Psychological Motives for Becoming a Terrorist Essay

Introductionself-destruction barrage fire, a major terror system of terrorists is, if not the closely, wizard of the most gruesome acts anybody can commit. It is proscribedright fantastic and stupid. One moldiness be beside the normal to be entertaining such(prenominal) a thought in caput. Ironic all toldy, fanatics who absorb committed and take in chargeed self-annihilation bombings in the past, were deemed normal until the twenty-four hour period when the execution of their ultimate plans were made familiar whether foiled or completed. deal who atomic number 18 afflicted with psychical disorder may, as former(a) pack, go away for the same reasons vacation, visiting friends or relatives, business, recreation, and sometimes for religious or spiritual focus (Miller & Zarc atomic number 53, 1968). Others indeed may travel for reasons other than the normal for reasons triggered by mal formulateed kind state such as the men who carried out the 911 attack of the Twin T owers in New York.Along the 911 attack, self-annihilation bombing through aircraft came to prominence resulting in the stirring of the awareness among the international public of the fact that the mend traveler might not be that regular anyway. It is prob qualified that some of them are driven by excessive kindle or motivated by utopic hope as taught in the communities wherein they have pledged their life allegiance (Silke, 2003). Just a few months ago, upon the reaping of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto to her home country, 124 were killed and 320 plus got injure as a result of another suicide bombing. The bomber threw grenades among crowds of plurality and afterwards blasted himself to death (CNN update, Oct.18, 2007).Its unwieldy to think of raw reasons why a fairish person (if that person was ever considered sane by his colleagues) has committed such an act in the first place. To come about and expend ones self for a noble shell is commendable only if they benefit slew outside ones own community. Its never an ideal to advance a faiths cause at the expense of the lives of other tribe. A suicide bomber is demented in that eve in the logic of religion, all religions presupposed a benevolent god who is both powerful and loving. There must be distortions somewhere at bottom the suicide bombers mind to have associated the act of delivering a bomb and acts of piety.Rationale of the argument thought rational wellnessThe majority of theories and models of hu domain behavior fall into one of two basic categories ingrained thought and external perspective. The internal perspective considers the factors at bottom the person to study behavior. People who subscribe to this view substantiate behavior as psychodynamically oriented. mien is explained in terms of the thoughts, feelings, past experiences and ask of the respective(prenominal). The internal processes of idea, feeling, perceiving and judging lead people to act in parti cular ways. This internal perspective implies that people are best understood from the inside and that peoples behavior is best interpreted after cause their thoughts and feelings (Jourad, 1963).The other category of theories takes an external perspective. This focuses on factors outside the person to understand behavior. External events, consequences of behavior, milieual force-outs to which a person is subject, are emphasized by this external perspective. A persons history, value system, feelings and thoughts are not genuinely important in interpreting actions and behavior. Kurt Lewin for instance considered both perspectives in saying that behavior is a function of both the person and the purlieu (Tiffin,& McCormick, 1958). Man is a social being and as such his spirit is viewed from the society and culture where he belongs. A society represents a geographic aggregate and has boundaries, similar government or a congregation of persons in meaningful interaction and engaged i n social relationship.Personality is the individualizing traits of man which constitute his singularity and differentiate him from any other human being. The cardinal determinants of temperament 1 biological heritage which has direct influence on the discip tonal passage of personality. This includes musculature, the nervous system, and the glands 2 E.Q. factor describes qualities like understanding ones feelings, empathy for the feelings of others, and the ordinance of emotion in a way that enhances invigoration (Gibbs, 1995) 3 environmental factors. taking everything normal, environment plays an important role in personality setment.Environmental factors are cultural environment, social environment, home and family, culture, status and role and social agent. legion(predicate) of mens pronounced stirred-up state of mind such as fear, anger, disgust, and contempt, have posed the question, why? What has caused such a reaction? What has brought a change to his/her behavior? W hat is the frustration that has brought about such behavior? In the world of a suicide bomber, he/she contemplates on various excitant or stimuli from the world he/she evolves in. There are frustrations of every form and even without these, his/her psyche or mental state functions on the terra firma of anything he/she receives (actively or passively) from the milieu. Lifes problems are numerous and as long as one is alive and kicking he entrust always be faced with problems, be they big or small. much(prenominal) problems stir-up ones emotions or feelings which maybe pleasant or unpleasant.physiologic problems, environmental problems, personal deficiencies and psychological concerns bring on a transformation of responses some predictable, others are not. Disorganization of family life, disintegration of personality brought about by depression, great personal suffering, any of these may take any person beyond the limits of his tolerance. Man is born in a social environment buge d by cultural norms and values. He is faced with cultural taboos and agreeable social behavior. Numerous environmental factors come to the fore which may or may not be easily overcome. One of the most difficult problems in this area is ones cultural dos and adoptts. Environmental frustrations cannot be avoided, for in that location are always certain factors in a persons growth and achievement. Psychological or internal problems are the most difficult to resolve as they are within the familiar feelings of a person.One may not be able to detect his/her concerns/anxieties through his /her overt behavior. It may only be inferred from what his/her inner thoughts and feelings are but will not know what caused such a feeling. Psychological concerns of various forms represent a more serious terror to the personality of the individual than do environmental pressures. If severe enough, they may pass water considerable frantic tension with accompanying behavior disorders. Reacting to p ressures and other concerns such as frustration varies from person to person because of their personality differences. These reactions maybe defensive, neurotic or psychotic.Most people are sympathetic to people who develop physical ailments, but regard an individual with mental disorder as crazy. At this juncture, does a suicide bomber then be considered a person with a mental disorder or deemed as crazy? definitions