<p>Research in psychology remains divided on whether some people are more susceptible to violent extremism than others and, if so, what characterizes these individuals. The central debate revolves around whether individuals who engage in violent extremism are mentally ill or ‘just like everyone else’. However, this debate misses the observation that healthy individuals respond differently when facing the same situations and conditions. This notion has prompted renewed attention to individual differences underlying violent extremism, particularly individual differences in social perception, motivation and cognition. In this Review, we argue that some individuals might not only be more susceptible to violent extremism in response to social circumstances but might also actively seek out extremist environments that resonate with their personality. We propose that understanding violent extremism requires integrating trait-descriptive models (such as Big Five and HEXACO) with process-oriented frameworks that outline mechanisms in social reactivity, needs and mindsets that make some individuals more at risk for engaging in violent extremism. This integrative perspective offers a nuanced foundation for future research and can inform targeted, psychologically informed interventions.</p>