Eric Hoffer Quotes

Man is very vain; he likes to feel that he is responsible for all the favorable things that happen, and he is innocent of all the unfavorable happenings

Many, many people exaggerate their accomplishments, blame their failures on others, and misrepresent reality in order to make themselves look better. This behavior is ubiquitous—sometimes intentional, more often subconscious. In ordinary life, we tolerate it, mutely or not, hoping that we are not as bad as the person whose lies we are listening to.

I think the easiest people to fool are ourselves. Fooling ourselves may even be a necessary precondition for fooling others.

I'm not conceited. Conceit is a fault and I have no faults.

Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose.

We only acknowledge small faults in order to make it appear that we are free from great ones.

I did think for many, many years that because of my ability I could beat the system. And I was wrong.

When we want to do something while unconsciously certain to fail, we seek advice so we can blame someone else for the failure.

We do ourselves a disservice when we self-servingly massage the record.

There are a whole host of psychological phenomenon humans have developed to protect ourselves from the sting of failure, from holding ourselves less accountable for our failures than we do other people, to letting our fear paralyze us and keep us from even trying.

Because we make ourselves deaf to feedback, because we overestimate our abilities, because we become consumed with ourselves, we end up subjecting ourselves not just to the inevitable stumbles or difficulties of life but catastrophic, painful failures.

Thinking you know when in fact you don't is a fatal mistake, to which we are all prone

People are never so near playing the fool as when they think themselves wise.

There are many who find a good alibi far more attractive than an achievement.

He flattered himself on being a man without any prejudices; and this pretension itself is a very great prejudice.

The greatest fool is he who thinks he is not one and all others are.

Verily the kindness that gazes upon itself in a mirror turns to stone, and a good deed that calls itself by tender names becomes the parent to a curse.

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.

It is difficult for men in high office to avoid the malady of self-delusion. They are always surrounded by worshipers. They are constantly, and for the most part sincerely, assured of their greatness.

There is scarcely any man, how much soever he may despise the character of a flatterer, but will condescend in the meanest manner to flatter himself.

Men who cannot deceive others are very often successful at deceiving themselves.

The moment you believe your own crap and excuses, you fail.

Believing your own bullshit is always a perilous activity, but never more fatal than for the owner of a start-up venture.

No excuses; those were just weak.

Everyone in Annawadi talks like this: 'Oh, I will make my child a doctor, a lawyer, and he will make us rich'. It's vanity, nothing more. Your little boat goes west and you congratulate yourself, 'what a navigator I am!' And then the wind blows you east.