New research published in Evolutionary Psychological Science proposes a proactive model where envy, with its capacity to intensify scrutiny of social disparities and drive competitive neutralization, forms the core of radicalizing behaviors. From 2012 to 2016, about 4,000 citizens from diverse European Union cities made the choice to join militant factions in Syria. This decision, despite inherent risks, challenges traditional understandings of collective action theory, which posits that individuals might prefer benefiting from the actions of others without direct participation. Traditional ra…