of mental health vary considerably. Freud when asked what he thought a normal, water-loving person should do well replied love and add. Karl Menningers (1956) definition is sort of similar to Freuds. He statesLet us define mental health as the adjustment of human beings to the world and each other with a maximum of effectiveness and happiness. Not just efficiency, or just contentment, or the grace of obeying the rules of the game cheerfully. It is all together. It is the ability to maintain an even irritation and happy disposition. This, I think, is a healthy mi nd.When we at that placefore, try to define mental health, we have in mind the adjustment process which an individual brings into force when he is faced with a problem situation. Adjustment is defined as an individuals manner of reacting or responding adequately to a perceive problem. From the standpoint of mental health, adjustment refers to a happy and socially unobjectionable response to lifes situations. Mental health therefore, is the ability of the individual to function effectively and happily as a person in ones expected role in a group and in the society in general. It is a condition of the whole personality and is not merely a condition of the mind as is very much supposed. It is an out-growth of ones total life and is promoted or hindered by day-after-day experience, not only by major crises as some turn out (McCllelland et al, 1973).Mental health is the capacity to live harmoniously in a changing environment to face and solve ones problems in a realistic manner to accept the inevitable, and to understand and accept ones own shortcomings as well as the shortcomings of others. In this sense, people who develop and encourage Jihad or any terroristic ideas and brainwash others to do the same, are seen people who do have unrealistic way of facial expression at life and their experiences. They are commonly classified as people having delusions of grandeur among others. This term refers to people who experience a bloated sense of richness or missions and oftentimes associated with corresponding persecution complexes (Jourad, 1963). They therefore harbor also a sense of anxiety that some people are out there to cut off their name and addresss and obstruct their missions.Their resolve to deliver their target aims is even stronger the reason for their methodical and systematic way of doing things. Since they cannot accept that they must co-exist with people whose beliefs radically differ from theirs, they accept the notion that annihilation is a rad ical and dying a martyrs death to ensure this goal is the ultimate sacrifice. This kind of mindset comes only from a frame of thinking that has been exposed only to a few options in fact, only very narrow options. That option is the radical Islamic alternative and nothing else. When living in this world, co-existence is not just something that is talked about inside the halls of the academe co-existence signifies a mindset that is healthy as well and free from disorders.Mental health is a matter of degree. There is no hard and fast line that separates health from illness. It is not a simple matter to divide the tribe into two distinct groups-those who should be institutionalized and those who should not be. Many of us at one time or another exhibit traits and pattern of behavior which if, accentuated and continuous, would necessitate psychiatric care (Jourad, 1963).Though radical a thought this may seem, and naturally sounds unrealistic, the ideal place is to set monitor and evalua tion of mental hygiene at some point in time. How to do this is going to be a big issue, expectedly. However, terrorism and the likes of suicide bombing can probably be controlled in some juiceless way by referring to them as idiosyncratic, delusional or even possessing mental disorders. Another way of classifying them is through the Diagnostic Statistical Manual IV (DSM) classification system these people are versions of psychopaths or psychotics because the symptoms are there and they cannot function normally among any general population.Towards developing a system or InterventionSince the argument of this paper stands on looking at the acts of a suicide bomber as acts emanating from someone with mental illness, it follows that approaches to its simplification or elimination be provided or examined as well. There are troika ways of looking at developing and establishing a strategy or intervention the preventive, therapeutic, and the curative Kolb et al, 1974). There are subtle ties that engulf these three but it is good to explore these dimensions. The preventive approach is based on the principles that the best way to ensure a well-adjusted individual is to surround him with environmental influences that will enable him to develop his full potentialities, to obtain emotional stability, and achieve personal and social adequacy.The therapeutic aspect is concerned with the attempt to correct minor behavioral adjustments through the various counseling and techniques of psychotherapy, or adjust to the social/or physical environment of the person in order to help him obtain the amount of emotional security and sureness necessary. The curative approach is sometimes called preventive psychiatry and is concerned with the staining and correction of serious but curative but behavioral maladjustments.Although this is the work of a trained clinician or psychiatrist, it is helpful for the layman to have at least a fundamental knowledge of the major types of behavior al maladjustments in order that he/she may have a basis in determining behavioral maladjustments that need the attention of competent specialists. It is therefore necessary, on a serious note, that public awareness on the nature of mental illness on a scope such as that of the course taken by the suicide bombers, coupled with detection of signs and symptoms by coterminous homes and those in the community, help diminish the threat. There are of course other paths or strategies to follow, but why not take all that is procurable to ensure our security (Kolb et al, 1974).References1. CNN, Breaking News, October 18, 2007. www.cnn.com2. Gibbs, Nancy. 1995. EQ Factor Time International, October.3. Gordon, Harvey, mike Kingham, Tony Goodwin. Air travel by passengers with mental disorder. psychiatrical Bulletin (2004) 28295-297. The Royal College of Psychiatrists.4. Jourad, Sydney, 1963. Personal Adjustment. 2nd Ed. New York MacMillan Company.5. Kolb, David & Ralph K. Schwitzgebel. 1974. Changing Human Behavior Principles of Planned Intervention. New York McGraw-Hill watchword Company.6. McCllelland, David C. & R.S. Steele. 1973. Human Motivation A Book of Readings. Morristown, New Jersey, General Learning Press.7. Menninger, Karl in Taylor, David, 2003. The concept of mental health in children. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Steinkopff. Volume 12, Number 3. Pp.107-113.8. Miller, W. B. & Zarcone, V. (1968) Psychiatric behaviour disorders at an international airport. Archives of Environmental Health, 17, 360 -365.9. Silke, A. (2003). The psychology of suicide terrorism. In Terrorists, Victims and Society (ed. A. Silke), pp. 93 -108. Chichester Wiley.10. Tiffin, Joseph and Ernest McCormick J. 1958. Industrial psychology. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey apprentice Hall, Inc.