"Assure a man that he has a soul and then frighten him with old wives' tales as to what is to become of him afterward, and you have hooked a fish, a mental slave"

This quote by Theodore Dreiser is a commentary on the power of faith and superstitious notion. He is recommending that by persuading somebody that they have a spirit, and then terrifying them with tales of what will certainly happen to them after death, you can control them. He is indicating that people can be manipulated right into believing in something, also if it is not based upon fact. He is additionally suggesting that religion and also superstition can be made use of to regulate people, as they are terrified right into believing in something that may not hold true. This quote is a suggestion that people can be conveniently affected as well as controlled, and that it is important to be knowledgeable about this. It is also a tip that it is important to think critically as well as doubt what we are informed, as opposed to blindly relying on something.