Gently Cynical Progress: Learning from the Wisdom of Eric Hoffer

The opposite of the religious fanatic is not the fanatical atheist but the gentle cynic who cares not whether there is a god or not.--Eric Hoffer, the Longshoreman Philosopher

When my daughter, who's about to cast her very first vote for Barack Obama, was 6, she told me I couldn't be an atheist, because I had no faith. What I have, dear girl, is a healthy cynicism.  So healthy, in fact, that it often too vigorously cares, and should shut up.

Cross-posted at Backstage with Supak and Street Prophets.

A gentle cynic himself, Eric Hoffer was awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor, by Ronald Reagan. From his Wikipedia page:

Concerned about the rise of totalitarian governments, especially those of Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin, he tried to find the roots of these "madhouses" in human psychology. He discovered that fanaticism and self-righteousness are rooted in self-hatred, self-doubt, and insecurity. As he describes in The True Believer, a passionate obsession with the outside world or with the private lives of other people is merely a craven attempt to compensate for a lack of meaning in one's own life.

Self-righteous fanaticism describes well the current state of Religion and the GOP. Considering the control that Evangelical Airmen have over the US Air Force, one could say it is a very well-armed self-righteous fanaticism that has worked its way into our government. The Evangelical GOP favorite Mike Huckabee offers a stunning example of the Religious Right's successes in running candidates who are more and more theocratic. For these fanatics, religion is not an opiate. It is a crow bar for prying into your rights. It invades our homes, enslaves our women,  controls our bodies, decides our law, and fuels our wars.

The US Constitution says your "highest" law is just that. Yours. If your highest law tells you to dictate religion through government, too bad. We call that unconstitutional. You must be stopped. Fascism and theocracy are crimes in this country. It's not a question of right or left. Over two centuries of American Progress proves that free religion is necessary if we are to have any other freedoms. Freedom from religion seems to be the basis for Peace on Earth.

Whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put  to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.--2 Chr.15:13

With Gods like that, who needs Devils? How can any Christian read that and then criticize the Koran for calling for the murder of infidels? How can any Christian read that and let me live? I really don't care if there's a god or not, so I don't have to kill you. If you believe the Bible is the word of God, then you must kill me right now. Maybe you don't take the Bible literally. Maybe that just means you should pass amendments to the Constitution banning gay marriage and abortion while forcing prayer in public school and abstinence only sex education?

Maybe Satan wrote the Bible.

The Christian Right has slowly changed the GOP, which has painted itself into a red-white-and-blue cross-shaped corner. They are about to learn something else that Eric Hoffer learned about movements: without self-esteem, they go nowhere. Nothing demolishes self-esteem like failure.

Which brings me to George W Bush. His "...craven attempt to compensate for a lack of meaning..." probably feels downright Biblical to him. He thought God told him what to do. He thought wrong. Or Satan did it. Or something. Those left in the GOP who believe Bush has succeeded, that all is well, that Mike Huckabee will be the next President, will know the empty downsizing of failure soon enough. If Mike Huckabee wins the nomination, it will signal the end of Republican dominance in American politics.

Now we begin the slow, gently cynical progress toward sanity, reason, and tolerance.

•  Tips

  for my friend's new blog, Satan Wrote the Bible, which inspired this diary.

  by supak on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 01:03:00 PM PDT

•  Bravo

  The True Believer is one of the most important books about politics I've ever read.  It is the companion to John Dean's Conservatives Without Conscience, dealing with the same personality type more broadly and analytically.  

  I need to dig up my old college copy and reread it.  The better we understand these people, the more likely we will be to marginalize them.

  by Dallasdoc on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 01:42:21 PM PDT

  •  I'm going to have to buy a copy

    as mine is long gone.

    I remember one of my philosophy teachers telling me it was going to be very important (I was in college during the Reagan years). Boy did he know what he was talking about.

    by supak on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 01:52:54 PM PDT

    •  I remember Hoffer

      I grew up in San Francisco, where in his later years he was a fixture on the local public TV channel.  I was too young to appreciate his ideas then, but he was revered as a local prize.

