#25 Sheldon Solomon: How the Fear of Death Shapes the World

#25 Sheldon Solomon: How the Fear of Death Shapes the World

From The Initiation by Sebastian Dienst

September 3, 2026 · 1h 6m · Season 1 · Episode 25

About this episode

Sheldon Solomon discusses how the fear of death influences human behavior and societal dynamics.

What if one of the most powerful forces shaping human behaviour is something we rarely talk about - our fear of death? Sheldon Solomon is a social psychologist and one of the world’s leading researchers on terror management theory - the idea, inspired by Ernest Becker’s The Denial of Death , that our awareness of mortality quietly shapes much of human behaviour. For more than four decades, Sheldon and his colleagues have studied what happens when people are reminded of their mortality. Their research suggests that death anxiety can make us cling more tightly to our beliefs, become more hostile towards those who are different, seek money and status, support authoritarian leaders and even become more willing to exploit the natural world. But there is another possibility. What happens when, instead of denying death, we actually turn towards it? In this conversation, we explore: Why humans are uniquely aware of their own mortality How terror management theory helps explain seemingly irrational human behaviour Why fear of death can intensify tribalism, polarisation and hostility How existential anxiety can increase our attraction to authoritarian leaders Why money and status can…

People in this episode

Host: Sebastian Dienst

Guest: Sheldon Solomon

Topics covered

  • fear of death
  • terror management theory
  • human behavior
  • mortality awareness
  • existential anxiety
  • tribalism
  • authoritarianism

Keywords

  • death anxiety
  • human behavior
  • tribalism
  • authoritarian leaders
  • environmental destruction
  • mindfulness
  • near-death experiences

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