Fanaticism is a strong belief or behavior that lacks thoughtful consideration and shows extreme excitement about something. The political theorist Zachary R. Goldsmith explains fanaticism using a "cluster account," which groups ten main characteristics that together define it: believing in a mission of great importance, not using logic or thinking carefully, focusing on ideas instead of real situations, wanting new and different things, trying to achieve perfect results, rejecting limits or boundaries, supporting the use of violence, being completely sure about one’s beliefs, showing too much intense emotion, and being appealing to people who study or work in intellectual fields.

Definitions

Philosopher George Santayana describes fanaticism as "trying harder even when you don't remember why you started." A fanatic has high standards and does not accept different opinions. Tõnu Lehtsaar explains fanaticism as strongly and intensely pursuing or defending something in a way that goes beyond what is typical. Religious fanaticism is characterized by blind faith, hurting people who have different beliefs, and not seeing things as they truly are.

Causes

Fanaticism happens when different cultures interact. It often occurs when a leader makes small changes to existing beliefs, causing followers to react strongly. In this situation, fanaticism describes behaviors that seem similar to those in a cult. Margaret Mead described how followers defend their beliefs when questioned. The most important factor is the existing mindset and conditions that lead to fanatical behavior. Each behavior becomes clear when noticed: a closed mind, no interest in discussing the subject of worship, and strong reactions to people who disagree.

In his book Crazy Talk, Stupid Talk, Neil Postman explains that the main idea behind fanatical beliefs is that they confirm themselves. Some beliefs are fanatical not because they are false, but because they are expressed in a way that makes them impossible to prove false.

Similar behaviors

A person who is very enthusiastic about a subject, such as a fan, behaves differently from a fanatic because a fanatic breaks rules that society agrees on. Even though a fan's actions might seem unusual or strange, they do not break these rules. A fanatic is not the same as a crank, who holds beliefs that are very far from what most people agree on and may seem silly or incorrect, like believing the Earth is flat. In contrast, a fanatic's intense interest might be in something common, like religion or politics, but their level of involvement or devotion is much more extreme than what is typical for most people.

Types

• Consumer fanaticism – how much someone cares about a person, group, trend, artwork, or idea
• Emotional fanaticism – strong feelings or emotions about something
• Ethnic or racial supremacist fanaticism – believing one race or ethnic group is better than others
• Leisure fanaticism – being very excited and committed to a hobby or activity
• Nationalistic or patriotic fanaticism – strong love for one's country, sometimes leading to negative actions
• Political, ideological fanaticism – strong beliefs about political or social ideas, even if they cause problems
• Religious fanaticism – extreme belief in religious ideas, often pushing others to follow the same beliefs
• Sports fanaticism – being very excited about sports events. This can mean believing extreme support can help a favorite team win, or using sports events as a place to show strength through violent behavior, like in football hooliganism.