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
liberty libertarian failing
There can be no freedom without freedom to fail.
equality excellence matter
We clamor for equality chiefly in matters in which we ourselves cannot hope to obtain excellence.
work weakness power-corrupts
Power corrupts the few, while weakness corrupts the many.
kindness government ill-will
No matter how noble the objectives of a government, if it blurs decency and kindness, cheapens human life, and breeds ill will and suspicion; it is an evil government.
novelty news bad-news
To the old, the new is usually bad news.
mother children sadness
The misery of a child is interesting to a mother, the misery of a young man is interesting to a young woman, the misery of an old man is interesting to nobody.
giving suffering needs
We need not only a purpose in life to give meaning to our existence but also something to give meaning to our suffering. We need as much something to suffer for as something to live for.
love forgiveness attitude
The remarkable thing is that we really love our neighbor as ourselves: we do unto others as we do unto ourselves. We hate others when we hate ourselves. We are tolerant toward others when we tolerate ourselves. We forgive others when we forgive ourselves. We are prone to sacrifice others when we are ready to sacrifice ourselves.
eye acceptance self
Self-contempt, however vague, sharpens our eyes for the imperfections of others. We usually strive to reveal in others the blemishes we hide in ourselves.
insight
We see through others only when we see through ourselves.
heart
No one is truly literate who cannot read his own heart.
ideas links steps
The link between ideas and action is rarely direct. There is almost always an intermediate step in which the idea is overcome.
alive feels
To be fully alive is to feel that everything is possible.
children men literature
It is the child in man that is the source of his uniqueness and creativeness, and the playground is the optimal milieu for the unfolding of his capacities and talents.