Eric Hoffer ( 10 of 253 )
We probably have a greater love for those we support than for those who support us. Our vanity carries greater read more
We probably have a greater love for those we support than for those who support us. Our vanity carries greater weight than our self-interest.
We have rudiments of reverence for the human body, but we consider as nothing the rape of the human mind.
We have rudiments of reverence for the human body, but we consider as nothing the rape of the human mind.
The most effective way to silence our guilty conscience is to convince ourselves and others that those we have sinned read more
The most effective way to silence our guilty conscience is to convince ourselves and others that those we have sinned against are indeed depraved creatures, deserving every punishment, even extermination. We cannot pity those we have wronged, nor can we be indifferent toward them. We must hate and persecute them or else leave the door open to self-contempt.
Every intense desire is perhaps a desire to be different from what we are.
Every intense desire is perhaps a desire to be different from what we are.
To know a person's religion we need not listen to his profession of faith but must find his brand of read more
To know a person's religion we need not listen to his profession of faith but must find his brand of intolerance.
...passionate intensity may serve as a substitute for confidence.
...passionate intensity may serve as a substitute for confidence.
When we debunk a fanatical faith or prejudice, we do not strike at the root of fanaticism. We merely prevent read more
When we debunk a fanatical faith or prejudice, we do not strike at the root of fanaticism. We merely prevent its leaking out at a certain point, with the likely result that it will leak out at some other point. Thus by denigrating prevailing beliefs and loyalties, the militant man of words unwittingly creates in the disillusioned masses a hunger for faith. For the majority of people cannot endure the barrenness and futility of their lives unless they have some ardent dedication, or some passionate pursuit in which they can lose themselves. Thus, in spite of himself, the scoffing man of words becomes the precursor of a new faith.
The game of History is usually played by the best and the worst over the heads of thr majority in read more
The game of History is usually played by the best and the worst over the heads of thr majority in the middle.
When people are fee to do as they please, they usually imitate each other. Originality is deliberate and forced, and read more
When people are fee to do as they please, they usually imitate each other. Originality is deliberate and forced, and partakes of the nature of a protest.
The monstrous evils of the twentieth century have shown us that the greediest money grubbers are gentle doves compared with read more
The monstrous evils of the twentieth century have shown us that the greediest money grubbers are gentle doves compared with money-hating wolves like Lenin, Stalin, and Hitler, who in less than three decades killed or maimed nearly a hundred million men, women, and children and brought untold suffering to a large portion of mankind.
