Fanatic : why we love the things we love /
"There are fanatics all around us. From ultra-marathon runners who push their bodies to the breaking point to the humble bottle collector who digs up old privies to find the perfect specimen, these individuals are amazing. Far from traditional connotations of fanatics being strange or extreme,...
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| Format: | eBook |
| Language: | English |
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New York, NY :
Oxford University Press,
[2024]
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| Online Access: | Connect to the full text of this electronic book |
| Summary: | "There are fanatics all around us. From ultra-marathon runners who push their bodies to the breaking point to the humble bottle collector who digs up old privies to find the perfect specimen, these individuals are amazing. Far from traditional connotations of fanatics being strange or extreme, this book argues that fanaticism can bring us joy and interest to the world. Through interviews and direct experience, this book captures stories of real-world fanatics who discovered something they were passionate about and made it core to their self-concept. The types of fanaticisms profiled are wide-ranging, from the highly social to the esoteric, and sometimes directed at resolving regrets or coping with trauma. A set of common motivations emerged spanning the social, physical, cognitive, and emotive psychological domains that when combined, make a particular passion sticky and core to the fanatic's identify. To become a fanatic, individuals demonstrate both an openness to new experiences and commitment to stick with it. For all the benefits that fanaticism provides, it can pose a risk to healthy living if it becomes all encompassing. To help understand where that line is and what to do about it, interviews were held with experts in clinical and sport psychology, as well as others who use fanaticism proactively to build social connections and understanding. With nearly an unlimited range of topics that could seed fanaticism, this book argues that we are all a fanatic about something or at least have the potential to become one"-- |
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| Physical Description: | 1 online resource (231 pages) : illustrations |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 0197783880 9780197783894 0197783899 9780197783870 0197783872 9780197783887 |