From The Jeroboam's Story:"Nor is the history of fanatics half so striking in respect to the measureless self-deception of the fanatic himself, as his measureless power of deceiving and bedevilling so many others."
Study: I have noticed a strong theme concerning leadership in Moby-Dick. The worst leaders, according to Melville, are held in power by followers who have rendered themselves powerless to the leader. Melville criticizes leaders who think themselves infallible. But Melville also blames those men who blindly believe their leaders to begin with. Is self-deception the way our current occupant of the White House retains followers?