You can discover what your enemy fears most by observing the means he uses to frighten you.
– Eric Hoffer
Rudeness is the weak man’s imitation of strength.
– Eric Hoffer
When people are bored, it is primarily with their own selves that they are bored.
– Eric Hoffer
Kindness can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind.
– Eric Hoffer
The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness.
– Eric Hoffer
We lie the loudest when we lie to ourselves.
– Eric Hoffer
For many people, an excuse is better than an achievement because an achievement, no matter how great, leaves you having to prove yourself again in the future, but an excuse can last for life.
– Eric Hoffer
The opposite of the religious fanatic is not the fanatical atheist but the gentle cynic who cares not whether there is a god or not.
– Eric Hoffer
Passionate hatred can give meaning and purpose to an empty life.
– Eric Hoffer
Disappointment is a sort of bankruptcy – the bankruptcy of a soul that expends too much in hope and expectation.
– Eric Hoffer
There is no doubt that in exchanging a self-centered for a selfless life we gain enormously in self-esteem. The vanity of the selfless, even those who practice utmost humility, is boundless.
– Eric Hoffer
Hatred is the most accessible and comprehensive of all the unifying agents. Mass movements can rise and spread without belief in a god, but never without a belief in a devil.
– Eric Hoffer
In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.
– Eric Hoffer
Absolute faith corrupts as absolutely as absolute power.
– Eric Hoffer
It still holds true that man is most uniquely human when he turns obstacles into opportunities.
– Eric Hoffer
The greatest weariness comes from work not done.
– Eric Hoffer
We can be absolutely certain only about things we do not understand.
– Eric Hoffer
The nature of society is largely determined by the direction in which talent and ambition flow-by the tilt of the social landscape.
– Eric Hoffer
It is easier to love humanity than to love your neighbor.
– Eric Hoffer
Far more crucial than what we know or do not know is what we do not want to know.
– Eric Hoffer
It is thus with most of us; we are what other people say we are. We know ourselves chiefly by hearsay.
– Eric Hoffer
To the old, the new is usually bad news.
– Eric Hoffer