The Psychology of a Terrorist

These are some traits associated with terrorists.

1. Terrorists feel a sense of “revolutionary heroism” and self-importance which was once lacking when they were ostracized in society.
2. Some of the terrorists treat the terrorist organisation as a provider of information and security as they normally sever ties with their family members, thus they lack their support.

      3. Terrorists often have a mindset of an extremist as they are brainwashed upon joining the terrorist group.

      4. Terrorists may see themselves as saviors of a constituency threatened by a great evil and the only way for them to leave a legacy is to take part in terrorist acts.

      5. Some of the terrorists believe that their ethnic or religious group is on the verge of extinction  

      and they lack the power to reverse the situation without violence.

      6. Terrorists believe that they had no choice but to do what they did under the circumstances they were in.

      7. Terrorists view the world within the narrow lens of their own ideology.

      8. Some terrorists are just psychopathic (Nezar Hindawi).

            

 

 

      However, the detailed, well-planned and well-timed execution of many terrorist operations has led to differing opinions on whether terrorists are psychopathic.

 

 

Terrorists	Psychopaths
Profit from experience	Does not profit from experience
Interests of a group or organization	Personal interest

 

 

 

      Some terrorists are suicidal fanatics.

      - Terrorists as cool, logical planning individuals whose rewards are ideological and political, rather than financial.

      - Terrorists are often well educated and capable of sophisticated, albeit highly biased, rhetoric and political analysis.

      - Terrorists like to engage in terrorist acts, leading to self-destruction which would indirectly imply a certain degree of mental illness.

 

      An example of a suicidal terrorist group is the LTTE.

      - Members of the LTTE are willing to self-destruct in order to bring about a catastrophic outcome which they deem perfectly justifiable.         

      - Most of them carry a vengeful mindset as they were discriminated by the Sinhalese government in Sri Lanka.