Eric Hoffer

American philosopher and longshoreman, born 1898 or 1902, died 1983

7 quotes in the MindQuotes library.

About

Eric Hoffer, born in the Bronx, New York, was a self-taught philosopher. Blinded at age seven, he regained his sight at fifteen and embarked on voracious reading. With no formal schooling, he worked as a longshoreman in San Francisco from 1943 to 1967, deliberately choosing manual labor to devote time to reading and writing. His most famous work, 'The True Believer' (1951), examines the psychology of mass movements and fanaticism. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1983.

Major works

The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements (1951)essay
The Passionate State of Mind (1955)essay
The Ordeal of Change (1963)essay
Reflections on the Human Condition (1972)essay
Before the Sabbath (1979)essay

Key milestones

1951Publication of 'The True Believer', which became a bestseller after Eisenhower cited it in a televised press conference.
1983Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Ronald Reagan.

Themes

Psychology of mass movementsFanaticismHuman natureWork and contemplative lifeSocial change

Sources: britannica.com · oac.cdlib.org · catdir.loc.gov

“It still holds true that man is most uniquely human when he turns obstacles into opportunities.”

— Eric HofferTheme · Motivation

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“We are more ready to try the untried when what we do is inconsequential. Hence the remarkable fact that many inventions had their birth as toys.”

— Eric HofferTheme · Creativity

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“A great man's greatest good luck is to die at the right time.”

— Eric HofferTheme · History

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“We do not really feel grateful toward those who make our dreams come true; they ruin our dreams.”

— Eric HofferTheme · Psychology

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“The leader has to be practical and a realist, yet must talk the language of the visionary and the idealist.”

— Eric HofferTheme · Leadership

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“Our credulity is greatest concerning the things we know least about. And since we know least about ourselves, we are ready to believe all that is said about us. Hence the mysterious power of both flattery and calumny.”

— Eric HofferTheme · Psychology

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“In times of change the learners shall inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”

— Eric HofferTheme · Change

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