Spoiler!

Terror Management Theory (TMT) is a premise held within social psychology stating that all human behavior, of individuals and large groups, is motivated by the fear of mortality.


Through decades of studies, Solomon and his colleagues have shown that people suppress their fear of mortality by supporting those who are similar to themselves. "If somebody does something that's in accord with your belief system, then being reminded of death should make you like them more so," Solomon says.

People don't just respond by clinging to their in-group. They act in ways that make them feel better about themselves, whether that's demonstrating their physical prowess or buying status goods. In short, Solomon says, "we shore up our self-esteem in response to existential anxieties."

* * *

Clay Routledge, Jamie Arndt, Jamie L. Goldenberg:
"Perhaps ironically, the current studies suggest that some of the behaviors that people engage in to defend
themselves from death concerns can actually increase the probability of succumbing to disease and death."
 "Terror Management and Aggression"
Holly A. McGregor, Joel D. Lieberman, Jeff Greenberg, Sheldon Solomon, Jamie Am&, Linda Simon:
"the fear of death plays
a major role in intergroup aggression"

https://www.npr.org/2019/09/13/76059...s-our-behavior
https://www.npr.org/2019/09/23/76347...nquering-death