The Failure of Fanaticism


By Arianna Bekas

Fanaticism is defined as excessive enthusiasm and often uncritical devotion. The presence of fanatics within our society causes great irritation to any rational person, due to their constant ignorance and inability to ever listen, look, or try to understand something from a different viewpoint. When we consistently have individuals who continuously attack, undermine, and just flat out refuse to accept that people will hold different opinions from their own, that’s when we hit a problem–a problem that will continue to undercut a smooth and tolerant society. And until we can get people to let go of their fanatical tendencies, the probability for a peaceful and just world is very unlikely.

While the expression of one’s personal opinions or feelings on a certain matter is completely acceptable and encouraged, the way in which a fanatic would express his or her viewpoints is an issue. The blind confidence and devotion to their opinions or preferences that cause discomfort, and even offense, to those around them is ill-mannered and infantile. A form of fanaticism that many people may not recognize to be unpleasant is sports fanatics. The blind loyalty to one’s team of choice is not something that people would typically find to be threatening or detrimental. I never thought sports fanatics were of any importance either. That is until it was brought to my attention the story of Florida State’s University’s former quarterback Jamis Winston. Winston was accused of rape, and when the news broke the reaction from FSU’s fans was largely disgusting. Instead of condemning Winston, many instead rallied behind him. They undermined the young women’s allegations and attacked her. Their vicious thirst for victory and senseless devotion for a college football team clouded any rationality that they may have possessed. Their attitudes towards that poor victim is inexcusable and unjustifiable. Under no circumstances should any person accused of rape ever be safeguarded or defended, regardless if it may cost a team a win. As you can see, the fanatical tendencies that have infected sports turns an activity that is supposed to be unifying and filled with gratification to all those who tune in, into a sour affair that leads to extremely distasteful displays of conduct.

The obsessive behavior that festers within fanatics is not just applied to sports fans. Our political and ethnic views are riddled with extremists who fail to see critical information and arguments when they come from the other side. These disputes that go on between hot-headed fanatics who see their side as “doing no wrong” hinders society from becoming cohesive and causes unnecessary conflict. The ignorance that they hold squashes any chance of rationality and their fanatical tendencies allow for no progress to be made in our country, which is exasperating.

When it comes to ethnic fanatics, they pose an even greater threat to having a peaceful and united society. When fanatical ethnic groups like the KKK or Nazi’s come to towns and attempt to spread their insane and downright inappropriate beliefs to communities (who never wanted them there in the first place), it causes violence and hate to take root. Their inability to hold any acceptance for people or cultures that differ from their own shows the prime reason why fanaticism should be deemed unacceptable. It isolates, attacks, and beats down people with contrary views. It allows people to remain sheltered in their own ways, and it does not allow for change to happen, even when it is necessary and just.

As for religious fanatics, this is where the subject can become touchy for many. Although I support any person who chooses to be religious to believe in whatever it is that correlates with their religion of choice, I do not support people who are religious and use their religious beliefs as an excuse to remain blind to facts or to attack other individuals who believe in other faiths (or none at all). Time and time again I have witnessed religious fanatics disrespect their peers because they are so caught up in their own ways that they cannot comprehend that someone may not believe in the same things as them, and they find that to be wrong. These religious fanatics cannot even bear to listen to lessons on history if the lessons even dare to say that their particular religion has blood on its hands. When we have these people who are so closed-minded, it makes it very difficult for there to be any intellectual conversations that may challenge the beliefs in one particular thing because if a statement comes up that does not meet the individual’s idea of “what I find offensive to my God,” then you can be sure that an explosion of divine anger will come spilling from their mouths. And you can bet that most of the words that leave their lips will be offensive.

One particular common trait that I’ve recognized with religious fanatics is that the moment another religion is brought up for us to learn about, it’s like they become a theologian. Suddenly they’re experts on every other religion in the world, and they use their newfound knowledge to proclaim how the religion is counterfeit. They undermine and denigrate it in every way possible.

Of course, to be fair, there are anti-religious fanatics that are just as foolish as religious fanatics. They too have no right to threaten people who do choose to have faith in something more. The way that anti-religion fanatics go about expressing their beliefs, and the way that they view and dismiss people who are religious, is just as wrong as religious fanatics.

Bertrand Russell said, “The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.” What makes fanatics not only a nuisance, but also a danger, is that their inflated confidence leads to their inability to hear things that force them to exit their comfort zone, and when you continuously have people who refuse to become more open-minded (or at least tolerant of things that may be different from them) it leads to conflict within society. This conflict that is created is not easily solved. This is because it takes people with the ability to have intelligent conversations and a mind free from the chains of ignorance to be able to start the change that is necessary to bring forth harmony, and these qualities that are necessary to make change happen in this world are qualities that fanatics just do not possess.