Faith in a holy cause is to a considerable extent a
substitute for the lost faith in ourselves…
The less justified a man is in claiming excellence for his
own self, the more ready is he to claim all excellence for his religion, his
race or his holy cause…
A man is likely to mind his own business when it is worth
minding. When it is not, he takes his mind off his own meaningless affairs by
minding other people’s business
This minding of other people’s business expresses itself in
gossip, snooping and meddling, and also in feverish interest in communal,
national, and racial affairs. In running away from ourselves we either fall on
our neighbor’s shoulder or fly at his throat…
The burning conviction that we have a holy duty toward
others is often a way of attaching our drowing selves to a passing raft. What
looks like giving a hand is often a holding on for dear life. Take away our
holy duties and you leave our lives puny and meaningless. There is no doubt
that in exchanging a self-centered for a selfless life we gain enormously in
self-esteem. The vanity of the selfless, even those who practice utmost humility,
is boundless…
Eric Hoffer - The True Believer
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