What makes an extremist?

What turns a seemingly normal, well-educated young man into someone who believes so strongly in a religion or philosophy that he is willing and eager to take up arms for it? Going one step further, he's even willing to die for it?

This article in The New Yorker is a short but deep sojourn into the vicious cocktail of seemingly innocuous circumstances that may direct a young man or woman down the deadly path to becoming a suicide bomber.

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The author delves into various experiences, including his own, and outlines how a combination of youthful rebellion, spiritual yearning, immigrant isolation, racial discrimination and existentialist crises could work havoc on the psyche of a susceptible youth.

(Ed note -- Raj)
I originally thought of posting this as a comment to the previous Nathuram Godse post, because I think the same factors explain his large part, his actions too, but decided this article merited a post (and subsequent discussion) of its own.