TO DETERMINE WHAT ENVIRONMENTS AND PERSONALITIES BECOME INVOLVED IN TERRORISM AND WHAT TERRORISTS THINK ABOUT THEIR ACTIONS, THIS ESSAY ANALYZES THE REACTIONS ATTRIBUTED TO TERRORISTS ATTACKS ON PEOPLE AND PROPERTY. A GENERAL OUTLINE OF THE WAYS TERRORISTS MIGHT VIEW THEIR ACTIONS AS SERVING THEIR GOALS IS PROPROSED. BOMBINGS MAY BE INTENDED TO HEIGHTEN ATTENTION TO PERSONAL GRIEVANCES AND TO COERCE AUTHORITIES INTO ALLOWING ACCESS TO THE MEDIA FOR THE REVOLUTIONARIES. CONVINCED THAT THE SOCIAL ORDER FRUSTRATES THE INTERESTS OF THE MAJORITY, WHO COULD BE GRATIFIED ONLY BY THE PROFOUND CHANGES WHICH TERRORISTS FAVOR, THE VIOLENT TERRORISTS SEEK WIDESPREAD PUBLICITY. HOWEVER, THEY MAY ALSO CONFUSE THE PUBLICITY ON THEIR VIOLENCE WITH INDICATIONS OF PUBLIC SUPPORT. FOR SOME POTENTIAL TERRORISTS, THE DISPLAYS OF VIOLENCE SERVE AS RECRUITING DEVICES. OFFENDERS SEEM TO SHARE DISPARATE THOUGHTS OF EITHER DESTROYING A GOVERNMENT IN ONE LARGE STRIKE OR EXHAUSTING IT THROUGH ATTRITION. ATTRIBUTING TO THEMSELVES A CAPACITY FOR MANIPULATING THEIR ENEMIES, THE VIOLENT OFFENDERS MAY ATTEMPT TO CONTROL GOVERNMENTS BY USING REPRISALS AGAINST PROSECUTORS AND JUDGES OR BY ASSAULTING THE SUPPORTERS OF THE GOVERNMENTS. RANDOM VIOLENCE MAY DETER POLICE AND CIVIL SERVANTS FROM CARRYING OUT THEIR DUTIES. THE TERRORIST MENTALITY PREFERS THE USE OF VIOLENT ACTION TO ANY OTHER FORM OF CREATING SOCIAL CHANGE. THE DESTRUCTION MAY ONLY BE PERCEIVED AS AN EXERCISE OF SELF-DEFENSE, OR AS PERSONAL ENTERTAINMENT. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (TWK)