[For] the zealot…the real recompense is probably the obsession itself… Ambiguity vanishes from the fanatic’s world view, a narcissistic sense of self-assurance displaces all doubt. A delicious rage quickens his pulse, fueled by the sins and shortcomings of lesser mortals, who are soiling the world wherever he looks. His perspective narrows until the last remnants of proportion are shed from his life. Through immoderation, he experiences something akin to rapture…

This quote is from Jon Krakauer’s Huffington Post article on his book about “violent faith,” which he said helped explain the motivation behind the ranchers at the heart of the Oregon standoff.

Michael “Mikey” Weinstein called this quote and Krakauer’s work “amazing,” apparently without realizing how accurately those same words described him.

Irony, projection, hypocrisy — call it what you will.  It’s Read more