For though ours is a godless age, it is the very opposite of irreligious. The true believer is everywhere on the march, and both by converting and antagonizing he is shaping the world in his own image. And whether we are to line up with him or against him, it is well that we should know all we can concerning his nature and potentialities.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Even in secular times, people fervently believe in causes that shape society. Understanding these beliefs is crucial regardless of whether one supports or opposes them.
- In plain terms
- People are very passionate about their causes even if they are not religious.
- What can you take from it?
- Know the nature of strong beliefs to navigate the world.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do secular beliefs compare to religious ones?
- What drives a person to shape the world?
Another view
The quote assumes all strong beliefs are equally influential.
More from Eric Hoffer
If anybody asks me what I have accomplished, I will say all I have accomplished is that I have written a few good sentences.
Permalink to quote #6 When hopes and dreams are loose in the streets, it is well for the timid to lock doors, shutter windows and lie low until the wrath has passed. For there is of…
Permalink to quote #8 There is not an idea that cannot be expressed in 200 words. But the writer must know precisely what he wants to say. If you have nothing to say and want badly …
Permalink to quote #5
Related quotes
Totality is, in effect, nothing other than the ancient dream of unity common to both believers and rebels, but projected horizontally onto an earth deprived of…
Albert CamusAlbert Camus quote #237 But Hitler didn't strive for the annihilation of the Jews - he stressed that fact in public life and in the newspapers. Hitler merely said at the beginning tha…
Franz von PapenFranz von Papen quote #1 'Management is the gate through which social and economic and political change, indeed change in every direction, is diffused though society.'
Robert McNamaraRobert McNamara quote #1