Fanatics

I have been doing a little research (if you can call it that) on the life of Cicero for the purpose of writing a short play about a trial he took part in; I came across this, can't recall who wrote it but think it may have been Anthony Trollope who wrote a book on his life, part of which book I read on line. It is this: "Cicero was urbane, tolerant, humane, deeply learned and sceptical.... he was hostile to all fanatics."
So am I. Well, not so much hostile (too much of a coward to argue against them because some of them are so so passionate about what they believe, they'll kill for it), no not so much hostile as "please leave me alone, give me a break," sort of attitude.
"Fanaticism," says Wickipedia, "is a belief or behaviour involving uncritical zeal, particularly for an extreme religious or political cause."
Fanaticism and scepticism do not go together; in fact they are on opposite sides of a "belief thermometer". The fanatic believes one thing, the sceptic questions everything.
Which brings me to Bertrand Russell who was, in a way a peculiar, paradoxical mix of these qualities. On the one hand he believed that by countries proceeding with the arms race involving nuclear weapons, the world would in 25 years be destroyed (it hasn't but still could be) and engaged in activities like going on marches, making speeches, denouncing leaders of the free world and the communist world; yet he could also write the following in his introduction to his book, "Sceptical Essays": "I wish to propose a doctrine which may, I fear, appear wildly paradoxical and subversive. The doctrine in question is this: that it is undesirable to believe a proposition when there is no ground whatever for supposing it to be true."
I recall a Labour MP telling one of his number who had "crossed the floor" to the Tories that it was the most shameful act possible. It's not. It's the act of someone who has thought things through, who has an open mind, and who decides to change it. Such a person is certainly not a fanatic; the man who accused him may very well be.
Churchill had a few words to say about fanatics: "A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject". I can't recall how many times he "crossed the floor".