Can't be sure what you mean by the "obliterating the self", but if it is to do with lack of the exercise of "rational common sense" then perhaps there is your answer.
The beliefs and everyday motivations of the vast majority of people whether fundamentalists, idealists, atheists or even vegans are not governed by nor do they depend on rational common sense or thinking.
The extent to which any genuine thinking is used ... which itself is quite rare, is almost always only as a "servant" to the more basic emotional habits and bodily impulses as they formed from a very young age.
Look at the enormous amount of intellectual activity from countless religious folk pretending to find a rational basis for their irrational beliefs or what is "written".
The same can be said of the non religious but religion is a popular topic here on P&R.
