--- title: "Best Inspirational Quotes by Eric Hoffer" description: "44 Inspirational quotes by Eric Hoffer. Plus more from Eric Hoffer and more Inspirational sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/951/eric-hoffer-343_inspirational_in-every-passionate-pursuit-the-pursuit_191778.jpg" --- > [In every passionate pursuit, the pursuit counts more than the object pursued.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/in-every-passionate-pursuit-the-pursuit-counts-more-than-the-object/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/951/eric-hoffer-343_inspirational_in-every-passionate-pursuit-the-pursuit_191778.jpg) > [Originality is deliberate and forced, and partakes of the nature of a protest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/originality-is-deliberate-and-forced-and-partakes-of-the-nature-of-a/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ee/eric-hoffer-343_creativity_originality-is-deliberate-and-forced-and_1554212.jpg) > [However much we guard against it, we tend to shape ourselves in the image others have of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/however-much-we-guard-against-it-we-tend-to-shape-ourselves-in-the/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e4/eric-hoffer-343_funny_however-much-we-guard-against-it-we-tend_2045871.jpg) > [There is no reason why humanity cannot be served equally by weighty and trivial motives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/there-is-no-reason-why-humanity-cannot-be-served-equally-by-weighty/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/307/eric-hoffer-343_humanity_there-is-no-reason-why-humanity-cannot-b_2958383.jpg) ## Other authors on Inspirational - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b001/author-vikrant-parsai-70.jpg) Vikrant Parsai 1,302 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/vikrant-parsai/) - [Lailah Gifty Akita 758 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/lailah-gifty-akita/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b024/author-william-shakespeare-95899.jpg) William Shakespeare 602 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/william-shakespeare/) - [Ralph Waldo Emerson 580 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/ralph-waldo-emerson/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b010/author-frederick-lenz-36205.jpg) Frederick Lenz 477 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/frederick-lenz/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b001/author-amit-kalantri-279.jpg) Amit Kalantri 473 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/amit-kalantri/) - [Timothy Pina 412 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/timothy-pina/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b021/author-rumi-81702.jpg) Rumi 411 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/rumi/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b019/author-paulo-coelho-74345.jpg) Paulo Coelho 387 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/paulo-coelho/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b023/author-swami-vivekananda-88348.jpg) Swami Vivekananda 376 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/swami-vivekananda/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b003/author-albert-einstein-10494.jpg) Albert Einstein 338 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/albert-einstein/) - [Debasish Mridha 327 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/debasish-mridha/) ## 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/inspirational/eric-hoffer/#itemlist", "name": "Best Inspirational Quotes by Eric Hoffer", "numberOfItems": 4, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In every passionate pursuit, the pursuit counts more than the object pursued.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eric Hoffer" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/in-every-passionate-pursuit-the-pursuit-counts-more-than-the-object/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/951/eric-hoffer-343_inspirational_in-every-passionate-pursuit-the-pursuit_191778.jpg", 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