Quote by Eric Hoffer, The True Believer (

There is perhaps no more reliable indicator of a society's ripeness for a mass movement than the prevalence of unrelieved boredom. In most all the descriptions of the periods preceding the rise of mass movements there is reference to vast ennui; and in their earliest stages mass movements are more likely to find sympathizers and support among the bored than among the exploited and oppressed. To a deliberate fomenter of mass upheavals, the report that people are bored stiff should be at least as encouraging as that they are suffering from intolerable economic or political abuses.When people are bored, it is primarily with their own selves that they are bored. The consciousness of a barren, meaningless existence is the main fountainhead of boredom. People who are not conscious of their individual separatedness, as is the case with those who are members or a compact tribe, church, party, etcetera, are not accessible to boredom. The differentiated individual is free of boredom only when he is engaged either in creative work or some absorbing occupation or when he is wholly engrossed in the struggle for existence. Pleasure-chasing and dissipation are ineffective palliatives. Where people live autonomous lives and are not badly off, yet are without abilities or opportunities for creative work or useful action, there is no telling to what desperate and fantastic shifts they might resort in order to give meaning and purpose to their lives.

Summary

This quote suggests that widespread boredom within a society can be a sign that it is ripe for a mass movement. When individuals are bored, they often feel disconnected and unsatisfied with their lives, leading them to search for a sense of purpose and meaning. Mass movements are more likely to attract support from bored individuals rather than those who are oppressed or exploited. For an instigator of mass upheavals, the knowledge that people are bored can be just as encouraging as if they were enduring significant economic or political injustices. Boredom stems from a feeling of emptiness in one's existence, and individuals can only find respite from it through engaging in creative work, fulfilling occupation, or the struggle for survival. Merely seeking pleasure and indulging in dissipative activities are ineffective remedies. In situations where individuals live autonomous lives without creative outlets or opportunities, they may resort to desperate and extreme measures in order to bring meaning and purpose to their lives.