Eric Hoffer Quotes
The frustrated follow a leader less because of their faith that he is leading them to a promised land than because of their immediate feeling that he is leading them away from their unwanted selves. Surrender to a leader is not a means to an end but a fulfillment. Whither they are led is of secondary importance.
The religion of Islam for an individual starts with that “surrender” which is literally what Islam means. The person surrenders to God by giving control of his life to God’s Prophet and his commandments. However, most Islamic leaders would not accept Hoffer’s motivation for most cases.
Eric Hoffer, 1902-1983, Philosopher and Critic, The True Believer, 1951
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He and his news team were given permission to do interviews in North Korea. The ruler, Kim Il Sung, is virtually worshiped by most of the population.
In the Middle East, counties have often made bad deals or embarked upon damaging policies in order to appear to be strong. In that part of the world there is a firm belief that showing any weakness at all will invite many different forces to go after you. Iran has this vision of Islamic world leadership and if they so not appear to be very strong and powerful to the Muslim world, their aspirations will have been for naught.
Gordon himself was killed shortly thereafter by the Madhi’s followers at the siege of Khartoum. Ahmed died soon thereafter. Although Ahmed was an extreme religious fanatic, and a skillful leader, he was not a terrorist.
Modern versions are “practice what you preach”. Hypocrisy was always recognized if leaders did not set an example. The Caliph was both the civil ruler and the religious ruler as well. Therefore he made rules for the clergy as well as civil officials.
Eric Hoffer was an American moral and social philosopher. He was the author of ten books and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in February 1983. His first book, The True Believer (1951), was widely recognized as a classic, receiving critical acclaim from both scholars and laymen, although Hoffer believed that The Ordeal of Change was his finest work.
