Eric Hoffer

To the excessively fearful the chief characteristic of power is its arbitrariness. Man had to gain enormously in confidence before read more

To the excessively fearful the chief characteristic of power is its arbitrariness. Man had to gain enormously in confidence before he could conceive an all-powerful God who obeys his own laws.

To spell out the obvious is often to call it in question.

To spell out the obvious is often to call it in question.

Propaganda does not deceive people; it merely helps them to deceive themselves.

Propaganda does not deceive people; it merely helps them to deceive themselves.

The real persuaders are our appetites, our fears and above all our vanity. The skillful propagandist stirs and coaches these read more

The real persuaders are our appetites, our fears and above all our vanity. The skillful propagandist stirs and coaches these internal persuaders.

Unless a man has talents to make something of himself, freedom is an irksome burden. Of what avail is freedom read more

Unless a man has talents to make something of himself, freedom is an irksome burden. Of what avail is freedom to choose if the self be ineffectual? We join a mass movement to escape individual responsibility, or, in the words of the ardent young Nazi, "to be free from freedom.".