Nonconformist

 

On Page 99 of his book, The Passionate State of Mind, Eric Hoffer writes two entries which I will quote and then comment on.

 

 

Hoffer: “          175

 

The nonconformist is a more stable type than the conforming individual. It is the average man of today who shows the most striking differences from people of other ages and other civilizations. The rebel of today is twin brother of rebels in all ages and climes.”

 

My response: Here is another Hofferian paradox at work: conformists are like other conformists of a society but they differ strikingly from the average conformists from peoples of other ages and other civilizations.

 

Nonconformists of today are different from the conformists of this particular society, but over the centuries and different societies, nonconformists always follow the same role-playing scheme. Who would have expected that but Hoffer?

 

 

Hoffer: “          176

 

The basic test of freedom is perhaps less in what we are free to do than in what we are not free to do. It is the freedom to refrain, withdraw and abstain which makes a totalitarian regime impossible. Those addicted to action do not feel unfree in an active totalitarian regime. Hitler won over the generals, the technicians and scientists not by preaching to them but by giving them more than they asked for and encouraging them to go to the limit.”

 

My response: We must be free to do what we want to do in order to be free, but we must also be free to refuse to do what we do not want to do, or we are not free. It seems that those addicted to action do not feel unfree, though they are unfree, as long they are allowed to keep busy, but keeping busy is not the same as being free.

 

A free person apparently is one who is able to refuse to do what he wants to do, though his totalitarian government has given him his marching orders. For him, even if he is addicted naturally to being active, he must be principled and strong-minded, refusing to do what he does not want to do, whether or not the unjust, immoral action commanded of him by the government offers him the opportunity for plenty of action or not.