The Worm at the Core: On the Role of Death in Life

by Sheldon Solomon

In a 2006 experiment, American conservatives reminded of their mortality or the events of 9/11 were more supportive of preemptive nuclear and chemical attacks on countries that posed no immediate threat to the United States. They also felt that capturing or killing Osama bin Laden was worth such a risk, even if thousands of innocent civilians were killed or injured in the process. Another study found that death reminders made Americans more accepting of U.S. intelligence using brutal and humiliating interrogation techniques (torture) on foreign suspects. Parallel studies in Israel found that reminders of mortality led politically conservative Israelis to view violence against the Palestinians as more justified. These participants were also more supportive of a preemptive nuclear attack on Iran. And after pondering their mortality, Iranian college students increased their support for martyrdom attacks on the United States; they were also more interested in becoming suicide bombers themselves.