Terror Management Theory Essay

Improved Essays
Terror is a feeling that causes shivers to run down the spine, sweat bead up on the back of the neck, hands tremble, and the heart starts to race. These feelings are the result of the adrenalin that comes from fear and horror. It’s what the people in scary movies face when being chased down the deserted street in the middle of the night by a crazy man in a mask with a chainsaw. In terror management theory the scary movie is replaced by the reality we face everyday, the masked man with the chainsaw is our inevitable death, and there is no running from the grim ripper but we can manage the terror. Terror management theory is the belief that human behavior is driven by the fear of dying, and this fear leads us to group identification, a way in …show more content…
We have abstract thought which sets us apart from any other species, and one consequence of this is that it gives us the ability to realize no man or woman can live forever. Humans developed cultural symbols of meaning and value that offer a sense of significance and importance, and ultimately, immortality, when people live up to and sustain the standards of these beliefs (Heflick). These “group identifications” can come in many different ways and some of the most common examples of group identifications include religion, government and sports teams (Psychology). They serve as cultural anxiety buffers, which help serve as a way to protect against death as the end of all we know. People invest significant time and money to these groups. People become passionate about their jobs and religion and devote most of their time and often large sums of money in support of this passion. They work hard to get to where they are going, and they have goals and aim high to succeed in life. This is considered “immortality striving” which is beneficial. People also have passions and beliefs that make up some of the best parts of life. At times it can make people completely forget about death, and help in times where we remember. It also leads to outgroups being a threat to the system that allows you to manage the problem of death. If your religion is the group that you use to manage the inevitability of death, religious groups or

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Reign Of Terror Dbq Essay

    • 557 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Reign of Terror began in 1793, in France. A man named Robespierre had seized power after King Louis XVI was beheaded via the guillotine. King Louis was an absolutist ruler, who was to blame for the Reign of Terror. Also another big factor was internal rebellion along with outside invasion. All of this had taken it’s toll, and started the tragic event that was the Reign of Terror.…

    • 557 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    For example, for a terminally ill patient who has no chance at recovering and has suffered immensely, death may be welcomed in its time. It is still a touchy subject, especially since no human knows exactly when and how he or she will die. Of course it is seen as a tragedy when people die young, and there are often remarks such as “they died too young.” The ideals of this culture seem to revolve around the mantra that people should live long happy lives, and die a peaceful death once they have accomplished all that they are meant to. However, what if one could avoid death all together?…

    • 1411 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Vladimir Putin once said, “Terrorism has no nationality or religion.” However, many Americans feel otherwise. A countless amount believe terrorism is affiliated with certain religions, especially Islam, as well as Middle Eastern countries. Whenever an attack on the U.S. occurs, people are quick to accuse the Muslims. Most never question who actually is the real culprit.…

    • 1538 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Many comparable definitions of what constitutes as “terrorism” exist today, but Bruce Hoffman provides one of the most complete definitions in his book Inside Terrorism. He affirms that terrorism is (1) violence, or the threat of violence, (2) with political goals, (3) that is carried out by a group (4) or organization, (5) that has widespread ramifications and consequences (Hoffman, 2-3). Although there are a host of potential causes of Islamic terrorism, only one can adequately explain its dissension with the United States: the perpetual class struggle that goes on between the United States and the Middle East. Possible causes of Islamic terrorism include religious beliefs, ideological beliefs, oppressive political regime, etc. The goal of…

    • 1314 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    M2 Essay Quiz Steven Carriere Excelsior College Explain the criminological, sociological, and psychological theories that may contribute to domestic terrorism. Study data provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigations show interesting sociological patterns between male and female domestic terrorists from the 1960’s and 1970’s decades. Right wing terrorists typically were males with blue collar employment experience and some college education, with stark social class differences in the leadership structure of right-wing groups, while left wing terrorists were more female oriented and held a higher level of college education completion than right wingers (Victoroff, 2005; Handler, 1990). Examples of the differences between right-wing and left-wing domestic terror incidents involving U.S. citizens include Patricia Hearst, who was kidnapped in 1974 by the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) and eventually joined forces before most of her captors were killed in a shootout (Hixson, 2005). Although Timothy McVeigh was convicted for committing the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995,…

