Eric Hoffer

Particularly in my salad years I was a regular  reader and admirer of Eric Hoffer, poet, hobo, philosopher, longshoreman. One of the things that always appealed to me then was his healthy attitude toward hard physical work ... and how such travail clears the mind of the detritus of life. Here are some of his more pithy quotes that indicate the measure of this man ... which has made him one of my reacquainted favorites:

- Rudeness is a weak imitation of strength.

- In times of change learners inherit the earth; while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.

- A great man's greatest luck is to die at the right time.

- Power corrupts the few, while weakness corrupts the many.

- We lie the loudest when we lie to ourselves.

- The greatest weariness comes from work not done.

- You can judge a society by its attitude toward maintenance (paraphrase ,,, see: Keeping Customers)

- Many of the insights of the saint(s) come from their experiences as sinners.

- It is easier to love humanity as a whole than to love one's neighbor.

- Absolute faith corrupts as absolutely as absolute power.

- Wise living consists perhaps less in acquiring good habits, but in acquiring as few habits as possible.

- My writing is done in freight yards while waiting for a train, in fields while waiting for a truck, and at noon after lunch. Towns are too distracting.

- Failure in the management of practical affairs seems to be a qualification for success in the management of public affairs.

He died in 1983 ... read his obituary here: New York Times Obit.