Eric Hoffer
Eric Hoffer
Eric Hofferwas an American moral and social philosopher. He was the author of ten books and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in February 1983. His first book, The True Believer, was widely recognized as a classic, receiving critical acclaim from both scholars and laymen, although Hoffer believed that The Ordeal of Change was his finest work...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionWriter
Date of Birth25 July 1902
CountryUnited States of America
power-corrupts inhumanity inherent
The taint inherent in absolute power is not its inhumanity but its antihumanity.
giving evil promise
When the weak want to give an impression of strength they hint menacingly at their capacity for evil. It is by its promise of a sense of power that evil often attracts the weak.
prayer coincidence reaching
All prayers and hopes are a reaching-out for coincidences.
giving-up commitment generosity
Commitment becomes hysterical when those who have nothing to give advocate generosity, and those who have nothing to give up preach renunciation.
self self-respect rudeness
Rudeness luxuriates in the absence of self-respect.
attitude doubt conviction
The uncompromising attitude is more indicative of an inner uncertainty than a deep conviction. The implacable stand is directed more against the doubt within than the assailant without.
desire loses oneself
The desire to belong is partly a desire to lose oneself.
creative soul way
There is perhaps no better way of measuring the natural endowment of a soul than by its ability to transmute dissatisfaction into a creative impulse.
disappointment empty-life achievement
The remarkable thing is that it is the crowded life that is most easily remembered. A life full of turns, achievements, disappointments, surprises, and crises is a life full of landmarks. The empty life has even its few details blurred, and cannot be remembered with certainty.
may passionate substitutes
Passionate intensity may serve as a substitute for confidence.
self roots our-world
It is not love of self but hatred of self which is at the root of the troubles that afflict our world.
meaningful men skills
It is the acquisition of skills in particular, irrespective of their utility, that is potent in making life meaningful. Since man has no inborn skills, the survival of the species has depended on the ability to acquire and perfect skills. Hence the mastery of skills is a uniquely human activity and yields deep satisfaction.
life death praise
It is a sign of creeping inner death when we can no longer praise the living.
unpredictability monotonous
Unpredictability, too, can become monotonous.