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
inspirational faith atheist
Absolute faith corrupts as absolutely as absolute power.
loneliness failure being-alone
There is no loneliness greater than the loneliness of a failure. The failure is a stranger in his own house.
life hate giving
Passionate hatred can give meaning and purpose to an empty life.
vanity stupidity selfishness
The hardest thing to cope with is not selfishness or vanity or deceitfulness, but sheer stupidity.
self trying ethics
The capacity for getting along with our neighbor depends to a large extent on the capacity for getting along with ourselves. The self-respecting individual will try to be as tolerant of his neighbor's shortcomings as he is of his own.
compassion soul impulse
Compassion is the antitoxin of the soul: where there is compassion even the most poisonous impulses remain relatively harmless.
belief realizing believer
It is startling to realize how much unbelief is necessary to make belief possible.
attitude political glitter
Rudeness is a weak imitation of strength.
movement corporations racket
What starts out here as a mass movement ends up as a racket, a cult, or a corporation.
tomorrow terrorism terror
Death has but one terror, that it has no tomorrow.
hope disappointment expectations
Disappointment is a sort of bankruptcy - the bankruptcy of a soul that expends too much in hope and expectation.
frustration confusion want
Our frustration is greater when we have much and want more than when we have nothing and want some. We are less dissatisfied when we lack many things than when we seem to lack but one thing.
war men people
A man is likely to mind his own business when it is worth minding. When it is not, he takes his mind off his own meaningless affairs by minding other people's business.
work done energy
The greatest weariness comes from work not done.