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
nature men perfection
Nature attains perfection, but man never does.
nature compassion punishment
Nature has no compassion. Nature accepts no excuses and the only punishment it knows is death.
nature ambition tilt
The nature of a society is largely determined by the direction in which talent and ambition flowby the tilt of the social landscape.
nature mistake men
Man was nature's mistake she neglected to finish him and she has never ceased paying for her mistake.
nature men goal
Man's chief goal in life is still to become and stay human, and defend his achievements against the encroachment of nature.
nature men self
Nature is a self-made machine, more perfectly automated than any automated machine. To create something in the image of nature is to create a machine, and it was by learning the inner working of nature that man became a builder of machines.
hater nature angel
The savior who wants to turn men into angels is as much a hater of human nature as the totalitarian despot who wants to turn them into puppets.
benevolent demands despot himself others people sees sheep shepherd
The benevolent despot who sees himself as a shepherd of the people still demands from others the submissiveness of sheep
change drastic equipped inherit learned learners longer themselves time
In a time of drastic change it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.
change drastic equipped inherit learned learners longer themselves time
In a time of drastic change it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.
breeds decency evil government human ill matter noble objective suspicion
No matter how noble the objective of a government, if it blurs decency and kindness, cheapens human life, and breeds ill will and suspicion - it is an evil government
call obvious question spell
To spell out the obvious is often to call it into question
cannot intelligence talking
You cannot gage the intelligence of an American by talking with him
attitude extreme flight self
Every extreme attitude is a flight from the self