Hoffer began writing The True Believer in the 1940s, as Nazism and fascism spread across Europe. Most analysts studying how these movements became so powerful focused on their leaders and the ideas they trumpeted. Hoffer focused on the followers. He saw that people joining mass movements all had common traits. Feeling worn down, they had lost their sense of self-worth and saw in the movement a way to restore some meaning to their lives. They were willing to abandon their individuality and devote themselves to an idea that promised to radically alter the world. Hoffer's work explains not just the events of his day, but the events of ours too.
