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Quote by Eric Hoffer

Work

The Passionate State of Mind

This book delves into the intricate tapestry of human emotions, focusing on the dynamics of relationships and the profound impact they have on individuals' lives. more

Author

Eric Hoffer
Eric Hoffer

Eric Hoffer was an American philosopher known for his profound insights into human nature. His works often explore society, politics, and human behavior, particularly focusing on the experiences of the underclass. Hoffer came from a German immigrant family and worked in various jobs in California during his youth, including dockworker, cook, and gardener. His first book, 'The Ordeal of Change', was published in 1950 and quickly became a bestseller, gaining him widespread recognition. His other works include 'The Ordeal of Change' and 'The True Believer' among others. more

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“Cosmic evolution may teach us how the good and evil tendencies of man may have come about; but, in itself, it is incompetent to furnish any better reason why what we call good is preferable to what we call evil than we had before. Some day, I doubt not, we shall arrive at an understanding of the evolution of the aesthetic faculty; but all the understanding in the world will neither increase nor diminish the force of the intuition that this is beautiful and that is ugly.”

“Of all the frictional resistances, the one that most retards human movement is ignorance, what Buddha called 'the greatest evil in the world.' The friction which results from ignorance ... can be reduced only by the spread of knowledge and the unification of the heterogeneous elements of humanity. No effort could be better spent.”

“The fact that no limits exist to the destructiveness of this weapon [the 'Super', i.e. the hydrogen bomb] makes its very existence and the knowledge of its construction a danger to humanity as a whole. It is necessarily an evil thing considered in any light. For these reasons, we believe it important for the President of the United States to tell the American public and the world what we think is wrong on fundamental ethical principles to initiate the development of such a weapon.”