Terror Management Theory (TMT), Worldview Defense
The Ramifications of Terror Management
Terror Management Theory suggests that large groups, and even entire societies, may make decisions, or put them off, primarily to gain comfort from avoiding thoughts of death or reassurance that their ideas will live on after they are gone. Research finds that this plays out in some unexpected ways, both beneficial and potentially hazardous.
A core element of Terror Management Theory is that humans will go to great lengths to avoid thinking about their mortality. This may be one reason it’s so difficult for societies to take action on global warming . Individuals may derive some psychological comfort from the denial of climate change , but counterintuitively, doing so could jeopardize the survival of the species.
Not everyone can leave a legacy that keeps their name alive for generations. One way we deal with that, TMT suggests, is by supporting others who represent our values and beliefs and do appear destined for a level of immortality. Celebrity culture, then, may be psychologically adaptive : Famous people, we believe, represent what’s best about us, and helping them live on preserves our own legacy.
Generally, acts of terror fail to achieve their goal of inspiring sufficient fear to cause people to change the way they live, because communities and culture provide individuals emotional support and the promise of safety. On the positive side, culture brings people together and instills resolve. On the darker side, according to TMT, after an act of terror people may cling to their culture’s worldview, that which will presumably live on after their death. Such beliefs, though, can lead to increased insularity, prejudice , and the denigration of outsiders.
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