Change Is Hard

 

From the Book, Eric Hoffer: The Syndicated News Articles, Page 181: let me quote Hoffer: "The end of the 18th century marks a sharp dividing line between an immemorial static world and a world of ceaseless change. It is obvious, therefore, that change is far from being as natural and matter of fact as we imagine it to be. Moreover, an observant person will notice that even in this country change is never free of an element of irritation and elements of fear."

What is Hoffer getting at here? Though we live in times of rapid, mind-boggling change, changing and adjusting at this rate is not natural or easy for human beings. We are not born good, versatile or strong. We are corrupt, profoundly conservative, fatalistic, and resistant to change. Changing turns, us all, more or less into misfits, and that psychic state of confusion, low self-esteem and uncertainty renders us susceptible to becoming true believers, to joining revolutions, ideological cults and other totalitarian excesses that could destroy us, our society and perhaps the whole world. It is desirable that we maverize, learn to love but meter how much we change, how fast, so that it does not overwhelm us. We must be meta-aware of how we are handling such transitional times so that we at the core remain calm, at peace, rational and temperate so that change is an opportunity and not a wrecking ball. Change is very hard on us, but, if we are resilient, determined and very self-disciplined, we can strive to change without being ruined by it.

If we are classical liberals, religious and self-realizing, then we should be able to handle and even welcome steady improvement and growth. This means of changing is beneficial even welcome.

On a further note, I wonder if God is eternally becoming, changing and self-realizing while Satan is ever static, unchanging, and stuck, although regressing might be a change that Satan would approve of.

 Hoffer biographer Tom Bethell, wrote Eric Hoffer The Longshoreman Philosopher; on Page 14, " . . . Change was unpredictable so leaders should think twice before changing anything . . ."

We are basically evil, savage and lawless, and quiet, peaceful, law-abiding citizens in a free civil society that is functioning automatically and efficiently is a miracle, and wonderfully unnatural. To be an aggressive revolutionary or radical hellbent on altering what works is arrogant, cruel and nihilistic. We do not want the people upset, deracinated, and agitated. Horrible things occur when society is chaotic and uncivil.

Change and occur must and should occur, but quietly, calmly and carefully. Eric Hoffer realized this fully, as does Jordan Peterson and Mark Levin. Hoffer raised the alarm about Progressive intellectuals with no fear of violently altering and disrupting the American status quo. They self-identify as social justice warriors. Instead, too often their actual motives are revenge, tyrannical power lust and love of violence and nihilism.