Thoughts about fanatics

A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject. – Winston Churchill

I'm sure everyone has met someone who we would call a fanatic.  I find their persistence admirable and frustrating at the same time.  I'm sure that in my psych class many years ago, I learned behaviors that are rewarded get repeated.  So is a person a fanatic because they are that way by nature, or do the people around them reinforce and help create the fanatic behavior?

I do know, and watch on a daily basis how our cat Dessy is a perfect example of a fanatic.  She can be loud, obnoxious, and won't change the subject until she gets what she wants.  So is she that way by nature or do we as her owners reinforce it?  I think she's obsessive by nature, and because we don't know what else to do except give in to her demands....we've created a fanatic.

I guess it makes me wonder if it is possible to change a fanatic or not?  I wonder if we completely ignored Dessy's demands for a few days if she'd give up?  Maybe we don't want to because we are fanatics in believing the only way to shut her up is to give in and feed her?  Seems a bit like a vicious cycle eh?

Do you have any fanatics in your life?  Do you ever wonder what or who reinforces their behaviors and why they continue on with that behavior?   Maybe I'm a fanatic obsessed with random thoughts...

Time to go, Dessy is meowing for breakfast...thanks for stopping by!  Enjoy your Tuesday!

The stare...before the meow.

The look before the launch from table to cupboard.

The stalking stare...her main target is my
husband, he is the "master of the restaurant"