October 16, 2014
I'M A LOSER, BABY, SO WHY DON'T I KILL ME?:
Joining Islamic State is about 'sex and aggression,' not religion (Arie W. Kruglanski, OCTOBER 16, 2014, Reuters)
Militant Islamist fighter waving a flag, cheers as he takes part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa provinceIt is easy to look to religion for an explanation of why young men -- and some women -- become radicalized. But it is psychology, not theology, that offers the best tools for understanding radicalization -- and how best to undo it.The appeal of Islamic State rests on individuals' quest for what psychologists call "personal significance," which the militant group's extremist propaganda cleverly exploits. The quest for significance is the desire to matter, to be respected, to be somebody in one's own eyes and in the eyes of others.
Or, as Eric Hoffer put it : "The less justified a man is in claiming excellence for his own self, the more ready he is to claim all excellence for his nation, his religion, his race or his holy cause."
Posted by Orrin Judd at October 16, 2014 5:55 PM
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