Hoffer, Eric

"When people are free to do as they please, they usually imitate each other."

"We are told that talent creates its own opportunities. But it sometimes seems that intense desire creates not only its own opportunities, but its own talents."

"It is the malady of our age that the young are so busy teaching us that they have no time left to learn."

"You can discover what your enemy fears most by observing the means he uses to frighten you."

"The only way to predict the future is to have power to shape the future. Those in possession of absolute power can not only prophesy and make their prophesies come true, but they can also lie and make their lies come true."

"A low capacity for getting along with those near us often goes hand in hand with a high receptivity to the idea of the brotherhood of men." - The Ordeal of Change

"There can be no real freedom without the freedom to fail." - The Ordeal of Change

"To have a grievance is to have a purpose in life." - The Passionate State of Mind

"The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness." - The Passionate State of Mind

"Glory is largely a theatrical concept. There is no striving for glory without a vivid awareness of an audience." - The True Believer

"We can be absolutely certain only about things we do not understand." - The True Believer