[tpaine]

Arthur Koestler on beng surrounded by idiots:

The continuous disasters of man's history are mainly due to his excessive capacity and urge to become identified with a tribe, nation, church or cause, and to espouse its credo uncritically and enthusiastically, even if its tenets are contrary to reason, devoid of self-interest and detrimental to the claims of self-preservation.
We are thus driven to the unfashionable conclusion that the trouble with our species is not an excess of aggression, but an excess capacity for fanatical devotion.

[Hank Kerchief]

We are thus driven to the unfashionable conclusion that the trouble with our species is not an excess of aggression, but an excess capacity for fanatical devotion.

I completely agree. I am totally convinced, mankind prefers his superstitions to all things, and will trample over any truth rather than surrender them. Or as H. L. Mencken put it:

"The most costly of all follies is to believe passionately in the palpably not true. It is the chief occupation of mankind."

Hank

[Zon]

Arthur Koestler on beng surrounded by idiots:...

We are thus driven to the unfashionable conclusion that the trouble with our species is not an excess of aggression, but an excess capacity for fanatical devotion.

Nice quote.

I'd say an excess of mysticism -- any is too much let alone each person is inflicted to greater or lesser degree -- that is easily manipulated in people to believe the "tribe, nation, church or cause" is more important than the individual. The cause is mysticism -- the effect is parasitical elites wielding the initiation of force, fraud and threat of force.