Negotiation and compromise are considered dishonorable, even treasonous. This can lead to splintering which may result in groups more violent than the parent organization. Cultural The treatment of life in general and particularly individual life is a cultural characteristic that has a significant impact on terrorism. The lives of others being wholly evil in their value system can be taken with little or no remorse. A major cultural determinant of terrorism is the perception of outsiders and anticipation of a threat to ethnic group survival.
People are sensitive to values by which they identify themselves.
The most volatile of the cultural identifiers may be religion because it encompasses values deeply held. Terrorism in the name of religion can be especially violent. An extraordinary act of desperation becomes a religious duty in the mind of the religiously motivated terrorist. Among this subgroup, there is also a high level of commitment and willingness to risk death.