Status Updates From The Passionate State of Min...

Paragraphs and quotations of penetrating observations about human nature. As usual, Hoffer singles out self-dissatisfaction and self-alienation as the driving forces of passion, radicalism, religious zeal or dishonesty with oneself (“we lie loudest when we lie to ourselves”). Four stars to account for the (deliberate) exaggeration.

Honestly the messages still hold and ring true, whether from my old mindset to the current one but sold on some of our passions stem from the things we cannot have but fervently want and hold dear whether we admit it to ourselves or the outside world. Sometimes it is best to be secretive about our passions until we gain the self control to persist try to attain it with compassion and vigor

It seems that we are most busy when we do not do the one thing we ought to do; most greedy when we cannot have the one thing we really want; most hurried when we can never arrive; most self-righteous when irrevocably in the wrong. There is apparently a link between excess and unattainability.

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.