Quote by Eric Hoffer
The link between ideas and action is rarely direct. There is almost always an intermediate step in which the idea is overcome. De Tocqueville points out that it is at times when passions start to govern human affairs that ideas are most obviously translated into political action. The translation of ideas into action is usually in the hands of people least likely to follow rational motives. Hence, it is that action is often the nemesis of ideas, and sometimes of the men who formulate them. One of the marks of the truly vigorous society is the ability to dispense with passion as a midwife of action the ability to pass directly from thought to action.
Summary
This quote by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. highlights the often indirect process of turning ideas into action. According to Schlesinger, there is typically an intermediate step in which ideas must overcome obstacles before being translated into political action. He points out that this translation is most obvious when passions start to influence human affairs. The ironic aspect of this process is that the least rational individuals often become the ones responsible for converting ideas into action. In truly dynamic societies, the ability to bypass irrational passions and directly move from thought to action is valued.
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By Eric Hoffer
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