Walled Off

 

On Page 46 of his book, The Passionate State of Mind, Eric Hoffer has three entries, which I will quote and comment on.

 

Hoffer (H after this): “   68

 

A doctrine insulates the devout not only against the realities around them but also against their own selves. The fanatical believer is not conscious of his envy, malice, pettiness and dishonesty. There is a wall of words between his consciousness and his real self.”

 

My response: The doctrine or bubble of protective words that surround the consciousness of a fanatic do insulate and protect him from doubt or corrective criticism from either outside or internal sources. He is a living creature of denial and fantasy: he is without moral awareness or restraint, so he can be as cruel as he wishes without limit, and then feel good and proud of his mayhem afterwards. What he has become is the antithesis of his real self; a guilty conscience sways or deters him not in the least.

 

H: “        69

 

We often use strong language not to express a powerful emotion or conviction but to evoke it in us. It is not only other people’s words that can rouse feeling in us; we can talk ourselves into a rage or an enthusiasm.”

 

H: “        70

 

We lie loudest when we lie to ourselves.”

 

My response: Methinks thou protest too much.