Understanding Terrorism Beyond the Headlines: Lessons from Two Landmark Studies (Part II)

By New Age Islam Staff Writer

30 June 2026

The Psychology of Extremism: Why Ordinary People Become Radicals

In the first part of this series, we examined the financial foundations of terrorism through Nathalie Goulet's Abécédaire du financement du terrorisme. The book demonstrated that terrorism is sustained not only by ideology but also by complex financial networks that enable extremist organisations to recruit members, procure weapons, and maintain their operational capabilities. Following the money, therefore, is indispensable to any effective counter-terrorism strategy.

Yet dismantling financial networks addresses only one aspect of the problem. Equally pressing is another question: what drives ordinary individuals to embrace extremist ideologies in the first place?

Why do some people become willing to sacrifice their own lives or take the lives of innocent others in pursuit of political or religious causes? Why do certain individuals gravitate towards uncompromising worldviews while others, exposed to the same circumstances, reject violence altogether?

These are the questions explored in The Psychology of Extremism: A Motivational Perspective, published by Routledge in 2021. Written by renowned psychologists Arie W. Kruglanski, Catalina Kopetz, and Ewa Szumowska, the book brings together the work of thirty-one scholars from different disciplines to investigate extremism through the lens of human motivation rather than ideology alone.

Rather than asking what extremists believe, the authors ask a more fundamental question: what psychological needs make extremist beliefs attractive? Their answers provide some of the most illuminating insights available into the processes of radicalisation.

Extremism Is Not Born Overnight

One of the book's most important contributions is its rejection of the widespread assumption that extremism emerges suddenly.

Radicalisation is rarely an instantaneous transformation. It is typically a gradual psychological journey during which an individual becomes increasingly committed to a single overriding goal while neglecting every other dimension of life.

The authors argue that extremism is fundamentally characterised by imbalance.

Healthy individuals ordinarily balance multiple priorities; family, work, friendships, education, faith, recreation, and civic responsibility. Extremists, by contrast, elevate one cause above all others until it eclipses every competing obligation.

This imbalance gradually reshapes both thought and behaviour. Over time, the individual's worldview becomes increasingly rigid, allowing no room for complexity, compromise, or alternative perspectives.

Seen in this light, extremism is not simply an ideological phenomenon but a profound psychological distortion.

Extremism Extends Beyond Religion

One of the book's greatest strengths is its refusal to confine extremism to religion alone.

The authors demonstrate that extremist thinking can emerge in many areas of human life.

Political fanaticism, ideological absolutism, violent nationalism, obsessive sports rivalries, cult movements, and even excessive dedication to professional success can display similar psychological patterns.

The example of the "workaholic" is particularly revealing. Individuals who devote themselves entirely to their careers at the expense of family relationships, friendships, health, and personal well-being exhibit the same imbalance that characterises more dangerous forms of extremism.

Although such behaviour may not involve violence, it illustrates the same psychological tendency to elevate one objective while sacrificing every other aspect of life.

This broader understanding encourages readers to view extremism as a spectrum rather than an exclusively political or religious phenomenon.

Four Characteristics of the Extremist Mindset

The authors identify four defining features common to extremist attitudes.

The first is polarisation. Extremists divide the world into rigid categories of right and wrong, friend and enemy, patriot and traitor. Nuance disappears, replaced by simplistic binary thinking.

The second characteristic is absolute certainty. Extremists possess unwavering confidence in the correctness of their beliefs. Doubt is regarded not as intellectual honesty but as weakness.

Third is departure from social norms. Extremist ideas often reject widely accepted standards of behaviour and morality, replacing them with alternative systems justified by ideological conviction.

Finally, extremist positions frequently encounter rejection by broader society because they challenge established ethical, legal, or cultural norms.

Together these characteristics create a closed intellectual environment in which critical thinking gradually gives way to unquestioning commitment.

Not Every Extremist Becomes Violent

A particularly balanced aspect of the book is its distinction between extremism and violence.

The authors acknowledge that extremist beliefs do not automatically lead to acts of terrorism. Some individuals hold highly rigid or uncompromising views without ever engaging in violence.

Nevertheless, violent extremism represents one possible outcome when psychological imbalance combines with ideological justification and favourable social conditions.

The authors therefore describe violent extremism as behaviour that exceeds normal or socially accepted boundaries in pursuit of political, ideological, or religious objectives.

Importantly, they emphasise that such violence may also involve self-sacrifice, including suicide attacks, making scientific understanding of extremist motivation all the more essential.

Emotion Matters as Much as Ideology

Another significant contribution of the book is its emphasis on emotion.

Public discussions often portray terrorists as cold, calculating ideologues. The authors argue instead that powerful emotional experiences frequently precede ideological commitment.

Among the emotions associated with radicalisation are humiliation, resentment, anger, frustration, fear, and the desire for significance.

The book distinguishes between emotional dynamics directed outward and those directed inward.

