Terror Management Theory: What Does It Means To Be Human

Terror management theory (TMT) asserts that human beings have natural tendency for self-preservation if there is threat to one’s well–being (Greenberg, Solomon, & Pyszczynski, 1997). It notes that we are the cultural animals that pose self-awareness on the concept of past and future, as well as the understanding that one day we will die. We concern about our life and death but aware that it is unexpected by everything. The worse matter is that we become aware of our vulnerability and helplessness when facing death-related thoughts and ultimate demise (Pyszczynski & Greenberg, 1992). The inevitable death awareness or mortality salience provides a ground for experiencing the existential terror, which is the overwhelming concern of people’s

The reason I picked this book is because I have always been curious about terrorism. Truthfully, I really didn’t expect the book to take the stance it did, which focused mainly on the religious implications of what influences people to commits acts of terror. I liked the fact that the book takes new angles in approaching the search for truth, by focusing on case studies and performing interviews with the people who have committed terrorist acts. This is like getting the insiders view of the inner workings and frame of mind people have before, during, and after they have unswervingly performed the acts of violence.

Cicero famously once said inter arma silent leges, or “In times of war, the law falls silent.” It has been argued, that in times of war, a temporary trade off must occur in favor of national security over liberty. There has been an abundance of conservative and liberal scholarship on the subject, all differing in opinions. In this essay, I will focus on three books, Terror in the Balance, Terrorism and the Constitution, and Wartime while demonstrating their key arguments on how the United States should handle the delicate balance of security and liberty.

A multitude of factors contribute to any type of reasoning or psychological makeup of an individual; whether it is a person’s history of behavioral problems, inability to maintain a functional relationship, or in this case becoming part of a terrorist organization. In Sarah Kershaw’s “The Terrorist Mind: An Update”, we are able to see what drives a person to commit acts of terror where it is praised in a given community.

Dailymail.co.uk says that over 32,000 people died in 2014 alone (Dailymail 1). Terrorism can be interpreted many different ways. From the terrorist’s standpoint, terrorism is a helpful tool used to promote their way of life and to keep their people in line. From a pacifist’s point of view, terrorism is a dangerous thing, but should be left alone unless it is targeted toward them. From an activist’s point of view, terrorism is too dangerous to be left alone and must stop before it spreads. No matter what point of view it is being seen at, terrorism is dangerous and has ended the lives of too many citizens and soldiers.

This essay will describe the psychological, and behavior factors in terrorism, while listing the motivating factors behind them. The means of communication, and influence behind the narratives that would inspire future acts of terrorism. The factors of the psychology of the Al Qaeda leadership from Osama Bin Laden. This paper will also compare and contrast the radicalization models that would explain terrorist motives. And finally the factors of the disengagement of terrorism, and the processes behind them.

Here is a question for you: How should you live your life? Should you live it like everyone else? Should you strive to be something more or not? Or should you live in fear? These questions pose a theory, concept, or perspective within them. If you want to live a life like every other human being, that is conformity. To strive or not to strive depends on the kind of mindset you have – fixed or growth. Lastly, if you are living in fear, you should work on your terror management. Conformity, fixed/growth mindset, and terror management theory have impacted me in the past, and I know how it will affect me in the future.

Source: CNN
Synopsis: According to the online article, The psychology and neuroscience of terrorism, director of forensic psychiatry at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences stated that, “Fear is the primary psychological weapon underlying acts of terrorism. It is this fear, or the anticipation of future acts of terror, that can have serious effects on our behavior and minds,” such as the way we think, change the production level of hormones with our body, as well as alter the decisions we make. As a result, chronic stress begins to affect our ability to reason, problem solve, as well as how to respond to a fight-or-flight moment; therefore, human beings become desensitized

(CITE tmt) Terror management underlies the conflict human’s face due to their desire to live and the terror and anxiety they feel due to their knowledge of the certainty of death. They combat the terror of death by erecting “defences against death” (CITE denial of death ). Terror management theory suggests that people learn to alleviate their fear of death by ‘finding meaning in life and value in themselves” (CITE kindle).

Imagine smelling the thick smoke, seeing the bright orange timbers, and feeling the terror all around you. This is what everyone was feeling when the terrorist crashed the first plane into the twin tower in NYC. Fortunately, while the was terror involved, hope was also present in 9/11. Terror to hope relates to the article and the essay by making big impacts in both of them.

During this week, I learned about the face of terrorism, as well as terrorist organizational models, and the psychology of terrorism. As a result, I am able to identify what terrorism is by identifying the political, psychological, violent, and deliberate objectives of a group. In addition, I now understand the structure of a terrorist organization and the four levels that make up a terrorist group, as well as the human behaviors that lead a person to become a terrorist.

An instance that has occurred recently in the news that both, functionalism and psychoanalysis, can be taken into consideration would be the terrorist attacks from ISIS in Iraq. Freud explains psychoanalysis as a distress that was due to conflicts and emotional traumas (Wade, Tavris, & Garry, 2014, p.16). The members of ISIS grew up watching their parents fight and create havoc among others. So, by seeing this children also grew up to do the same as their elders. This is why terrorism exists still today. When as a child all you know is hate and killing, you are bound to grow up creating the same hate and killing. Williams James defines functionalism as the function or purpose of behavior (Wade, Tavris, & Garry, 2014, p.16). As for the functionalism

We are often surrounded by people who drive recklessly. When driving recklessly terror management theory comes into play. Terror management theory also known as (TMT) “[reminds] people of their own mortality and activates terror management mechanism.” Basically it is “awareness of one’s own mortality… [which can] be manifested in anxiety and terror” (Ari et al. 2003). When driving recklessly people do not always think of the consequences of what might happen all they think about is that precise moment and the rush of adrenaline that’s running through their system. Which eminently makes them feel “on top” of the world. At times friends, family members, even society are the ones that to a certain point (give you that push to want to drive a

Established in reference to concepts from Fromm’s theory, existential psychology, and evolutionary theory, the Terror Management theory seeks to find the reasons why threats of deaths tend

Have you ever had a fear for your family, your town, your country, or your world. How about the fear to have everything taken from you, destroyed, and not caring if it has hurt you or not? What about your fear and pain is, and can be someone else’s happiness? The fear of you being terrorized? That is terrorism. Someone else bringing fear and terrorizing you. That is a terrorist’s goal. Terrorism is common and is very difficult to stop. The government promises protection for the people, and their home, but they can not give that protection if they can not stop terrorism. Terrorism needs to stop to protect the live of the people, and their country.