Eric Hoffer Quotes

It is by its promise of a sense of power that evil often attracts the weak.

'The Sea Wolf' is the story of a man who believes only in brute force. He is so firm in belief in his own ideas that he despises all who disagree with him. He preaches the doctrine of intolerance. He flaunts the notion that democracy is anything but weakness.

The weak can be terrible because they try furiously to appear strong.

Never ask for anything! Never for anything, and especially from those who are stronger than you. They'll make the offer themselves, and give everything themselves.

If she could give love to IT perhaps it would shrivel up and die, for she was sure that IT could not withstand love.

Give a truly good person power, and they’re still a good person. Give a bad person power, and they’re still a bad person. The question is always about the person in between. The one that isn’t evil, or good, but just ordinary. You don’t always know what an ordinary person is like on the inside.

The devil is no longer looking for an open door in your life. He will take any crack you give him.

We manufacture anger to give ourselves the illusion of power when we feel weak and helpless.

Evil is impotent and has no power but that which we let it extort from us.

There aren't many benefactors who don't say, like Satan: All these things will I give you if you bow down and worship me.

Not to fear a person with power--to profess, instead, one's love--is to deny that that person has power.

Strength is incomprehensible by weakness, and, therefore, the more terrible.

There is no good and evil, there is only power and those too weak to seek it.

Every man has a weakness!” he patiently explained. “I'll find theirs, I promise you.” “Every man?” “Yes,” he answered emphatically. ... “What is your weakness, Brodick?” she asked. “You.

I never promise a woman anything nor let her know what I'm going to give her. That's the only way to manage them. Always keep them guessing. If you cant think of any other way to surprise them, give them a bust in the jaw.

Weakness actually is a provocative to evil. You don't beat evil with weakness. You don't beat evil with concessions. You don't beat radical Islam by giving them more territory, giving them more money. You beat evil by strength.

The people who seem to us to be a very tiny elite, far off and mysterious, actually live in a fairly big world. The way they look at the planet is like they're looking at an index card covered in supply routes. We protestors had imagined ourselves this huge threat. But we were at best bemusing. To the extent that the people inside did care, it was almost like we were paying them a compliment-it reinforced their sense of power.

You can't become tempted if you just give in a little quicker.

To get the inestimable good that freedom of the press assures one must know how to submit to the inevitable evil it gives rise to.

If a fox is unable to befriend a tiger, then the fox should create an illusion of close association with the tiger by carefully trailing behind the cat while boasting of the deep friendship they share. In this way, he creates an impression that his well being is of great concern to the tiger.

It's important to realize that whenever you give power to politicians or bureaucrats, it will be used for what they want, not for what you want.

Of all evil I deem you capable: Therefore I want good from you. Verily, I have often laughed at the weaklings who thought themselves good because they had no claws.

If a thing is free to be good it is also free to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible. Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.

Cunning is neither the consequence of sense, nor does it give sense. A proof that it is not sense, is that cunning people never imagine that others can see through them. It is the consequence of weakness.

If you have been voting for politicians who promise to give you goodies at someone else's expense, then you have no right to complain when they take your money and give it to someone else, including themselves