--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The ideal of self-advancement which the…" description: "\"The ideal of self-advancement which the civilizing west offers to backward populations brings with it the plague of individual frustration. All the adv..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96f/eric-hoffer-343_advancement_the-ideal-of-self-advancement-which-the_2589226.jpg" --- # The ideal of self-advancement which the civilizing west… ![“The ideal of self-advancement which the civilizing west offers to backward populations brings with it the plague of individual frustration. All the advantages brought by the West are ineffectual substitutes for the sheltering and soothing anonymity of communal existence.” quote by Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96f/eric-hoffer-343_advancement_the-ideal-of-self-advancement-which-the_2589226.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96f/eric-hoffer-343_advancement_the-ideal-of-self-advancement-which-the_2589226.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96f/eric-hoffer-343_advancement_the-ideal-of-self-advancement-which-the_2589226.jpg) > “The ideal of self-advancement which the civilizing west offers to backward populations brings with it the plague of individual frustration. All the advantages brought by the West are ineffectual substitutes for the sheltering and soothing anonymity of communal existence.” [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He critiques Western individualism, arguing that it can cause frustration compared to communal anonymity. **In simple terms:** Western progress can feel isolating without community support. Key Takeaway Seek balance between personal advancement and community ties. Themes individualism civilization frustration community anonymity Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical social When to use this quote - urban living - corporate environments - immigrant experiences Key Concepts social alienation cultural critique psychological impact Questions to Reflect On - How can societies foster communal anonymity? - What personal practices counteract individual frustration? A Different Perspective Community support may be hard to find in modern societies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advancement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advancement/) [Advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage/) [Anonymity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anonymity/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Frustration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frustration/) [Ideals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideals/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Plague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plague/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Soothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soothing/) ## Related quotes > [A mass movement attracts and holds a following not because it can satisfy the desire for self-advancement, but because it can satisfy the passion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/a-mass-movement-attracts-and-holds-a-following-not-because-it-can/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [I must break out... ...start a new life... been here for years... might be getting into a rut... something a bit more exciting... more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-briggs/i-must-break-out-start-a-new-life-been-here-for-years-might-be/) Raymond Briggs > [Personal power gives you a sense of accomplishment. It enables you to live fully and zestfully. It provides you with a mature reason for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/personal-power-gives-you-a-sense-of-accomplishment-it-enables-you-to/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [The passion for equality is partly a passion for anonymity: to be one thread of the many which make up a tunic; one thread…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-passion-for-equality-is-partly-a-passion-for-anonymity-to-be-one/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [I came from anonymity, and I will continue to write as a private pursuit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-g-sebald/i-came-from-anonymity-and-i-will-continue-to-write-as-a-private/) [W. G. 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I'm happy to come in on the tube or the train and watch other people reading 'Fifty Shades.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-james-2/i-value-my-anonymity-i-m-happy-to-come-in-on-the-tube-or-the-train/) [E. L. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-james-2/) > [For me, getting comfortable with being famous was hard - that whole side of it, the loss of anonymity, the loss of privacy. Giving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-pfeiffer/for-me-getting-comfortable-with-being-famous-was-hard-that-whole-side/) [Michelle Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-pfeiffer/) ## More by Eric Hoffer > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. 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