Becoming A Fanatic

Fanatic: from Latin ‘fanaticus’ – inspired by a god or demon.
Fanatics fantasise – they imagine.

In all walks of life, people are becoming fanatics. Everything is zero-tolerance; things are exaggerated and embellished, and the stimulated and reactive audience cheers louder. Being hyped-up and too excited, we are unable to rest or find calmness.

The term ‘hype’ comes from ‘hyperbole’, which combines one Greek term for ‘over’ and another that means ‘cast’ or ‘throw’. So hyperbole describes the sense of over-reaching, or grasping beyond what is necessary in order to describe a certain feeling, experience or response.

Fanatics become bound to an imaginary idea which was created by ‘influencers’ who, in turn, create levels of other influencers who suggest what we eat, buy, value, pray to, become attached to … thus breeding more fanatics.

How do we not become fanatics?

Know that fanatics are addicts.
Once we can admit this, our therapy begins,
one day at a time. 🙂