Eric Hoffer (July 25, 1902 – May 21, 1983) was an American social writer. He was the author of ten books and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in February 1983. His first book, The True Believer, published in 1951, was widely recognized as a classic, receiving critical acclaim from both scholars and laymen, although Hoffer believed that his book The Ordeal of Change was his finest work. In 2001, the Eric Hoffer Award was established in his honor with permission granted by the Eric Hoffer Estate in 2005.
Read more about Eric Hoffer: Biography, Working Class Roots, On The Nature and Origins of Mass Movements, Views and Opinions, Hoffer's Papers, Published Works, Interviews, Awards and Recognition
Famous quotes by eric hoffer:
“Unpredictability, too, can become monotonous.”
—Eric Hoffer (1902–1983)
“Power corrupts the few, while weakness corrupts the many.... The resentment of the weak does not spring from any injustice done to them but from the sense of their inadequacy and impotence. They hate not wickedness but weakness. When it is in their power to do so, the weak destroy weakness wherever they see it.”
—Eric Hoffer (1902–1983)
“There is in most passions a shrinking away from ourselves. The passionate pursuer has all the earmarks of a fugitive.”
—Eric Hoffer (1902–1983)
“Take away hatred from some people, and you have men without faith.”
—Eric Hoffer (1902–1983)
“Perhaps a modern society can remain stable only by eliminating adolescence, by giving its young, from the age of ten, the skills, responsibilities, and rewards of grownups, and opportunities for action in all spheres of life. Adolescence should be a time of useful action, while book learning and scholarship should be a preoccupation of adults.”
—Eric Hoffer (1902–1983)