The Theory Of Terror Management

Knowing that one day we are going to die, the awareness of our finitude, can generate anxiety. A tension that can increase by not being able to know when that day is going to arrive. This anxiety will lead us to present certain behaviors. On this basis, the theory of terror management studies this phenomenon and how the fear of death is behind certain behaviors.

The fear of death – or rather, eliminating it – could be, in many cases, the motivation for our behavior. Although we are not aware, the presence of death could cause us to get on badly with someone who does not share our beliefs. To understand how terror management works, we must begin by making a fundamental distinction between humans and animals.

The inevitability of death

The theory of terror management finds its bases in the works of Ernest Becker. Unlike animals, humans have the ability to project ourselves into the future. We can imagine how we will be, beyond the present. Consequently, we can also evoke our death. We know that we are not immortal, so we understand that, at some point, we will cease to exist.

Thus, according to Becker, all human behavior is performed to ignore or avoid the anxiety generated by the inevitability of death. This means that many of our behaviors could be placed in this avoidance or coping framework.

It would all start with the fear of dying. This terror generated by the idea of ​​death translates into anxiety. Anxiety that is understood as a cognitive dissonance that arises when accepting two opposites.

On the one hand, we want to be an active part of life. A life that, at the same time, is biologically finite. In this way, people try to  make sense of these contradictory ideas. Consequently, we create “alternative realities” in which we will not cease to exist, at the same time that, in some way, we can get comfort from thinking that others also share this reality.

The alternate realities

As we have said, to avoid the cognitive dissonance generated by the fear of death, alternative realities are created. These realities serve to deny death and are belief systems. These beliefs can be of the most varied and their set ends up forming the cultures when these ideas are shared. Furthermore, for these beliefs to take effect and reduce the terror generated by the idea of ​​death, these ideas must be shared.

But how can an idea overcome death? An example is found in the tombstones of cemeteries and funerary monuments. These symbols do not prevent death, but they do make people project their existence beyond the last beat of their hearts.

These symbols and ideas are found all over the world. In particular, religions provide very elaborate belief systems. These religions include beliefs to overcome death. Some examples are heaven, where believers go after death, or reincarnation, whereby souls are reborn into another form of life.

The terror management theory

Based on the ideas discussed, the theory of terror management was formulated. Basically, this theory states that the human being handles terror (hence the name of the theory) resulting from the knowledge of the inevitability of death while maintaining faith in his cultural vision of the world.

In turn, this would affect self-esteem. If we adjust to these cultural values, our self-esteem will increase ; otherwise, self-esteem will be damaged. Consequently, self-esteem is a protector against death anxiety.

Therefore, those who maintain high self-esteem are protected against the fear of death. In contrast, those who have low self-esteem, that is, those who do not meet cultural standards, worry more about death.

In this way, when our vision of the world is threatened, we will fight. We will fight to maintain our belief system: its destruction would generate anxiety. Therefore, many of the conflicts would arise to maintain beliefs; think of religious wars or political conflicts.

What are the effects of managing terror?

We have already seen how the handling of terror can lead us to confrontations to maintain our self-esteem. In fact, various experiments have proven that when death looms large, self-esteem and culture resurface to protect us.

For example, in heavy metal fans, listening to this type of music strengthened their self-esteem and helped them deal with the idea of ​​death. Similarly, after the 9/11 attacks in New York, Bush’s patriotism and popularity increased.

In another famous experiment, two groups of judges studied the case of a prostitute and had to suggest the bail to be paid. Before getting to the case, the judges answered different questions. What is important is that the questions asked of one group contained hints about death. Can you imagine which group suggested a higher deposit? *

Similarly, advertisers have included subtle representations of death seeking greater consumption of the product. Have you seen a skull in an advertisement for a glass of whiskey with ice?

* The group that had received the prominence of mortality was very hard on the “deviant”, imposing a bail average of $455, while the average of the other group was only $50.