When Fanaticism Becomes the Standard and Foolishness a Widespread Disease

When His Holiness the Pope says, “Woe to those who exploit religions and the name of God to serve their military, economic, and political aims, dragging what is sacred into the filthiest and most unjust matters,” he is not referring to a specific leader. Rather, he is affirming a simple truth: what is right alone prevails.

Samir al-TaqiSource: An-Nahar

Societies do not collapse merely when evil people become numerous; collapse begins when societies turn inward and close themselves off, when group loyalty becomes the dominant logic, and when allegiance and hatred become standards and virtues.

Within this environment, foolishness, thuggery, and moral corruption flourish. Fanaticism becomes a remedy that satisfies the thirst for hatred—readily exploited by opportunists.

Is it surprising, then, that narcissists rise and thugs dominate the scene, even to the point where glorifying the “thug” becomes a symbol of collective frenzy among an obsessed crowd?

We can understand defensive and open forms of group solidarity—free from racism—as necessary for building any human community. From football teams to armies, groups require cohesion and unity to build their experience and compete.

However, once this solidarity becomes a tool for intellectual isolation, racism, and the demonization of others, critical thinking deteriorates. A sense of superiority—whether biological or theological—is internalized as justification for higher entitlement, forming a moral system that legitimizes intolerance and violence.

At that point, the question is no longer: What is the truth? but rather: Who said it? Opinions are no longer judged by evidence but by the identity of the speaker. Whoever belongs to “us” is excused; whoever belongs to “them” is subject to exclusion and repression.

Step by step, truth retreats, while fanaticism advances.

Within this closed bubble, groups create their own language, heroes, enemies, distorted history, and foolish leaders. Submission is rewarded, and independent thinking is attacked. Questioning itself becomes suspicious—seen as disloyalty, conspiracy, or betrayal. Politics ceases to be the art of the possible and becomes a path toward war and so-called “sacred salvation.” Hateful individuals rise, sharp tongues dominate, and shallow certainty prevails. Thugs rise confidently on the shoulders of fools and the uninformed.

Such leaders do not challenge their audiences with questions; instead, they overwhelm them with assumptions and certainties. They avoid disturbing the masses with uncomfortable ideas or opening space for new perspectives. They want them to believe and repeat—so that their ignorance deepens and their anger intensifies.

Thus, foolishness becomes attractive—not because it is profound, but because it is simple and superficial. It reduces the world to two camps, history to a wound, politics to a final battle, and human beings to mere identities.

Like the comfort of drugs, foolishness and thuggery become addictive, offering the group an easy escape: no need for complex thinking when answers are ready, doubts dismissed, and enemies clearly defined.

Like any addiction, this system must be constantly reinforced to avoid the burden of critical thinking. It reflects not deep conviction, but an escape from complexity in a confusing world. For this reason, it becomes especially appealing in unstable times. Even the moral conscience of society is reshaped, taking on a false appearance of righteousness—so that killing becomes “strength,” exclusion becomes “protection,” defamation becomes “purification,” and repression becomes “defense of good.” There is no longer any need for apology or remorse; alternative truths are treated as disease and enemies.

This Is How Major Disasters Begin

Nazism did not begin with extermination camps; it began by constructing a closed national community that saw itself as pure, besieged, and entitled to avenge history. A myth of a wounded nation was created, enemies—both internal and external—were identified, and fanaticism was framed as national duty. The “other” became a threat rather than a partner, justifying all crimes.

In Rwanda, the same pattern appeared in a different form. The genocide did not erupt suddenly. It was preceded by sustained rhetoric that stripped entire groups of their humanity. Once people are reduced to animal-like descriptions, brutality becomes justified.

In today’s world, fanaticism no longer merely produces fools and narcissists—it is now amplified by smartphones. Digital platforms have become powerful factories of modern fanaticism. They intensify tribal emotions, amplify them, reward them, and recycle them, trapping communities in echo chambers that produce collective ignorance and emotional extremism. In this environment, knowledge does not grow; instead, shallow confidence expands, and emotional rigidity hardens.

This has opened the door for foolish narcissists to lead fast-reacting, short-memory, self-satisfied digital crowds. These groups pursue, defame, boycott, and then quickly move on to new targets. They no longer require political parties, but rather loosely organized networks that operate in the shadows, transforming public anger into forms of social “inquisition.”

Foolishness and violence do not arise solely from the will of rulers, but from the conditions of society—the decay of elites, their fragmentation, isolation, and arrogance. In the name of strength and identity, cleansing the public sphere becomes acceptable, paving the way for abuse of power.

Can Mockery Be a Cure?

Some elites attempt to confront foolishness, fanaticism, and political narcissism through sarcasm. However, contempt for the general public is neither justified nor effective. The problem does not lie in individual ignorance, but in a broader structural breakdown in which elites have lost their values, allowing waves of anger to emerge—carried by the masses and fueled by fanaticism—until extremism becomes the norm.

Foolishness cannot be cured by opposing forms of elitist arrogance or counter-fanaticism. Such approaches only create endless cycles and solve nothing.

The only real solution is to expand and strengthen the public sphere in a way that encourages critical and questioning thought—allowing people to disagree without accusations of betrayal or disloyalty. Without this, belonging becomes rigid and lifeless.

Our world—whether globally or in the Middle East—does not suffer from a shortage of foolishness or fanaticism. Therefore, it does not suffer from a shortage of wars, destruction, or brutality.

And when His Holiness the Pope says, “Woe to those who exploit religion and the name of God for their military, economic, and political purposes, dragging what is sacred into the filthiest and most unjust matters,” he is not referring to a specific leader. Rather, he is affirming a simple and enduring truth: only what is right prevails. Article Link https://www.annahar.com/articles/annahar-writers/302427/%D8%AD%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%AA%D8%B5%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B5%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%85%D8%B9%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%A9-%D8%AF%D8%A7-%D8%B9%D9%85%D9%88%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A7