Fanaticism and its Discontents

Why are Republicans so dishonest? Probably because as extreme rightwingers, they tend to be fanatics, and most fanatics are outrageously dishonest.

That extends from Linux (or insert another product) fanatics to political fanatics to extreme nationalist fanatics to ethnic and tribal fanatics of all stripes to religious fanatics. They may also just be crafty psychopathic bottom-liners, who play the zero-sum game for keeps. The more I study the fanatic, the more convinced I am that this is a sick way of thinking.

And what it looks like at core is human egotism. Because the fanatic's relationship to the thing he is fanatical about is identical to the egotist's relationship to the individual. After all, the ego is the biggest liar that any of us know. The ego lies to most all of us every minute of every day, and this is adaptive to some extent.

When it gets out of control, the lying of the egotist or his extensions assumes gargantuan proportions. This is seen in the addict, the sociopath, the narcissist, the histrionic, the borderline, indeed, in every single personality disorder - in a word, the extreme selfish human.

Other characteristics of the egotist are reacting with rage to all criticism, and and treating all criticism as libel, assault, character assassination, defamation, or especially, hatred.

To the egotist, all criticism is always absolutely uncalled for and baffling. Of course, the egotist reacts towards this outrageous assault with a wild counterattack that often has overtones of threats, verbal, physical, monetary or social (the egotist will threaten to end the relationship with the critic).

At the same time, the egotist engages in nonstop criticism of others, often of a very harsh nature. In fact, many egotists are in a constant state of attack against supposed inferiors and enemies, which makes them seem mean, aggressive or hostile. In conflicts, the egotist portrays himself as the knight in shining armor radiating perfection, pure goodness and righteousness in all directions.

The person conflicting with the egotist is portrayed as purely bad or crazy, the essence of negativity and evil boiled into human shape. The egotist is 100% right and good and his opponent is 100% wrong and evil. Any suggestion to the egotist that there may be a 1% grey area in the conflict is met with fury, threats, and accusations of "working for the enemy".

It's tough being friends with an egotist, since you're either 100% supportive of the egotist, or if not, you are blackened by the egotist into a 100% enemy. As this situation gets more out of hand, the egotist's behavior gets more virulent in its pathology, and we often see frank paranoia, audacious attempts at attention-getting and appalling manipulation of others.

This little psychological aside has a purpose. I want you to think about what I just said and plug it into the notion of fanaticism. The stunning conclusion is that the fanatic is "egotistical" about the object of his fanaticism.

Therefore, the relationship of the fanatic towards rival or conflicting products, ideologies, political parties, tribes, races, religions or nations, is precisely the same diseased, pathological behavior that the egotist displays towards his critics and rivals! Now we need to know why this is.

Does the fanatic see his fanaticized objects and notions as extensions of himself, of his own ego? Surely the tribal, racial, religious or ethnic fanatic must. If you attack my "tribe", then you attack me, and I will react accordingly as if you threatened to kill me. But does the Republican fanatic or the Linux fanatic see the party or the operating system as an extension of the self? How could they?

Food for thought...