Eric Hoffer, Philosopher for the People

because it reflected badly on me and censorship, and financial obligations. Opus Dei; Opus Dei places its members Despite this, Opus Dei asserts that there Tammy DiNicola entered Opus Dei in in a position where they feel obligated is no secrecy, and that indeed Opus Dei 1988 as a Boston College sophomore. to breach the Eighth Commandment. is "an open book." Those of us who have She left Opus Dei in 1990 and is one When pressed by their families, Opus Dei been wounded and deceived by Opus Dei of the founders of the Opus Dei Aware- members will often lie or practice mental wish only that they would reform their ness Network, Inc., P.O. Box 4333, reservation, not only about when they deceptive practices and allow members Pittsfield, MA 01202. ODAN has a joined, but about other aspects of Opus to join freely without subtle pres- wealth of information on Opus Dei and Dei life such as corporal mortification, sures. its practices. composing The Organization Man, his Eric Hoffer, formidable and troubled study of that complacent social conformism, which Philosopher for the People Norman Vincent Peale, author of The Power of Positive Thinking, considered a sign of Our Maker's benefaction. Meanwhile, Korea was in flames, the Richard Arnold Cold War was deepening, and Joseph McCarthy set out to rescue an otherwise Fr he son of working-class Alsatian pristine body politic from massive immigrants, Eric Hoffer was born communist infiltration. Hoffer's book in New York City on July 25, 1902. He The True Believer fit no Manichean was orphaned at age five and stricken scheme. This, we might say, taxonomical blind at age seven. He recovered his study of fanaticism made no effort to eyesight when he was fifteen and began weigh the claims of evangelism, fascism, to support himself, having had neither communism, Americanism, conform- family nor schooling, when he was ism, or any "isms" whatsoever. It merely eighteen. During the following twenty- profiled the personality types susceptible three years, Hoffer was what a more to utopian extremism and warned that unkind age would call a bum. He this phenomenon, for better as well as wandered the country picking up what- worse, would be with us as long as ever odd jobs happened along and even dynamic social forces, particularly lived for ten years on Los Angeles' Skid modernization, existed. Row. In 1943 he was accepted into the Already terse and aphoristic in International Longshoreman's and presentation, The True Believer can be Warehouseman's Union and here found further reduced to a handful of his lifelong identity. ("No, I'm a long- arguments: shoreman!" he shouted years later at an 1. Fanaticism is not total commit- interviewer who had addressed him as "[Hoffer] championed the rank- ment to a particular ideology, but a an "intellectual.') and-file, especially the 'misfits' who general frame of mind; to the fanatic, Despite later fame, Hoffer continued he felt were the real agents ideologies are interchangeable. to work regular hours on the San of history." 2. Fanaticism derives from the frus- Francisco waterfront until forced into tration and sense of personal failure retirement at age sixty-five. Writing, individuals experience during periods of lectures, interviews, etc., he simply fitted Plato: rapid social change. into his schedule; he seemed to give lie 3. Fanaticism sometimes serves a to the notion that being an intellectual Plato they say was a great genius, but good end; a nation's creative potential Plato only dealt in half-truths, he constituted a professional calling. shillied and he shallied and he didn't better survives revolution than social Indeed, he was constantly embroiled in accomplish a thing. He was an stagnation. ferocious arguments with many leftist intellectual. Hoffer offers several other arguments "worker-intellectuals" who dominated in support of those above. Notable are union politics. He championed the rank- Hoffer always stood his own ground, the following: and-file, especially the "misfits" who he as was further shown when he made no 4. Successful mass movements foster felt were the real agents of history. concessions to any "spirit of the times." self-sacrifice over self-fulfillment. The "Intellectuals" he dismissed as one with In the early 1950s, William Whyte was latter is assigned to an ever-receding 26 FREE INQUIRY future, often evoked from an idealized Of change there was aplenty during ists and social activists rectified by public past. and shortly after the war. The social acclaim, Hoffer withdrew from the 5. As the past and future are fiction- transformations Hoffer witnessed over spotlight in 1970, saying: "Any man can alized, so must be the present. Mass this period led him to observe that even ride a train. Only a wise man knows when leaders must invest their goals with democratic