Eric Hoffer Philosopher

There would be no society if living together depended upon understanding each other. society

Man was nature's mistake she neglected to finish him and she has never ceased paying for her mistake. nature

It is a sign of creeping inner death when we can no longer praise the living. death

Creativity is the ability to introduce order into the randomness of nature. nature

Many of the insights of the saint stem from their experience as sinners. experience

Rudeness is a weak imitation of strength. strength

We do not really feel grateful toward those who make our dreams come true they ruin our dreams. dreams

Disappointment is a sort of bankruptcy - the bankruptcy of a soul that expends too much in hope and expectation. hope

The fear of becoming a 'has-been' keeps some people from becoming anything. fear

The greatest weariness comes from work not done. work

It is the malady of our age that the young are so busy teaching us that they have no time left to learn. age & teacher

We are least open to precise knowledge concerning the things we are most vehement about. knowledge

It is easier to love humanity as a whole than to love one's neighbor. love

Where there is the necessary technical skill to move mountains, there is no need for the faith that moves mountains. faith

It is often the failure who is the pioneer in new lands, new undertakings, and new forms of expression. failure

There is no loneliness greater than the loneliness of a failure. The failure is a stranger in his own house. failure

Compassion alone stands apart from the continuous traffic between good and evil proceeding within us. alone

It is by its promise of a sense of power that evil often attracts the weak. power

The best part of the art of living is to know how to grow old gracefully. art & best

The game of history is usually played by the best and the worst over the heads of the majority in the middle. best & history

Someone who thinks the world is always cheating him is right. He is missing that wonderful feeling of trust in someone or something. trust

The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness. happiness

Our sense of power is more vivid when we break a man's spirit than when we win his heart. power

The only way to predict the future is to have power to shape the future. future & power

Charlatanism of some degree is indispensable to effective leadership. leadership

When we believe ourselves in possession of the only truth, we are likely to be indifferent to common everyday truths. truth

We used to think that revolutions are the cause of change. Actually it is the other way around: change prepares the ground for revolution. change

To know a person's religion we need not listen to his profession of faith but must find his brand of intolerance. faith & religion

It is the around-the-corner brand of hope that prompts people to action, while the distant hope acts as an opiate. hope

Take away hatred from some people, and you have men without faith. faith

Faith in a holy cause is to a considerable extent a substitute for lost faith in ourselves. faith