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Dictionary:

fanaticism

  (fə-năt'ĭ-sĭz'əm) pronunciation
n.

Excessive, irrational zeal.


 
 
Antonyms: fanaticism

n

Definition: overenthusiasm
Antonyms: disinterest, impartiality, unenthusiasm


 
WordNet: fanaticism
Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: excessive intolerance of opposing views
  Synonym: zealotry


 
Wikipedia: fanaticism

Fanaticism is an emotion of being filled with excessive, uncritical zeal, particularly for an extreme religious or political cause, or with an obsessive enthusiasm for a pastime or hobby.

According to philosopher George Santayana, "Fanaticism consists in redoubling your effort when you have forgotten your aim"[1]; according to Winston Churchill, "A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject".

The difference between a fan and a fanatic is that while both have an overwhelming liking or interest in a given subject, behaviour of a fanatic will be viewed as violating prevailing social norms, while that of a fan will not violate those norms (although is usually considered unusual).[2]

A fanatic differs from a crank in that the latter term is typically associated with a position or opinion which is so far from the norm as to appear ludicrous and/or provably wrong, while the subject of the fanatic's obsession may well be "normal", with only the scale of involvement being abnormally disproportionate.


Categories of fanaticism

  • consumer fanaticism - the level of involvement or interest one has in the liking of a particular person, group, trend, artwork or idea.
  • religious fanaticism - considered by some to be the most extreme form of religious fundamentalism.
  • anti-religious fanaticism: As opposed to religious fanaticism, anti-religious fanaticism deals with the fanatic opposition to religious doctrine. An example of it would be Anti-clericalism.
  • leisure fanaticism - high levels of intensity, enthusiasm, commitment and zeal shown for one's leisure activities.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ Santayana, George (1905). Life of Reason: Reason in Common Sense. (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons) 13.
  2. ^ Thorne, Scott; Bruner, Gordon C. (2006). "An exploratory investigation of the characteristics of consumer fanaticism". Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal 9 (1): 51-72. DOI:10.1108/13522750610640558. ISSN 1352-2752. 
  3. ^ Mackellar, J. (2006). "Fans, fanatics or just good fun - travel behaviours of the leisure fanatic". Journal of Vacation Marketing 12 (3): 195-217. DOI:10.1177/1356766706064622. 
  • Haynal, A., Molnar, M. and de Puymege, G. 1987."Fanaticism. A Historical and Psychoanalytical Study".Schoken Books. New York.
  • Rudin, J. 1969.Fanaticism. A psychological Analysis. University of Notre Dame Press. London.

 
Misspellings: fanaticism

Common misspelling(s) of fanaticism

  • fanatism

 
 

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Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Answers Corporation Antonyms. © 1999-2008 by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved.  Read more
WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Fanaticism" Read more
Answers Corporation Misspellings. © 1999-2008 by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved.  Read more

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