22: Seven brief lessons on Physics; 12 rules for life; The true believer
mohamadahmad.substack.com
Hi, here are three short reviews of books I’ve read recently: The true believer 68 years ago, Eric Hoffer put pen to paper and wrote The true believer in an attempt to make sense of what drives mass movements and whether they all work the same whatever the creed they follow. Mass movements arise when the fervor of wanting to change has reached its peak and stagnation prevailed for a long time. But what makes people receptive to the call of this change? The author raises an interesting point about what he thinks is the main reason a person would join a mass movement. It all boils down to frustration with one's self, that unbearable weight of having to take responsibility of one's own existence. It is just hard to shoulder the pain of life suffering and the failures of proving one's worth alone. Hence the resort to a lofty goal that makes the self blends in a compact whole and be part of something big. The individual has now bartered his autonomy for that sense of belonging and unitedness a mass movement provides. Mass movements, in turn, resolves the frustratedness by trading the miserable present for a hope in a glorious future that is worth sacrificing one's self for.The author brings up many past revolutions to illustrate his points. He makes the distinction between men of words,men of actions,amd fanatics. Mass revolutions start with men of words(a creative individual with a noble purpose wanting the good for all) but ends up in the hands of ruthless men of action and finally fanatics that just couldn't stop fueling the interminable chaos. Mass movements arise because people get bored of the dispensation in place and feel its weakening and failure in handling things. They want a dispensation with a firm grip on things. The author argues that it takes a very long time for a dying dispensation to dissolve completely unless a minority of men of words (influenced by the west mostly) weigh in and lays the playground of change for men of actions. The author talks about the active phase of a mass movement, what ends it, and what might perpetuate it for long periods. Mass movements are the fountainhead of change; it could be good change(of the ones led by Gandhi) and vile change(Nazism) serving belligerent agendas. At the end if the day, it is this unsatisfaction and indefiniteness of far fetched goals that make mass movements abundant throughout history.
22: Seven brief lessons on Physics; 12 rules for life; The true believer
22: Seven brief lessons on Physics; 12 rules…
22: Seven brief lessons on Physics; 12 rules for life; The true believer
Hi, here are three short reviews of books I’ve read recently: The true believer 68 years ago, Eric Hoffer put pen to paper and wrote The true believer in an attempt to make sense of what drives mass movements and whether they all work the same whatever the creed they follow. Mass movements arise when the fervor of wanting to change has reached its peak and stagnation prevailed for a long time. But what makes people receptive to the call of this change? The author raises an interesting point about what he thinks is the main reason a person would join a mass movement. It all boils down to frustration with one's self, that unbearable weight of having to take responsibility of one's own existence. It is just hard to shoulder the pain of life suffering and the failures of proving one's worth alone. Hence the resort to a lofty goal that makes the self blends in a compact whole and be part of something big. The individual has now bartered his autonomy for that sense of belonging and unitedness a mass movement provides. Mass movements, in turn, resolves the frustratedness by trading the miserable present for a hope in a glorious future that is worth sacrificing one's self for.The author brings up many past revolutions to illustrate his points. He makes the distinction between men of words,men of actions,amd fanatics. Mass revolutions start with men of words(a creative individual with a noble purpose wanting the good for all) but ends up in the hands of ruthless men of action and finally fanatics that just couldn't stop fueling the interminable chaos. Mass movements arise because people get bored of the dispensation in place and feel its weakening and failure in handling things. They want a dispensation with a firm grip on things. The author argues that it takes a very long time for a dying dispensation to dissolve completely unless a minority of men of words (influenced by the west mostly) weigh in and lays the playground of change for men of actions. The author talks about the active phase of a mass movement, what ends it, and what might perpetuate it for long periods. Mass movements are the fountainhead of change; it could be good change(of the ones led by Gandhi) and vile change(Nazism) serving belligerent agendas. At the end if the day, it is this unsatisfaction and indefiniteness of far fetched goals that make mass movements abundant throughout history.