As Hannah Arendt argued, there is one common thread which connects individuals drawn to all kinds of extremist ideologies — This essay provides a deep look into the personal aspects of totalitarianism. Drawn from Arendt’s writing on the origins of totalitarianism, it makes the case that a profound loneliness– a disconnection from our common humanity– is what draws people to support these desperate philosophies.

She says the inability to countenance internal dialogue and see things from more than one point of view characterizes the true believers of this ilk. Longing for one single total answer to all of life’s dualities and struggles leads these people to seize upon a totalitarian system.

It’s a long but rewarding essay!

— Read on aeon.co/essays/loneliness-is-the-common-ground-of-terror-and-extremism