Final Draft Thesis Paper.pdf - Brandeis University

Aterrorist’scommitmenttohisideologyisunbending.Thereisnoroomfornegotiationorcompromise:“Inmanywaysterroristsdonotgrow,theyarestuckintherutoftheirunbendingideology.Amalignancyofthemindwhichistheprincipalcomorbidofpsychopathologyofterror”(Navarro,25).Aterroristholdsontoanunbreakableideaorpassion.Thisindestructiblepassioniswhatdrivestheindividualintoviolence:“Toterrorize,aterroristmusthaveanidea,athought,apassion,ahatred,anideologysofixedandrigid,thathecancarryoutaviolentactwithoutreflection,remorse,orhesitation”(Navarro,26).Theideaissetinstoneandtheterrorist’smindinunchanging:evenhardevidencewillfailtoimpacthiscorebeliefs(Navarro,26). Manyterroristsalsosufferfrom“MagicalThinking”.Theyareconvincedthat“somehowthedestructionofthatwhich[they]despiseorhatewillsomehowcuretheillsoftheworld”(Navarro,34).Theirbeliefsaresetonachievingunrealisticgoalsand“theyseethemselvesassacrificesfortheirdeities,andtheycountontheapprovalandthebackingoftheirculture.Thesebeliefsgivesensetotheirlives,symbolicformstoachieveimmortalitythroughtheirowndeaths”(Ardila,12).Hijackingsofplaneshavenotstoppedpeoplefromflying.Terroristattacksonbuses,havenotstoppedpeoplefromtakingpublictransportation.PeoplecontinuetogotoworkinlowerManhattandespitethedestructionoftheWorldTradeTowers.AmericanscontinuetohavepresenceintheMiddleEastdespitetheattemptstogetridofthemandIndiacontinuestothrivedespiteterroristactivitiesinandarounditsborders.17