Unless a man has talents to ...

Unless a man has talents to make something of himself, freedom is an irksome burden. Of what avail is freedom to choose if the self be ineffectual? We join a mass movement to escape individual responsibility, or, in the words of the ardent young Nazi, \
Unless a man has talents to make something of himself, freedom is an irksome burden. Of what avail is freedom to choose if the self be ineffectual? We join a mass movement to escape individual responsibility, or, in the words of the ardent young Nazi, "to be free from freedom.
 Eric Hoffer

Quotes from the same author

In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.
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 Eric Hoffer
Man's chief goal in life is still to become and stay human, and defend his achievements against the encroachment of nature.
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 Eric Hoffer
The Paleolithic hunters who painted the unsurpassed animal murals on the ceiling of the cave at Altamira had only rudimentary tools. Art is older than production for use, and play older than work. Man was shaped less by what he had to do than by what he did in playful moments. It is the child in man that is the source of his uniqueness and creativeness, and the playground is the optimal milieu for the unfolding of his capacities.
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 Eric Hoffer
You cannot gauge the intelligence of an American by talking with him; you must work with him. The American polishes and refines his way of doing things-even the most commonplace-the way the French of the 17th century polished their maxims.
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 Eric Hoffer
Craving, not having, is the mother of a reckless giving of oneself.
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 Eric Hoffer