Q&A: Religious Fanaticism
Religious Fanaticism
Question
Hello and blessings, Rabbi Michi,
I’m currently writing about religious fanaticism, and I seem to remember that you once wrote an explanation about zealotry and narrow-mindedness that stem from an inability to hold complexity, and from searching for one clear side, black or white, or something along those lines.
I tried searching the site and couldn’t find it. I’d be grateful if you could point me to it, or to anything else on the topic.
Thank you very much!
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Discussion on Answer
I no longer remember what you’re referring to, but obsessive-compulsiveness is itself an aspiration to perfection, not that it is caused by it. A person wants perfection in a certain area in a disproportionate way.
Rabbi Michi,
I’m having a very hard time defining fanaticism—what is the difference between it and extremism, for example? I’ve hardly found anyone who wrote about it. Maybe you have some good definition?
These are terms that can be defined in different ways. I assume your question isn’t lexical but substantive. So you need to define for yourself the concepts you’re dealing with. The words here will only confuse you, because anyone can use them differently.
Thank you very much. I remember something a bit different, but maybe I’m not remembering correctly.
I just didn’t understand why you concluded that obsessive-compulsiveness is based on the aspiration to perfection. (I haven’t seen it explained that way; I’d be very glad for a reference.)