    • 923 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In October 2001, just one month after the tragic September 11 attacks on the twin towers, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien pledged to support the United States. It was announced that Canada would join a UN-approved NATO coalition attack in Afghanistan (in order to support the United States). The purpose of this was to find and neutralize al-Qaeda which was a global militant Islamist organization. In addition, the main goal was to track and hunt down Osama Bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda, since the Taliban government refused to reveal Bin Laden’s hiding place. The province that Canada was responsible for was Kandahar, which was presumably the most dangerous province in Afghanistan.…

    • 586 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    9/11 Terrorism and Government Conspiracy Theory Terrorism has occurred for centuries and become a defining issue in the 21st century. The history of terrorism comes from the French revolution in 1789 due to the viciousness by the French government to enforce new command on the French society. Terrorism had always been an issue around the world for many years. Terrorism is known as an unlawful act of crime of viciousness.…

    • 1575 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Sadly, terrorism continued to occur almost 60 years later in 2001. Not only did 9/11 occur, but there was a chemical war on America's hands as well. The anthrax attacks occurred shortly after 9/11 in September, eighteen victims of the attacks were identified between October 3 and November 20. This was caused by dried spores of B. anthracis that were sent through letters by the public mail. Five people are known to have died from anthrax and The 2001 Anthrax Deception:…

    • 968 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Desmind Tassy CCJ 3666 February 21, 2016 Unit-6 Essay Assignment To begin, terrorism is the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims or gains. According to the National Advisory Committee on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals, there are six distinct types of terrorism. They all have the same agenda which is to be powerful in gaining mass property and sparking fear by taking the lives of innocent people. Civil disorder which is considered a very violent way object a political policy or action plan.…

    • 1001 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    In Shelley Adler account, Terror in Transition: Hmong Folk Belief in American, she interviews Hmong man as she tried to find out why so many were dying of Sudden Unexpected Nocturnal Death Syndrome (SUNDS). To study this, she used vague questions, but an overwhelming percentage of the people she spoke with knew about or had experienced the dab tsog without her mention the name first. One of the men she interview was a Hmong refugee named Neng Her. They spoke about his nightmare and experience with the evil spirit of dab tsog and if he thought there was any correlation between the traditional Hmong religion and Christian converts.…

    • 459 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Throughout history, much of the modern world has been created with the aid and knowledge of past events. This knowledge of past events allows for many modern issues to be resolved, and for increased representation to begin for groups that may have been lacking delegation in previous years. Domestic terrorism is a radical reaction to oppression or a group of people that results in violence and often death. This violent form of expression not only physically harms others, but affects their lives in numerous ways, taking away their safety and acceptance in society. Some of the world’s pressing modern issues, such as domestic terrorism, were shaped by nineteenth century events such as the Civil War and The Reconstruction, as these events both…

    • 1366 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    What is a terrorist? Here in America the first thing we will think about is 9/11; having some crazy foreign guy come and bomb us. What people don't usually realize is that a terrorist could come from your own country. Merriam Webster defines terrorism as a person who uses fear to try and achieve a political goal. In America this isn't that common, but in the Middle East it has become a part of daily life.…

    • 747 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Do you ever get up in the morning for work and say this is going be a decent day? Will you get a promotion or a pay increase on your job? Well consider going to work and seeing planes collide with your employment. This day was known as 9/11 when George W. Bush reported a War on Terror. The war on terror has been going on as far back as Sept. 11, 2001.…

    • 1337 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Many people consider fear and terror synonymous, often interchangeable. In fact, in most situations they are. However, in terms of political science, a distinction must clearly be made. While fear and terror may correlate, they are not the synonymous, and definitely not interchangeable. Machiavelli considers fear a tool for maintaining political power.…

    • 1613 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    His search for immortality is a universal concept that has presented itself many times throughout the world. It is a concept that everyone in the history of mankind faces. How do we break free from the constraints of the physical world and overcome the limitations of mortality? Humanity’s answer to this question can be analyzed three ways: through our legacy and what we live behind, through the longevity and…

    • 1258 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays

Related Topics