“The game of history is usually played by the best and the worst over the heads of the majority in the middle.”
Best
“Our sense of power is more vivid when we break a man's spirit than when we win his heart.”
PowerAll Quotes by Eric Hoffer
“When we believe ourselves in possession of the only truth, we are likely to be indifferent to common everyday truths.”
Truth“Those in possession of absolute power can not only prophesy and make their prophecies come true, but they can also lie and make their lies come true.”
Power“We have perhaps a natural fear of ends. We would rather be always on the way than arrive. Given the means, we hang on to them and often forget the ends.”
Fear“We do not really feel grateful toward those who make our dreams come true they ruin our dreams.”
Dreams“It is the malady of our age that the young are so busy teaching us that they have no time left to learn.”
Age“One of the marks of a truly vigorous society is the ability to dispense with passion as a midwife of action - the ability to pass directly from thought to action.”
Society“There is no loneliness greater than the loneliness of a failure. The failure is a stranger in his own house.”
Failure“The best part of the art of living is to know how to grow old gracefully.”
Art“It is a sign of creeping inner death when we can no longer praise the living.”
Death“The greatest weariness comes from work not done.”
Work“Man was nature's mistake she neglected to finish him and she has never ceased paying for her mistake.”
Nature“It is remarkable by how much a pinch of malice enhances the penetrating power of an idea or an opinion. Our ears, it seems, are wonderfully attuned to sneers and evil reports about our fellow men.”
Power“Charlatanism of some degree is indispensable to effective leadership.”
Leadership“Disappointment is a sort of bankruptcy - the bankruptcy of a soul that expends too much in hope and expectation.”
Hope“We are least open to precise knowledge concerning the things we are most vehement about.”
Knowledge“The only way to predict the future is to have power to shape the future.”
Future“Rudeness is a weak imitation of strength.”
Strength“There would be no society if living together depended upon understanding each other.”
Society“Take away hatred from some people, and you have men without faith.”
Faith