leaders (such as Winston to get off." And further "I don't want drama and make-believe in order to Churchill and Franklin Delano Roose- to be a public person or anybody's exact that degree of self-sacrifice that velt) must master "the art of religiofi- spokesman. I am not the type for it and alone liberates them and their followers cation" in order to mobilize the masses I dislike it." from self-contempt and self-rejection. in support of stupendous yet necessary Actually, Hoffer traced his outlook, 6. Successful mass movements are tasks. At the same time, he gave final derived from dispassionate observation largely effected by negative personality definition to his persona by resolving to rather than internally generated convic- types acting upon their most negative remain an observer and commentator tions, to his view of himself as an impulses (cowardice, for example, may rather than become the fanatical dema- amalgam of charisma and cold- compel belief in fanatical ideology in gogue he felt he might have easily been. heartedness—a potential mass leader. order to rationalize craven behavior). He was in any case convinced that, while He often spoke of overcoming the 7. The hope, pride, and confidence mass political action might rescue the temptation to politics. Perhaps he was enjoyed by the "unified" (politically com- creative potential of a nation, it had the a latter-day St. Anthony. mitted) individual derive from his sense opposite effect upon the individual. In any case, Hoffer devoted his of being "delivered from the meaningless Publication of The True Believer remaining years to writing and, in almost burden of an autonomous existence." brought Hoffer almost instant acclaim. equal part, to the care and education 8. Some sort of faith is indispensable Ever the migrant, he wandered from of his namesake godson, Eric. Asked for most people. Those who discredit one obscurity to fame, then in, in 1966-67, during one of his last interviews about faith create the need for another. to obloquy. At that time, he simultane- the sustaining forces in his own life, he 9. Only the fanatic can effect total ously excoriated Vietnam War protes- commented that, while many believe upheaval. He will not accept reform ters, lauded Lyndon Johnson's presi- without hope all is lost, he could live without hope but not without courage, because the world that has thwarted his dency, and admonished blacks to the then quoted Goethe: "Mut verloren— own (often artistic) aspirations must be effect that their problems stemmed alles verloren! Da Wär es besser nicht torn up root and branch. He alone will chiefly from their prejudice against them- geboren!" ("Courage lost, all is lost; it proceed beyond propaganda to coercion. selves. Once again, Hoffer was decidedly were better not to have been born"). He 10. Slogans to the contrary, the out of step—this time to his detriment. then added: "What a difference, my fanatic has no use for "freedom and Time-style pundits began to snipe at him God!" equality" as commonly understood. To as a "cracker barrel philosopher" who By all accounts, Hoffer died as a man him "freedom" means never having to lent comfort to middle America's apathy who had lived, spoken, and written make a choice and "equality" means and bigotry. He might have thenceforth exactly as he wished, because he never never encountering his betters. faded from the public scene had not allowed fear to influence him. He died It is difficult to say why Hoffer—a another noteworthy observer of the fulfilled. basically apolitical, reclusive man— sociopolitical scene taken up his cause. On September 19, 1967, Eric Sevareid There is much to admire in Hoffer's concerned himself so exclusively with life and work, but perhaps his best legacy mass social phenomena, but perhaps an held an hour-long prime-time television interview with Hoffer. The decision to to us is found in the tribute he pays to answer is suggested by his reaction to "talented" individuals: American involvement in World War II. do so, he admitted, had not been an easy Turned down by the U.S. Armed Forces one: "I may as well confess I had shied away from his books for years because They too are critical of their times. shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl They usually neither plot nor agitate Harbor, Hoffer sought "hard work" Eisenhower had praised one of them." against the prevailing disposition, Audience reaction was overwhelming connected with the war effort. It was thus their discontent colours their work and positive. Again, Sevareid: and gives it an undertone of protest. that he became a longshoreman, af- There is probably nothing more firmed his devotion to American ideals, Hoffer had made millions of confused sublime than discontent transmuted and settled down for once and all.

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