Speaking of Psychology What drives people to extremism? With Arie Kruglanski, PhD, and Sophia Moskalenko, PhD
23 snips
Apr 30, 2025 AI Snips
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Core Definition of Extremism
- Extremism arises from a motivational imbalance where one dominant need overrides others.
- This dominance removes usual behavioral constraints, legitimizing actions to satisfy that need.
Extremism as Evolved Survival Mechanism
- Extremism is an evolved mechanism to handle life-or-death crises by focusing all resources.
- Today, crises are often constructed digitally, extending extremism beyond primordial survival needs.
Gandhi and Bin Laden's Extremism
- Gandhi and Osama bin Laden shared traits: shyness, anti-colonial passion, dietary changes, social isolation.
- Their isolation and single-mindedness propelled their extremist paths in vastly different ways.