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quote:
ORIGINAL: FirmhandKY
quote:
ORIGINAL: Fightdirecto
The American philosopher Eric Hoffer wrote an interesting book "The True Believer" in 1951. A self-educated former longshoreman and migrant worker, his works have influenced many thinkers.
The book analyzes and attempts to explain the motives of the various types of personalities that give rise to mass movements; why and how mass movements start, progress and end; and the similarities between them, whether religious, political, radical or reactionary. As examples, the book often refers to Communism, Fascism, National Socialism, Christianity, Protestantism and Islam. Hoffer believes that mass movements are interchangeable, that adherents will often flip from one movement to another, and that the motivations for mass movements are interchangeable; that religious, nationalist and social movements, whether radical or reactionary, tend to attract the same type of followers, behave in the same way and use the same tactics, even when their stated goals or values different.
Hoffer argued that all mass movements such as fascism, communism, libertarianism, liberalism, conservatism and religion spread by promising a glorious future. To be successful, these mass movements need the adherents to be willing to sacrifice themselves and others for the future goals. To do so, mass movements need to glorify the past and devalue the present. Mass movements appeal to frustrated people who are dissatisfied with their current state, but are capable of a strong belief in the future. As well, mass movements appeal to people who want to escape a flawed self by creating an imaginary self and joining a collective whole. Some categories of people who may be attracted to mass movements include poor people, misfits, and people who feel thwarted in their endeavor to join or retain their position in the upper classes.
An aspect of the True Believer, the willingness to sacrifice themselves and others for the perceived future goal, could be said to be found in Andreas Beivik, the Norwegian shooter; Timothy McViegh, the Oklahoma City bomber; Eric Rudolph, the abortion clinic and gay bar bomber, suicide bombers in Iraq and Afghanistan and some of the Tea Party/Republican House members who are willing for the United States' economy to be destroyed in order to somehow "save" it. It can also be seen in Joan of Arc, Saint Thomas More and the early Christian martyrs thrown to the lions to entertain the Roman population. Lastly, it can be seen in Senator Edmund G. Ross of Kansas, whose refusal to vote for President Andrew Johnson’s impeachment because of his belief it would set a bad precedent and harm the United States in the future cost him his political career.
When does being a “True Believer” cross the line into being “nut-job”? Killing yourself? Killing someone else? Destroying something like a government building or an economic system/economy?
While I notice you include the term "liberalism" in your groups that are "mass movements", your list of possible "nut jobs" only include Republicans, some non-left terrorists, Christians, and one of the Republican senators who decided that the fate of the nation was more important than partisan political gain (if he wasn't just bribed).
So, I guess you think that no Democrat, Atheist or "liberal" can be a "True Believer", huh?
Biased, much?
Firm
Put upon....victim....much?
_____________________________
"As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals"
President Obama
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RE: Does being a "True Believer" also mean yo... - 
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