The True Believer Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements (Book) : Hoffer, Eric : A stevedore on the San Francisco docks in the 1940s, Hoffer wrote philosophical treatises examining mass movements--from Christianity in its infancy to the national uprisings of modern times. The irony of Trump’s “true believers” remark probably escaped both the … The True Believer: Thoughts On The Nature Of Mass Movements is a 1951 social psychology book by American writer Eric Hoffer that discusses the psychological causes of fanaticism.. Moral certainty and the true believer Why not choose the story that damages others the least? Targeting the true believer “True believers” unite into a close group which gives them a new identity and new life, and liberates them from the cage of their frustration. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. The True Believer by Eric Hoffer is a journey into the mind of the unreasoned mind. "The true believer" begins as a frustrated man driven by guilt, failure and/or self-disgust to bury his own identity in a cause oriented to some future goal. He takes a long look at mass movements, and the people who give their lives up to them. When, as individuals, the members of a group practice truth then as a collective herd their collective intelligence actually rises above the sum total of it’s parts, but when they lie as individual's within a group they collectively become dumber than the aforesaid sum… This particular bunch of True Believers, led by a lapsed Scientologist named Keech, gave up their jobs, spouses, and assorted other valuable aspects of life for the opportunity to fly with obliging aliens, in a literal flying saucer, to the entirely fictional planet of Clarion. It is not merely the psychology of the ardent communist, or nationalist, but of the cultist as well He delves into… Posted Aug 14, 2010 I believe there are striking parallels between Trump’s rhetoric and the factors Hoffer explored. People join movements because of personal feelings of inadequacy or failure, to escape their seemingly powerless individual self. Keene is a reformed phony psychic who exposed religious racketeering—to little effect, apparently. Illustration: Hisham Akira Bharoocha B elief is a powerful and necessary thing, governing our societies, our day-to-day and inner lives, our thoughts, hopes, plans, and relationships. True Believers Thinking about Belief Change Aaron Smith is a professor of management at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University, in Melbourne, Australia. Douglas points out that research into the psychology of persuasion has found that those who believe most are also most motivated to broadcast their beliefs. The irony of Trump’s “true believers” remark probably escaped both the president and his audience. Eric Hoffer’s landmark analysis of the psychology of mass movements identifies the appeal of these campaigns for frustrated people seeking to escape their own incompetency and build a new life.