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Liked It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “Frightening book. The fact that it was written over 50 years ago makes me want to believe that Eric Hoffer was looking into a crystal ball when he wrote this and saw a horrifying image of G.W. I hated to read this book - it was very compelling and extremely scary.” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“A chilling look inside the soul of the fanatic, whether political, religious or ethnic. Feeling himself personally inadequate, the fanatic seeks to absorb meaning from a greater Cause. Dissent form the Cause becomes a personal threat, an attack on one's very being. Our modern hate based politics are a perfect example of deriving value for the Self by demeaning the Other. A creepy and insightful book. ”
Sorella M wrote this review Wednesday, July 8 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Hoffer's brief reflection has been very helpful to me in understanding just what goes in the kind of thinking that individuals must have who comprise a mass movement. I think it should be a companion book to Orwell's 1984 (it was originally published just two years after the classic novel) and it should be included along with Hannah Arendt, Jose Ortega y Gassett, Walter Benjamin, Herbert Marcuse, even Jacques Barzun, as a voice contributing to the sociological patterns that have emerged lately.
Mark V wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
I learned from this book that many of the true believers in mass movements have been frustrated in some previous capacity. The appeal of the movement lies in surrending one's failed and frustrated self in order to be successful (yet anonymous) in a larger body. If a frustrated one attaches to the larger movement, then the movement's corporate life becomes the new vitality and reason for being. Making the mass movement from the many frustrated ones, Hoffer states, is akin to making "the slime" that acts as the mortor to cement the bricks of the movement together.
I learned that successful mass movements must have an enemy to rise against and counter. Not having some opposition (whether real or imagined) lessens the momentum of the movement. He notes that the Catholic Church had greater corruption at work in the 10th C. but because the true believers never questioned its authority (albeit corrupt), it proceeded on unchallenged; this is different in the 16th C. when Luther led the Protestant revolt since the printing presses had been working for a few generations already and an informed group of critics (not true believers) challenged the abuses that it saw at work.
Also, hatred, imitation, suspicion, coercion, action, and ignorance all become the key ingredients for mass movements perpetuity. Hoffer writes that propaganda is not that great of a factor since, in order for propaganda to be effective, it must use the fertile soil of rudderless, frustrated individuals who have not made a commitment to anything nor have the capacity to make free decisions. If the people can think for themselves and have meaningful lives filled with existential freedoms, propaganda is barren and ineffective. I thought that this was a key insight.
Hoffer stresses that the power of mass movements lies in their ability to remove freedom from free thinking. Having a strong leader who will make all the tough decisions and will impose tight restrictions means that it is no longer the responsibility of the individual to have to make tough choice (and hence, risk failure). Having a free thinking society is the best defense against the true believers in mass movements (Fascism, Nazism, Communism, Christianity, Islam, Puritan Revolution, American and French Revolutions, Protestantism, and Catholicism).
Overall, I recommend this small study. I didn't agree with every item, but I still think that it is well worth taking up and reading. He writes in short sections that at times seemed to be aphorisms and gaining new insights will be your reward.”
“Eric Hoffer is amazing. Author of more than 10 books, a self-educated migrant field-worker, then a longshoreman in San Francisco for 25 years. President Reagan awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1983. This book is his classic, dealing with "the active, revivalist phase of mass movements. This phase is dominated by the true believer--the man of fanatical faith who is ready to sacrifice his life for a holy cause..." Hoffer offers many insights on the French Revolution, Communist Revolutions, Nazi movement, religion, and nationalist movements. Eloquently written and full of insights for any student of human behavior who wants a deeper understanding of the power of mass movements to change history. I've only read two other of Hoffer's books, but so far, this one is by far his best.”
Ron B wrote this review Saturday, June 27 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Overview: Editorial Review.
The Literary Hammer wrote this review Friday, January 30 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
A stevedore on the San Francisco docks in the 1940s, Eric Hoffer wrote philosophical treatises in his spare time while living in the railroad yards. "The True Believer"--the first and most famous of his books--was made into a bestseller when President Eisenhower cited it during one of the earliest television press conferences. Completely relevant and essential for understanding the world today, "The True Believer" is a visionary, highly provocative look into the mind of the fanatic and a penetrating study of how an individual becomes one. ”
“A must-read for anyone interested in political science. From one decade to another, a constant resource of what goes on in the minds of those attracted to mass movements, political philosophies, etc.”
Ballroom_Pink wrote this review Friday, November 28 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Want to understand a mass movement? Do you sometimes wonder how trends start,fads, even wars? This book explains it more clearly than anything I have ever read. ”
Steve G wrote this review Sunday, September 21 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“One of the greatest books ever written. Want to know why your professor is a complete kook despite all his education? Written by a longshoreman. Helped me understand why the dumbest people I have ever met all have degrees.”
shipwreck wrote this review Monday, February 11 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No1 of 1 members found this review helpful“Frightening book. The fact that it was written over 50 years ago makes me want to believe that Eric Hoffer was looking into a crystal ball when he wrote this and saw a horrifying image of G.W. I hated to read this book - it was very compelling and extremely scary. ”
Gracie's Book Picks wrote this review Monday, December 31 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
1 of 1 members found this review helpful“Hoffer looks at the psychological underpinnings of what he calls the true believer. He offers a portrait of society as vast clusters of true believers. He asks questions about what moves men to action and how conflict arises between men. I remember an interesting line in this book where he states that a group of people don't need to believe in God in order to act together in a movement of some sort but they do need a devil. There must be some evil other onto which they can project the worst of their fears and animosities. For the Nazis it was the Jews but it's a pattern that can be seen repeated the world over.
Gabriel V wrote this review Tuesday, November 6 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Hoffer was a self educated longshoreman in San Francisco. He wrote about the world from the trenches and has left us an invaluable contribution; his writings help illuminate a dark corner of humanity filled with people of all sorts acting, sometimes violently, with their own version of best intentions. It's a fascinating read and definitely relevant to our times.”
