s position against any contrary opinion. This is why fanaticism today is frowned upon by society , as they undermine democratic values of dialogue and tolerance .
To get to the extreme of fanaticism, the person must have an appropriate psychological structure for this; However, the object of which the person becomes a fan must have certain particular characteristics, in fact it is not possible to be a fan of a work of art or a technological innovation .
Fanaticism requires a doctrine or institution with which it feels fully identified, that transcends the purely individual level, that penetrates the entire essence and feels that the latter revolves around what it ascribes. The classical philosophical expression is often used: ” as if I hold the key of the world ” to describe this feeling. Therefore, fanaticisms are usually religious and political, mainly.
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Older fanaticisms
Religious fanaticisms appear as the oldest and most controversial. They highlight the lack of absolute questioning , since they are orthodox believers, and accept dogmas to an extremely dangerous point. From self-flagellation to great massacres, religious fanaticisms are nowadays seen as one of the great evils that humanity must face.
Such is the case of Muslim fanaticism, which implies the sacrifice of one’s life in pursuit of a life beyond this world. One of the clearest examples of Muslim fanaticism was seen in the attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon by the terrorist group of Al Qaeda, against the United States of America.
For its part, political fanaticism is a very similar variant in the fan’s own structure, but in this case it is in the party (usually under the figure of a charismatic leader) where he finds the total and absolute meaning of his life, where he He takes the cause as his own and sustains it until the last consequences .
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Types of fanaticisms
The different types of fanaticisms that exist today can refer to an affinity or annoyance with either a certain person, an ideology, a religion , a hobby or a sport in particular.
- Religion : A religious fanaticism will be one in which a certain dogma, sacred books or even certain gods are defended.
- Idealization of a person : A fanaticism of a particular person occurs when the so-called “ fan ” or fan admires or feels enthusiasm for him. Some clear examples are usually when you are a fan of an actor, a musician or even any celebrity for whom they admire their lifestyle or way of thinking and, in some cases, imitate some of their characteristics to be able to resemble the life of this person.
- Sport : In the case of sports, fanaticism can come in a positive and also negative way. If the person is a fan of a certain team, it will almost automatically be against the other teams that compete with it. In this case, fanaticism can have certain negative consequences since many times, they lead to violent acts of various kinds among them.
- Antireligious : In turn, there are fanaticisms that are positioned on the sidewalk opposite religious fanaticism to oppose these. Antireligious fans can also lead to violent consequences because they manifest their discontent and can lead to clashes between them.
