Extremist Thinking and Its Negative Effects

Extremist Thinking and Its Negative Effects

One day, Iblees (Satan) said to his companion, “Come, let me show you a spectacle.”
He pointed to a small town and said, “It has been decreed that this town must be destroyed today.”

In the marketplace, a sweet-maker had placed a large cauldron on a stove, in which sugar syrup was boiling.
Iblees dipped his finger into the syrup and smeared a bit of it onto a wall.
Before long, flies arrived.
Seeing the flies, a lizard took position to catch them.
A cat, sitting nearby, pounced on the lizard.
Just then, a soldier passed by with his hunting dog.
The dog lunged at the cat. The cat, startled, lost balance and fell into the cauldron of syrup.
Angered by the disruption, the sweet-maker threw a heavy blow at the dog, killing it instantly.
The soldier, furious at his dog's death, attacked the sweet-maker and left him badly injured.
The locals, seeing the sweet-maker being beaten, attacked the soldier.
When news of this reached the army, the soldiers, driven by revenge, launched a full assault on the town.
Within a few hours, the entire town was reduced to rubble—all because of a single act of extremism.

This fictional story reflects the reality of our current society.
We live in a world where narrow-mindedness, prejudice, and intolerance are on the rise.
People are unwilling to give space to others.
Even minor disagreements can spark lifelong feuds.
This rigid mindset is growing day by day.
The reason is that many of us view people and situations only in black and white—right or wrong—with no room for in-between.
But people are complex. Every person goes through different circumstances that shape their behavior.
If someone reacts angrily in a certain moment, there may be a reason behind it. It doesn’t mean they are always rude or harsh.
They could be kind and gentle but temporarily overwhelmed by a particular situation.

Often, extremist thinking begins at home, when parents teach their children that certain relatives are "not good."
In the neighborhood, we hear people say, “That family isn’t good.”
In institutions, one group says another party or organization isn’t good—without explaining why.
These vague judgments are passed down from one generation to the next, without question.

Such extremism grows to the point that we admire even the flaws of someone we love, but view even the beauty of someone we dislike as dull or dark.
We see this when families reject marriage proposals simply because the suitor is from a different clan.
For example, a Syed family may reject a wonderful proposal just because the other party isn't Syed.
This shows how we reduce people and choices to just black or white, while life is mostly lived in the grey area—a space where clear judgments cannot always be made.

The grey area means not everything is absolutely right or wrong.
We need to allow space for different perspectives.

Life is never static. It’s complicated and filled with highs and lows.
Sometimes it’s dark, sometimes dazzlingly bright.
With time, people evolve. What once seemed wrong may now seem right.
Different people, cultures, and experiences shape our views.
A custom praised in one culture may be frowned upon in another.
This diversity is the beauty of the universe—one that the Creator Himself has embedded in nature.
If He wished, He could have created us all the same.
But instead, the world holds seven billion unique individuals.
This means we must learn to tolerate, accept, and respect differences, rather than jumping to conclusions.

Sometimes, people become fanatical followers of their favorite personalities.
This blind devotion can be very dangerous.
When people stop thinking critically and follow blindly, they lose their freedom of thought.
They consider everything their role model does as right—even when it’s wrong.
They base their life decisions on that person’s opinions and start to hate everyone who disagrees.

This blind imitation stunts personal growth.
The person becomes closed to new ideas, assuming that only their leader's views are correct.
Their life becomes hollow, lacking purpose.
The leader, in turn, feels powerful and may exploit followers for personal gain, filling their minds with negativity.
This leads to widespread division and chaos in society.

Such followers often join groups where no dissent is allowed.
Only those who agree blindly are accepted.
Those who think differently are rejected or labeled enemies.

There are also people who carry deep hatred for others—another form of extremism.
This, too, brings great harm.

Extreme hatred shuts down the mind.
It makes a person unwilling to listen to others, even if they are right.
Hatred breeds false assumptions, and the person refuses to see any good in the one they dislike.
They isolate themselves, while most of society prefers love and peace.
Such hatred brings mental stress, anger, and anxiety.
It damages mental health, weakens both the individual and the community, and increases the chances of conflict.
People start making rash decisions without proof, harming even innocent lives.
Worst of all, hatred kills constructive dialogue.
When ideas cannot be shared, solutions cannot be found.

Now let us look at the general harms of extremist thinking:

A person who thinks in absolutes faces many challenges.
Such people lack flexibility, making it hard to adapt to new places or people.
They always want to impose their ideas.
They are unwilling to compromise or consider other viewpoints, preventing harmony and progress.

They also struggle to build teams or connect with others, believing only their view is right.
Their divisive words break societies apart.
They promote an “us vs. them” mindset, which fuels sectarianism and conflict.
Extremists fear new knowledge or experiences because they feel threatened by ideas that challenge them.
They fail to realize that embracing change could help them grow and improve.

Looking at everything through an extreme lens is mentally exhausting.
It can lead to stress, depression, rage, and hopelessness.
In the end, such a person becomes ineffective.
They fail to solve problems, spread hatred instead of peace, and contribute little to society.

If you want a peaceful, successful, and meaningful life, you must cleanse your mind of extremism.
Don’t reduce life to just “right or wrong.”
Embrace the grey area.
This will develop flexibility—a vital trait that helps you navigate all kinds of challenges.
You’ll learn to accept others, make room for different ideas, and encourage growth in yourself and others.
This attitude opens the door to endless opportunities.

The Sufi or wanderer is always traveling.
He meets people of all kinds, visits many cultures and regions.
This broadens his vision and deepens his insight, bringing him closer to the Creator.
His gentle and flexible attitude draws people in, and through him, they are guided to God.

A person who lives in the grey area has countless opportunities to grow.
Such people accept others, stay humble, and value different opinions.
They live in peace.

Imagine needing to enter a room, but to reach it, you must first pass through a ten-foot door, then a four-foot door, and finally, crawl through a tunnel.
You can only reach the room if you bend for the small door and lie low for the tunnel.

Prayer (salah) teaches us the same principle.
First we stand, then bow, then prostrate.
The real purpose of prayer is to conquer the ego.
It teaches us that in life, we must know when to stand, when to bend, and when to lower ourselves completely.
Stand firm for truth, admit your faults, and seek forgiveness when needed.

Life isn’t confined or limited.
It’s a vast field.
To succeed, we must broaden our minds, reject extremism, and develop flexibility within ourselves.
Only then can we become useful and impactful human beings.
Otherwise, we’ll live our whole lives as nothing more than frogs in a well.