To a man utterly without a sense of belonging, mere life is all that matters. It is the only reality in an… — Eric Hoffer Copy Share Image
Free men are aware of the imperfection inherent in human affairs, and they are willing to fight and die for that which… — Eric Hoffer Copy Share Image
To lose one's life is but to lose the present; and, clearly, to lose a defiled, worthless present is not to lose… — Eric Hoffer Copy Share Image
Man's chief goal in life is still to become and stay human, and defend his achievements against the encroachment of nature. — Eric Hoffer Copy Share Image
Spiritual stagnation ensues when man's environment becomes unpredictable or when his inner life is made wholly predictable. — Eric Hoffer Copy Share Image
The majority prove their worth by keeping busy. A busy life is the nearest thing to a purposeful life. — Eric Hoffer Copy Share Image
Conservatism is sometimes a symptom of sterility. Those who have nothing in them that can grow and develop must cling to what… — Eric Hoffer Copy Share Image
Where unity and self-sacrifice are indispensable for the normal functioning of society, everyday life is likely to be either religiofied (common tasks… — Eric Hoffer Copy Share Image
The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;… — Eric Hoffer Copy Share Image
When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant. — Eric Hoffer Copy Share Image
Our originality shows itself most strikingly not in what we wholly originate but in what we do with that which we borrow from others. — Eric Hoffer Copy Share Image
The creative mind is the playful mind. Philosophy is the play and dance of ideas. — Eric Hoffer Copy Share Image
It is also plausible that those movements with the greatest inner contradiction and between profession and practice - that is to say with a… — Eric Hoffer Copy Share Image
The best part of the art of living is to know how to grow old gracefully. — Eric Hoffer Copy Share Image
“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… — Eric Hoffer Copy Share Image
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… — Eric Hoffer Copy Share Image
A nation without dregs and malcontents, is orderly, decent, peaceful and pleasant, but perhaps without the seed of things to come — Eric Hoffer Copy Share Image
Compassion alone stands apart from the continuous traffic between good and evil proceeding within us. — Eric Hoffer Copy Share Image
There are many who find a good alibi far more attractive than an achievement. For an achievement does not settle anything permanently. We still… — Eric Hoffer Copy Share Image