      Later in school I read this book, and it seemed to make sense of a lot of history that had previously confused me.  The idea that most of the evil in the world is brought about by those who value their own beliefs too highly is one of the fundamental tenets of my political philosophy.

      by Dallasdoc on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 01:56:08 PM PDT

•  An Introductory Critique of the True Believer

    By a radical in sds from the 60's.
  An Introductory Critique of the True Believer and Eric Hoffer and Cold War Ideology. Paul Breines and Peter Wiley, n.d. Breines wrote a good book later, "Tough Jews." Peter Wiley co-wrote a book on environmental politics with another former sds'er worth a read too.
  http://www.sunysb.edu/...

  by mosealison on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 09:21:41 PM PDT

•  Some synchronicity here

  I just posted this response (see below) over at L C Johnsons rec'ced diary in today's DK. I agree fully with the Rocky Mt Bible College Pilots Association having full control over our nukes and Dick and W having the launch codes.  Every time I think these people can't go any lower, they not only do but they do it to an extreme that leaves me speechless.

  BTW, with their multiple DUIs and W's "past" problems with alcohol (as opposed to choking pretzels and mountain bike mishaps explaining facial bruises (beats bumping into the door by accident as an excuse (too obvious))), these guys are exhibiting the denial characteristics of end stage alcoholism - along with all the self-centered and self-destructive aspects.

  Herewith the post re: Neocons Hyping Obama:

  "

  It might be an interesting exercise to scrutinize the money flowing into Obama's campaign and supportive 527s.  I am NOT IN ANY WAY saying Obama has sold out.  I hope to vote for him for president in 2016 when he has had sufficient seasoning.

  The neocon artists will gladly toss small to moderate millions into FUD campaigns and bait-and-switch tactics to get the Dems to set up the least electable candidate.  E.g., look for a push by the WSJ for an Obama-Kucinich ticket.  Just kidding.  Sort of, maybe.

  Pay close attention.  What LCJ spotted was too openly heavy-handed.  The real slime and sleaze will be much more cunning and deceptive.

  Pay VERY close attention.  The neocon enemy of all mankind will use every possible trick they can come up with to rig the next election.  (If they lose they always have the SJC, but that might be too much to try that one twice in eight years.)

  And if they can't do that, there's always the possibility of a state-of-emergency postponement of the election and imposition of martial law due to a nuclear terrorist attack on US soil.  

  Impossible you say?  Here's two ingredients for that recipe.  First, you take over the USAF Academy in Colorado by infiltrating it with dominionist zealots over a period of several years.  Use said zealots to purge the staff and student body of any non-true believers.  Second, try a simple test run of the above scenario by loading a B-52 in ND with cruise missiles tipped with active nuclear warheads.  Fly said B-52 to say LA and see how long it takes someone to notice.  Now you have the ingredients in place and a simple test run under your belt.  Wait until the political oven reaches full temperature and launch as needed.  Iran can be substituted for an American city.

  Happy holidays.
  "

  by RUKind on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 10:45:51 PM PDT

•  I've been a fan of Hoffer for forty years.

  Since Eisenhower passed out copies of True Believer to his cabinet, and to many others. My father bought one, and stuck it on his bedstead bookshelf, so I read it along with all the others.

  I've got my own copy now, of course. Five years ago, it was hard to find. Now Amazon has it for $8 with shipping.

  I'd update it with some substitutions of current cognitive science for the old Freudian terminology he was forced to used.

  I can't improve on his revelation that basically revolutions are fought by people with no self-esteem from having a work product, a sense of social belonging gained from being a useful member of society.

  Therefore a society that produces nothing will be ripe for demagoguery.

  Bingo.

  by ormondotvos on Thu Dec 27, 2007 at 12:58:46 AM PDT

•  relevant quotes

  "Propaganda does not deceive people; it merely helps them to deceive themselves."
  -- Eric Hoffer

  Take away hatred from some people, and you have men without faith.
  -- Eric Hoffer (1902–83), U.S. philosopher. The Passionate State of Mind, aph. 225 (1955).

