The novels below highlight three women whose brilliance, tenacity and courage are dedicated to the groups they cherish like family. The urge to defend the group becomes as primal as the urge to defend the self. When the group is persecuted or attacked, it feels, to the fused person, like a deeply personal attack. Once fused, people start to treat the group as part of themselves and feel energized and empowered by that sensation. This emotional tie goes way beyond merely “group identification” as the group is perceived to be a new family altogether. This sense of “oneness” may stem from either shared suffering or the profound conviction that one shares essential qualities with other members of a group community. The concept of “identity fusion” postulates that when an individual experiences a visceral sense of “oneness” or kinship with a group, they become capable of extreme acts of self-sacrifice. Yet new research suggests that every human being holds the potential for extreme self-sacrifice in the right circumstances. The idea that one’s beliefs or deeply held ideals drive this behavior is seductive.
Movie review: Viola Davis reigns supreme in historical epic 'The Woman King' While sacrificing personal happiness for professional success is imaginable, what possesses a woman – or anyone, for that matter – to make the ultimate self-sacrifice of one’s life? In other words, what motivates someone to lay down their life for others? Psychologists historically attribute the willingness to walk into danger on behalf of a group or country to the notion of defending deeply held beliefs and ideals, or the desire to protect loved ones from external physical threat. While changing gender expectations may ultimately alter this, women still report, even in 2022, that achieving big career dreams often involves substantial sacrifices, such as time for romantic or family relationships, personal health and even one’s voice in the workplace. Ample evidence exists that women who make it to the very top of their professions often feel forced to make substantial personal sacrifices that men typically do not.
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