T
he Jewish People is not unique in having martyrs, people who offer their lives in defense of their beliefs. Many noble personalities who spend a lifetime searching for truth, or who care deeply for the wellbeing of others, are willing to offer their lives in defense of that truth or to save human lives.
Rash young people have also allowed themselves to be killed in defense of their leaders’ interests due to intense brainwashing and promises of a blissful afterlife. The Japanese kamikazes of World War II as well as today’s Islamic shahid fit the profile of this kind of martyr.
A psychologist can understand the motives of these martyrs. He can explain why these people override the overwhelmingly powerful instinct of self-preservation and offer their lives in the service of an ideal, and his explanation will make eminent, rational sense. He can also explain how brainwashing works in producing suicide bombers.
