--- title: "4 Gestures Quotes By Eric Hoffer" description: "4 Gestures quotes by Eric Hoffer. Plus more from Eric Hoffer and more Gestures sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cd/eric-hoffer-343_actor_excesses-are-essentially-gestures-it-is_783204.jpg" --- > [Excesses are essentially gestures. It is easy to be extremely cruel, magnanimous, humble or self-sacrificing when we see ourselves as actors in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/excesses-are-essentially-gestures-it-is-easy-to-be-extremely-cruel/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cd/eric-hoffer-343_actor_excesses-are-essentially-gestures-it-is_783204.jpg) > [Language was invented to ask questions. Answers may be given by grunts and gestures, but questions must be spoken. Humanness came of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/language-was-invented-to-ask-questions-answers-may-be-given-by-grunts/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/eric-hoffer-343_absence_language-was-invented-to-ask-questions-a_1479743.jpg) > [The quality of ideas seems to play a minor role in mass movement leadership. What counts is the arrogant gesture, the complete…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-quality-of-ideas-seems-to-play-a-minor-role-in-mass-movement/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c1/eric-hoffer-343_arrogant_the-quality-of-ideas-seems-to-play-a-min_1730577.jpg) > [To our real, naked selves there is not a thing on earth or in heaven worth dying for. It is only when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/to-our-real-naked-selves-there-is-not-a-thing-on-earth-or-in-heaven/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6c/eric-hoffer-343_actors_to-our-real-naked-selves-there-is-not-a_3214866.jpg) ## Other authors on Gestures - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b006/author-cassandra-clare-21529.jpg) Cassandra Clare 7 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gestures/cassandra-clare/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b010/author-garth-stein-36910.jpg) Garth Stein 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gestures/garth-stein/) ## More by Eric Hoffer > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [“We lie the loudest when we lie to ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/we-lie-the-loudest-when-we-lie-to-ourselves/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Our originality shows itself most strikingly not in what we wholly originate but in what we do with that which we borrow from others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/our-originality-shows-itself-most-strikingly-not-in-what-we-wholly/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [The creative mind is the playful mind. Philosophy is the play and dance of ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-creative-mind-is-the-playful-mind-philosophy-is-the-play-and/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [It is also plausible that those movements with the greatest inner contradiction and between profession and practice - that is to say with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/it-is-also-plausible-that-those-movements-with-the-greatest-inner/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [The best part of the art of living is to know how to grow old gracefully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-best-part-of-the-art-of-living-is-to-know-how-to-grow-old/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [“In the alchemy of man's soul almost all noble attributes--courage, honor, love, hope, faith, duty, loyalty, etc.--can be transmuted into ruthlessness. Compassion alone stands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/in-the-alchemy-of-man-s-soul-almost-all-noble-attributes-courage/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [The act of self-denial seems to confer on us the right to be harsh and merciless toward others. The impression somehow prevails that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-act-of-self-denial-seems-to-confer-on-us-the-right-to-be-harsh/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [A nation without dregs and malcontents, is orderly, decent, peaceful and pleasant, but perhaps without the seed of things to come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/a-nation-without-dregs-and-malcontents-is-orderly-decent-peaceful-and/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Compassion alone stands apart from the continuous traffic between good and evil proceeding within us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/compassion-alone-stands-apart-from-the-continuous-traffic-between/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [There are many who find a good alibi far more attractive than an achievement. For an achievement does not settle anything permanently. We still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/there-are-many-who-find-a-good-alibi-far-more-attractive-than-an/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [A war is not won if the defeated enemy has not been turned into a friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/a-war-is-not-won-if-the-defeated-enemy-has-not-been-turned-into-a/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Man is the only creature that strives to surpass himself, and yearns for the impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/man-is-the-only-creature-that-strives-to-surpass-himself-and-yearns/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [This food-and-shelter theory concerning man's efforts is without insight. The desire for praise is more imperative than the desire for food and shelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/this-food-and-shelter-theory-concerning-man-s-efforts-is-without/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gestures/eric-hoffer/#itemlist", "name": "4 Gestures Quotes By Eric Hoffer", "numberOfItems": 4, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Excesses are essentially gestures. 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