Glorious heroics or the rule of fear

Of course, in reality, suicide bombings can't be statements of lust or gluttony. They are statements of anger and anger is always based on a perception, whether valid or not, of injustice.

People can get angry about injustices either to themselves or to others. In general, getting constantly angry about injustices to yourself means you're a pain in the butt. In contrast, getting angry at injustices to others can make you a hero ... or a monster.

Contrary to common intuition, research suggests that suicide bombers are not particularly poor, uneducated, miserable or psychopathic. They're vulnerable, and the kind of people who, once they make a commitment to their group, must fulfil it. Suicide bombers might be stirred to anger, but they're too compliant to consider telling a power-tripping cleric where he can stick his dynamite. Like Samson collapsing the Philistine temple, they'll fight perceived injustice, whatever the consequences.

Many children have an instinctive dislike of goodie-goodies. Humans want social stability but don't want the power of their rulers, like childhood school teachers, to be too overwhelming. Suicide bombers are the ultimate goodie-goodies. That's why rebellious thrill-seekers might sometimes be dangerous, but aren't suicide bomber material. David Hicks, the Australian detainee formerly of Guantanamo Bay, could well fit into this category.

Meanwhile, our leaders play their own games.

Half a millennium ago, a remarkable little book was written on political psychology. Its author is to power-brokers as Randi the Magician is to spoonbenders. Revealing the tricks of a trade is no recipe for popularity.

Machiavelli wrote that rulers could control their subjects with either love or fear but fear was simpler. This means the switch never gets flicked to vaudeville.

So here's a survival tip for our species: when you look in the mirror, see the chimp. And don't be afraid.