Terror management and the reactions to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001

How do we confront the finite nature of life? The paper is focussing on affective and cognitive consequences of the confrontation with death, especially on fear and anxiety. The recognition that extinction of my own existence can happen any time, is triggering off existential anxiety. Terror management theory of self-esteem is making predictions about the effects of the awareness of mortality. It is proposed that when mortality is made salient, individuals show positive reactions to those who support their cultural world views, and show negative reactions to those who threaten their beliefs. Own vulnerability and mortality was made salient to millions of people by the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington. Some public responses to the September 11th events will be described and explained from a terror management perspective.