Externally, obsessive emotional commitment may fuel religious violence, political violence, or hostility towards perceived enemies.

Internally, similar obsessive tendencies may manifest as addiction, financial ruin, self-destructive behaviour, or serious mental and physical health problems.

This insight reminds us that the psychology underlying violent extremism is closely related to broader patterns of human behaviour rather than existing as an entirely separate phenomenon.

The Search for Significance

Perhaps the book's most influential argument concerns what Professor Kruglanski has elsewhere called the quest for significance.

Human beings possess a fundamental desire to feel important, respected, and meaningful.

When individuals experience humiliation, exclusion, discrimination, personal failure, or social isolation, this need for significance becomes especially intense.

Extremist organisations exploit precisely these vulnerabilities.

They offer recruits not merely political programmes or religious slogans but something psychologically far more powerful: a promise of dignity, purpose, heroism, and belonging.

For individuals struggling with identity or marginalisation, such promises can prove extraordinarily persuasive.

The authors therefore argue that understanding these motivational needs is essential if societies hope to prevent radicalisation before it begins.

The Internet: A Revolutionary Recruitment Tool

The book devotes considerable attention to the internet's transformative role in modern recruitment.

Terrorist organisations no longer depend solely upon physical networks or personal contact. Digital communication has enabled extremist groups to reach vulnerable individuals across continents while avoiding many traditional forms of surveillance.

According to the authors, the internet provides three major advantages.

First, it allows organisations to gather information efficiently about potential recruits.

Second, it enables extremist propaganda to spread rapidly across national borders through websites, videos, encrypted messaging platforms, and social media.

Third, it facilitates direct communication between recruiters and prospective members, allowing sustained dialogue that gradually strengthens emotional and ideological commitment.

The internet has therefore become not merely a communication platform but a sophisticated instrument of psychological influence.

ISIS and the Manipulation of Religious Sentiment

The authors examine in detail the recruitment methods employed by the so-called Islamic State (ISIS), illustrating how extremist organisations manipulate religious language to serve political objectives.

ISIS recruiters promised young Muslims honour, martyrdom, divine reward, and participation in the restoration of an imagined caliphate.

By selectively interpreting religious texts and issuing misleading religious rulings, they transformed political violence into what recruits believed was a sacred obligation.

The book carefully analyses the psychological mechanisms behind this process rather than treating it solely as a theological issue.

The success of such recruitment, the authors argue, depended less upon religious knowledge than upon emotional vulnerability and the recruit's search for identity, purpose, revenge, or social recognition.

This distinction is crucial.

It suggests that countering extremist ideology requires more than theological refutation alone. It also demands addressing the psychological and social conditions that make such narratives attractive.

Extremist Groups as Social Communities

Another valuable insight offered by the book concerns the collective nature of extremism.

Individuals rarely radicalise in complete isolation.

Extremist organisations provide members with strong social identities, shared rituals, common goals, emotional support, and mutual validation.

Group dynamics reinforce ideological commitment while discouraging independent thought.

As loyalty to the group strengthens, individual moral judgment weakens.

Actions previously considered unacceptable gradually become normalised because they are approved by trusted peers.

Understanding these social dynamics helps explain why otherwise ordinary individuals may participate in acts they would once have considered unimaginable.

Beyond Simplistic Explanations

One of the book's greatest achievements is its rejection of simplistic explanations for terrorism.

Extremists cannot be understood solely through poverty, education, religion, or political grievance.

Nor can radicalisation be reduced to mental illness or irrational hatred.

Instead, extremism emerges from the interaction of psychological needs, ideological narratives, social networks, emotional experiences, and environmental circumstances.

Recognising this complexity is essential if governments hope to design effective prevention strategies rather than relying exclusively on security responses after violence has already occurred.

Towards a More Comprehensive Response

The Psychology of Extremism significantly enriches contemporary discussions about terrorism by shifting attention from ideological slogans to the deeper human motivations that make extremist movements attractive.

It reminds us that radicalisation is not simply about ideas; it is about unmet psychological needs, distorted emotional responses, fractured identities, and powerful social influences.

Financial sanctions may weaken terrorist organisations, but preventing future generations from embracing extremism requires understanding the human mind itself.

Only when psychological resilience, social inclusion, ethical education, and sound religious understanding work together can societies hope to reduce the appeal of violent extremism.

In the final part of this series, we shall bring together the insights of both books to examine what governments, educational institutions, religious leaders, and civil society must do to confront terrorism more effectively. We shall also consider why the struggle against extremism cannot be won through military action alone but demands a comprehensive strategy rooted in law, education, international cooperation, and the defence of human dignity.

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Also Read Part 1: https://www.newageislam.com/war-terror/understanding-terrorism-two-landmark-studies-part-1/d/140580

(To be concluded in Part III)

URL: https://newageislam.com/war-terror/understanding-terrorism-two-landmark-studies-part-2/d/140607

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