747 Quotes by Eric Hoffer

In the shaping of a life, chance and the ability to respond to chance are everything

All great art is revolutionary because it touches upon the reality of man and questions the reality of the various transitory forms of human society.

A person's creative ability decreases in direct proportion to the degree to which he takes himself seriously.

But I hang onto my prejudices, they are the testicles of my mind

It is doubtful whether the oppressed ever fight for freedom. They fight for pride and power-power to oppress others.

However much we guard ourselves against it, we tend to shape ourselves in the image others have of us. It is not so much the example of others we imitate, as the reflection of ourselves in their eyes and the echo of ourselves in their words.

The ability to get along without an exceptional leader is the mark of social vigor.

How much easier is self-sacrifice than self-realization!

...the differences between the conservative and the radical seem to spring mainly from their attitude toward the future. Fear of the future causes us to lean against and cling to the present, while faith in the future renders us receptive to change.