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Mass movements do not usually rise until the prevailing order has been discredited.

Eric Hoffer

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Eric Hoffer
Age: 84 †
Born: 1898
Born: July 25
Died: 1983
Died: May 21
Philosopher
Psychologist
Writer
New York City
New York
Rise
Mass
Usually
Movement
Order
Discredited
Prevailing
Movements

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Power corrupts the few, while weakness corrupts the many.
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One wonders whether a generation that demands instant satisfaction of all its needs and instant solution of the world's problems will produce anything of lasting value. Such a generation, even when equipped with the most modern technology, will be essentially primitive it will stand in awe of nature, and submit to the tutelage of medicine men.
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Our greatest pretenses are built up not to hide the evil and the ugly in us, but our emptiness. The hardest thing to hide is something that is not there.
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The majority prove their worth by keeping busy. A busy life is the nearest thing to a purposeful life.
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Facts are counterrevolutionary.
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The technique of a mass movement aims to infect people with a malady and then offer the movement as a cure.
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The ability to get along without an exceptional leader is the mark of social vigor.
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The Greeks invented logic but were not fooled by it.
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In every passionate pursuit, the pursuit counts more than the object pursued.
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When you automate an industry you modernize it when you automate a life you primitivize it.
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Every extreme attitude is a fight from the self.
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The proselytizing fanatic strengthens his own faith by converting others. The creed whose legitimacy is most easily challenged is likely to develop the strongest proselytizing impulse.
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All leaders strive to turn their followers into children.
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We clamor for equality chiefly in matters in which we ourselves cannot hope to obtain excellence.
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Both the revolutionary and the creative individual are perpetual juveniles. The revolutionary does not grow up because he cannot grow, while the creative individual cannot grow up because he keeps growing.
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To change everything, simply change your attitude.
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It is the acquisition of skills in particular, irrespective of their utility, that is potent in making life meaningful. Since man has no inborn skills, the survival of the species has depended on the ability to acquire and perfect skills. Hence the mastery of skills is a uniquely human activity and yields deep satisfaction.
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Intolerance is the ''Do Not Touch'' sign on something that cannot bear touching. We do not mind having our hair ruffled, but we will not tolerate any familiarity with the toupee which covers our baldness.
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Propaganda ... serves more to justify ourselves than to convince others and the more reason we have to feel guilty, the more fervent our propaganda.
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