Some people respond to feelings of powerlessness by turning to humanitarian aims, but would-be terrorists draw on violent ideologies.
Even though a human (or humans) caused the carnage at the finish line, such acts of kindness, as well as a sense of empathy, are actually hard to overcome — even for the terrorists, psychologists say.
“A whole industry of propaganda is aimed” at convincing potential terrorists that their intended victims are worthy of death,” said Arie Kruglanski, a psychologist at the University of Maryland who has researched the roots of terrorism.
