The True Believer (Eric Hoffer)

This is a thumbnail sketch of a few of the ideas from Eric Hoffer's book The True Believer
go to: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060505915/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=c...

Category:

Education

Tags:

• The True Believer
• Eric Hoffer
• fanaticism
• dogmatism
• fundamentalism

[gregvandenberge]

Thanks For the book review, I just got it and it looks like a fantastic book.

[Professoranton]

@gregvandenberge Great to hear. Good for you.

[payool34]

Check out Robert Anton Wilson. He may convince some that perhaps our "reality tunnels" should remain a bit plastic. We have to assume that our perception is right or else why pursue it otherwise? But maybe they should be jettisoned like some old outgrown snakeskin when they prove to be confining. Maybe.

[Professoranton]

@payool34 I love Wilson's stuff. Cosmic Trigger is one of my favorites.

[matrixcmitech]

put hoffer in one hand and jacques ellul (propaganda) in the other and mash them up!

[Professoranton]

Seriously, good mash.

[randyhelzerman]

Good points, but we should also look in the dark mirror.  Everybody is a true believer (in this sense) in SOMETHING.

[SonofNewo]

Getting this book, thanks for pointing it out. I should pay you a commission :).

[gmallast]

Also try reading Leon Festinger, "When Prophesy Fails."

[deadballo]

Hoffer's book gave me perspective on many current events like the Wall St. protests.

A must read!

[Ahabite]

Best part of Hoffer: He was an autodidact and wrote while living a life of very hard work. They don't make too many writers like that anymore. Reading 'The True Believer'

was revelatory for me, and I was astounded that he disappeared from modern booklists. It was really nice to see that you not only read it, you shared it with us.

Thank you kindly

[tjttzcspplt]

Movements don't always have to be negative and leading to hatred, necessarily. It sounds as though he despised unity of any kind. Yet, good things can happen if people unify in a positive direction. America was founded on a mass movement.

[garybsg]

Hoffer's book is amazing. Of all the worthless books that I have read by Ivy league authors and to think the best I ever read was by a dockworker. He has nailed islamicist perfectly.

[MurderGod666]

wow, ive been waiting so patiently to hear of just one more great writer, and here he is, im getting that book tommorow

[ceounicom]

as a discoverer of hoffer myself.. good job. It is one of the most important books to read that there is.

[Kurtlane]

So there is no general cure for frustration. Raise standard of living, create and enforce equal rights, and frustration is just as much there, if not more. ("What do you mean I'm equal. I'm superior!")

Except maybe exposing the ridiculous frustrations for what they are: ridiculous.

And also, the true believer rallying around the flag of hatred is not nearly as dangerous as the true believer, with all his hatred, rallying around the flag of love. Or peace. Or justice. Or global oneness.

[Kurtlane]

Yes, absolutely.

I am reading The True Believer right now, and it's excellent.

Two comments:

Notice that Eric Hoffer is careful to say "frustration," not "wrong" or "poverty" or "suffering." Because that frustration upon examination may or may not turn out to be reasonable. By any standards. A millionaire may be very frustrated he's not a billionaire.

(cont.)

[77Merav]

Eric Hoffer:)

wow thank you for the video

[Forkroute]

Do you have anything similar to this book?

[stephenetienne]

In which section is the quote about "Self-righteousness is a loud din . . "? Thanks.

[elgrancarlito]

Blind Athiesm is just as ignorant as religion. When Some one tells me they believe in god, i ask them if they believe in the easter bunny. This is usually met with some confusion but when I tell them that there is just as much evidence for the easter bunny, santa clause, zeus, horrus and any other invention of the mind as their is for god they can never disprove it. A logical athiest would ask, can you disprove santa case? Any argument for the existence of god would work just as well for zeus

[haggsbo]

A great book indeed! I will be buying another copy as mine was given away...thx for the reminder!!