  Intolerance is the "Do Not Touch" sign on something that cannot bear touching. We do not mind having our hair ruffled, but we will not tolerate any familiarity with the toupee which covers our baldness.
  -- Eric Hoffer (1902–83), U.S. philosopher. The Passionate State of Mind, aph. 62 (1955).

  To know a person’s religion we need not listen to his profession of faith but must find his brand of intolerance.
  -- Eric Hoffer (1902–83), U.S. philosopher. The Passionate State of Mind, aph. 215 (1955).

  by NCrefugee on Thu Dec 27, 2007 at 04:46:19 AM PDT

•  true believer for a true believer

  i read eric hoffer when i was a nineteen year old sophmore at brigham young university. i had been the ultimate true believing mormon...but i was beginning to bridle at all the absolutes and narrowness of owning the Truth.

  the true believer profoundly changed my life. some thirty years later, i still approach any fanatical, logic-challenged ideas with great wariness. at the same time, losing my belief in god has come with an unexpected sense of relief. and peace, if you will.

  ironic that ronald reagan, a man whose charisma and lack of substance typifies the leader most able to amass true believers, was the one to award hoffer the presidential medal of honor.

  by enitatorres on Thu Dec 27, 2007 at 04:56:18 AM PDT

  •  Some conservatives

    tried to claim Hoffer as one of theirs, but he was very apolitical. More science based. I suppose that in his day, skepticism was considered "conservative." Now it's just logical to me.

    I don't think it would take a genius to figure he wouldn't be to happy with all this.

    Eric Hoffer, The True Believer, p. 161: "In the eyes of the true believer, people who have no holy cause are without backbone and character -- a pushover for men of faith."

    by supak on Thu Dec 27, 2007 at 03:49:57 PM PDT

•  how far does cynicism extend

  I find formerly reliable and pleasant cynics falling into the belief structure of environmentalism, which has all the elements of a dogmaitc faith, complete with the indulgences for sale, as peddled by that smiling girl that used to hand out on this site with an open box of carbon credits. Just because traditional religion isn't your poison, doesn't mean you can let your guard down and succumb to other forms of mass hysteria.

  by Marcion on Thu Dec 27, 2007 at 11:04:20 AM PDT

  •  Environmentalism

    is not mass hysteria. The science, in fact, as well shown on this site and others, is in. We are melting the poles faster than even the most "hysteric" said we were.

    Comparing religion to the environment is specious at best. Environmentalism is rooted in science. I don't have to believe the poles are melting, I can see it.

    Where are your satellite shots of heaven?

    by supak on Thu Dec 27, 2007 at 11:59:40 AM PDT

    •  i'm not equaiting the two, just the responses

      Obviously environmental science is backed by research and fact. My point was about the people's response to these findings, which takes religous forms of self flagellations and atonment, measuring hwo green one's life is and so forth. That is true believer behavior. When analyzing the believer pathology, the movement to which the believer belongs can be right or wrong, but it's besides the point.

      by Marcion on Thu Dec 27, 2007 at 12:27:51 PM PDT

      •  I'm having trouble seeing how

        measuring my greenishness is a pathology.

        More of an "impact awareness statement."

        But I see your point.

        by supak on Thu Dec 27, 2007 at 02:41:36 PM PDT

•  Notes on True Believer

  My extensive notes on The True Believer are at http://www.dailykos.com/...

  I've also always liked his Ordeal of Change which begins with him as a migrant farmworker worrying about the change from picking peas to picking beans and proceeding from there to thinking about how difficult it is to change.

  Hoffer was an interesting figure who became a confidante of LBJ and derided the youth movement of the 60s.  In some ways he was quite wise.  In other ways he was determinedly wrong-headed.  One of the great autodidacts.

  by gmoke on Thu Dec 27, 2007 at 01:19:32 PM PDT