Is Donald Trump taking advantage of his supporters' fears of death? What the theory of terror management offers us

Death and destruction from climate crises – floods, fires, hurricanes and heat.

Then there is the multimedia fireworks display of tragic accidents, gruesome images of devastating wars, seemingly random local street violence, warnings of a third world war and dire distress signals about the dangers of increasing authoritarianism on the eve of the US presidential election and its possible return to power Climate skeptic Donald Trump.

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Combine these stressors with our personal reminders of mortality: new gray hairs, an unexpected medical diagnosis, the death of our friends or colleagues related to COVID-19, and we find ourselves dealing with surprising and unwelcome fears.

But trying to get through our days as largely functioning, civilized adults while paralyzed by fear of our inevitable death is neither optimal nor sustainable. Luckily, our brains have a hardwired, helpful strategy explained by the “terror management theory.”

Defense mechanisms

Terrorism researchers have shown that we all have predictable defense mechanisms designed to suppress our awareness of death. Unfortunately, these defense mechanisms can also contribute to destructive social forces.

To make them less dangerous, it is important to recognize and understand how these defense mechanisms work. These defense mechanisms depend heavily on our pre-existing identities and whether death consciousness is operating in our conscious or subconscious minds.

When fears of death are conscious, our defenses include denial, rationalization, distraction, and building self-esteem, often through consumption or consumer behavior. We build ourselves up by gathering or protecting our resources—for example, by negotiating higher incomes or trying to avoid taxes—and by purchasing essentials to keep our families safe.

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Fear of death also triggers conspicuous consumption to signal our social status and strengthen our self-esteem. In terror management theory, money is valued because money buys security, and security means avoiding death, at least for a short while longer.

When fears of death are unconscious or just “background noise,” the situation becomes more complex and problematic. Some of us will harden our identities and ideas about what we believe is right or just, what we are entitled to, and with whom we share resources, opportunities, and power.

Sometimes we show greater hostility toward groups that are visually or behaviorally different from us: immigrants, religious minorities, or even international students. As these defenses emerge and coalesce, we blame “others” for the problems, large and small, that we experience or perceive.

The result is increasing societal fragmentation and polarization, rather than capitalizing on people's diverse ideas, perspectives and experiences.

Authoritarian playbook

When mortality awareness becomes embedded throughout society—for example, during a deadly pandemic or climate catastrophe—manipulating people's fears of death becomes a tempting path to power for authoritarians or would-be authoritarians like Trump.

Some people become receptive to a charismatic figure's promises of security, rules and a return to a better time.

German psychology professor Immo Fritsche and his colleagues have found clear evidence that climate change has increased authoritarian attitudes and support for authoritarian leadership styles.

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Other researchers found that people who did not previously have authoritarian tendencies—after controlling for their political affiliation and ideology—expressed greater support for authoritarian leadership when they experienced mortality consciousness.

In a later study, Fritsche's findings were even more devastating: defenses against death generated “prejudice, stereotypes, aggression and racism, which in turn can lead to the escalation of violent conflicts between groups and thus to the escalation of wars.”

Although this course is not guaranteed, ignoring the influence of mortality defenses on social dynamics seems both short-sighted and foolish.

Be a hero

So what can we do to avoid the worst consequences of polarization, antagonism against marginalized and racialized communities, authoritarianism and potential violence?

Good news: First, positive worldviews and identities can be strengthened even when we feel threatened by death. People who see the world as a collective, are willing to welcome others, and are committed to preserving civil society can step up their efforts when their mortality is at the forefront. These people need to be supported and celebrated.

Second, a final defense against mortality fears is to boost our self-esteem through positive “hero projects.” Through these activities—philanthropy, child education, artwork or literature, teaching, protest, or activism for social change—we commit ourselves to action that may not be in our immediate self-interest, but we persist despite difficulty, discomfort, and often daunting odds.

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In our hero projects, we may take less but give more, directing our energy toward outcomes that will hopefully benefit our community long after we are gone.

The authoritarians among us are already adept at manipulating our fears of mortality to their own advantage. We can accept their preferred course of power or recognize the influence of mortality fears and create alternatives in the days, weeks, months and years to come.