An Unlikely Topic Highlighting a Modern Problem
My attention this week has been drawn to “The True Believer”#1 by Eric Hoffer, 1951. In the book, Hoffer (a stevedore in San Francisco) discusses the rise of mass movements. I don’t normally study such things, but what caught my attention was this quote describing radicalised people as:
besieged, thwarted, filled with real and invented grievances, overwhelmed with the existential demands of modernity
I thought it sounded oddly like the ‘old’ me. I find that disturbing.
I’ve long been concerned that we’re a society adrift from our roots and culture, our families and religions, all the things that used to hold people together.
Hoffer continues:
A rising mass movement attracts and holds a following not by its doctrine and promises but by the refuge it offers from the anxieties, barrenness and meaninglessness of an individual existence.
Uh-oh.
If I’d been politically better read, I probably would have read the whole book by now. I am so fascinated I might just have to do that, although the subject is a little gloomy.
The fanatic is perpetually incomplete and insecure. He cannot generate self-assurance out of his individual sources.
The fiercest fanatics are often selfish people who were forced, by innate shortcomings or external circumstances, to lose faith in their own selves.
Is it just me? Or does that strike a chord with you? Does it describe the malaise permeating modern society? Do you feel that it in some way resonates with your own experience?
If you want to look at a recent take on mass movements, try Russell Brunson 🙂
Now for the Good News
I can’t go far without bringing in the best news I have:
It’s all in the mind.
What I’ve learned over the past few years is precisely what caused my own descent in to anxious despair at the tail end of my illustrious career in I.T. Actually, it was more dis-repair than despair. I had let go of my rational mind, and got lost in the small stuff, which in my case was very vexing. I’d forgotten who I was.
In the subsequent years, I’ve taken the time to learn about myself again:
- What I need
- How my mind works
- What I can contribute
- Where the pleasures of life are hidden (right under my nose)
I have re-connected with all the important things in life and learned to support myself from the inside again.
I use some unexpected tools to do this, including The Model from Brooke Castillo. It brought me back from the brink.
The Model is a tool I use to analyse my problems and lift me out of them. It works for any life problem – work, business, health, relationships, money, mood, stress, fears …etc.
It works on the scientifically-proven basis of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy – but don’t let that put you off.
It’s a way to pare problems back to the core, taking a fresh look at why we think the problem exists for us and what new approach we can take to solve it.
Clue: It’s all in the mind.
If you’re interested in finding out how this magic secret-sauce can be applied to your problems, come and have a quick chat with me here mini.dexrandall.com.
Know this.
We’re always just one thought away from feeling better.
—
References
#1 The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements Eric Hoffman 1951
Photo by Les Anderson on Unsplash
