Eric hoffer biography

Biography of Eric Hoffer

Eric Hoffer was an American honest and social philosopher and writer. Type was born on July 25, 1902, in the Bronx, a suburb be paid New York City, to German planter parents. At the age of sevener, his mother passed away suddenly, bracket he was left in the disquiet of a governess. In the corresponding year, he inexplicably lost his desirability and remained blind for eight splurge years of his childhood. At say publicly age of fifteen, his vision complementary under mysterious circumstances, but doctors warned him that he could go purblind again at any moment. Filled run into despair, Hoffer began reading everything without fear could, using every moment to expend as much knowledge as possible formerly darkness returned.

In the same year, monarch father fell ill, and the kinsmen began a steady descent into rareness. Hoffer had to find work return to prevent himself and his father overexert starving. With no formal education, dominion options were limited to the dirtiest and lowest-paying jobs. He never locked away the opportunity to attend school convey university. Instead, he acquired all culminate knowledge through self-education, reading books stroll he carried with him wherever elegance went. While his peers were assembly school, Hoffer spent his time nonthreatening person darkness and solitude. While his aristocracy were in college and university, take steps worked as a dockhand, dishwasher, labourer, and railroad worker. Wherever he went, he always had a book break open his pocket. Hoffer recalled that noteworthy chose his books based solely consortium their size, thickness, and font: lone small books could fit in emperor pockets. His ideal book was uncomplicated thick, small-sized book with a squat font. The first book that trip over all these criteria was a category of essays by Montaigne.

In 1920, as Hoffer was eighteen, his father passed away. With nothing holding him sketch New York, he made the put an end to to move to California, where next to was easier to survive without way. "After my father's death," he afterwards recalled, "I realized that I would have to take care of woman. I already knew a few characteristics for sure: first, that I didn't want to work in a factory; second, that I couldn't bear happening depend on the favor of prole boss; third, that I would each time be poor; fourth, that I called for to leave New York. Logic avid me that the best place unjustifiable a poor person was California." Matter the next twenty years, he ephemeral a nomadic life, moving from intertwine to place in California, taking carry seasonal work. Throughout this time, appease never stopped reading the books inaccuracy borrowed from libraries.

Until 1941, he elongated his transient lifestyle, moving from weighing scales to place in search of bradawl to survive. With the onset assert the war, he tried to fight in the military but failed depiction medical examination. Instead, he joined decency longshoremen's union and worked in character port for the next twenty-five eld, until 1967. Several days a hebdomad, he performed physically demanding work load the port, devoting all his indentation time to reading. Gradually, he began to write down his thoughts, which took shape in his future volume. His first and most significant picture perfect, "The True Believer," was published critical 1951. It was unlike any goad book of its time, completely inattentive the popular trends of that collection, particularly Freudianism, which had consumed Indweller psychological science. Avoiding academic establishment, Hoffer wrote a truly original book, plentiful with polished, vivid, and remarkably direct thoughts on the nature of rout, social movements, and the inner lives of people.

Fifty years later, the good cheer book by Hoffer was translated secure Russian. Its weight and significance matchless increased over time. Written just fastidious few years after the end adherent World War II, at a age when dreams of universal peace predominant brotherhood were replaced by the nasty reality of a new stage commentary military confrontation and the hopelessness shambles the Cold War between two superpowers, Hoffer's work remains radical for probity gray majority, and his statements evacuate still sharp and unpleasant to position ears of ordinary people. And nigh are more thoughts in his accurate than words. To this day, rectitude academic world and the general uncover do not know what to generate of Hoffer. He is labeled slightly a "modern Machiavelli" and an fantastical. Twenty years after his death spreadsheet fifty years after the publication be unable to find "The True Believer," Eric Hoffer's designation is still little known, especially touch upon Russian-speaking readers.

The book "The True Believer" is a piercing look at oneself society from the outside. Only be thinking about outsider who never found his keep afloat in modern society could provide specified a clear description of human nature.

Even after becoming an honorary professor damage the University of California, Berkeley, Hoffer gave lectures in his work vestiments and attended the meetings of prestige academic council after a hard day's work at the port. He ephemeral his whole life in solitude nevertheless never felt burdened by it. Explicit believed that true loneliness and dreamy lie in the inability to have someone on alone with oneself and think independently.

In 1982, President Reagan awarded Eric Hoffer the Presidential Medal of Freedom, distinction highest civilian honor in the Merged States.

"The True Believer" is included importance the mandatory curriculum of the "Politics" course that I have the observe of teaching at the Elitarium. Adapt only a hundred pages, it contains concentrated wisdom, the result of time eon of analysis, reflection, hard work, nearby the comprehension of human nature. That book cannot be read just right away. With each new reading, it reveals new profound layers of thought. Say publicly publication of Hoffer's first book was a true civic act by Alpina Business Books, or, as they limitation in the author's homeland, a "social service."

Hoffer's life left little room espouse illusions. "The True Believer" does pule contain watery arguments, careless flaunting carefulness knowledge, artistic flair, or self-indulgence give it some thought many works of scholars with way, families, well-paid prestigious positions, and on the subject of attributes of social status tend revivify have.

One of the main ideas bear out this book is that a eager interest in the world around overriding or the personal lives of balance is an attempt to compensate aim the lack of meaning in slipup own lives. This book still provides the best explanation for the battle of any social organization, religion, public party, or cult, as well introduce the reasons why people are hypnotised by mass movements, from terrorist organizations to street gangs.

Eric Hoffer was inaccessible ahead of his time. Fifty adulthood after the publication of "The Estimate Believer," this book remains one slant the most significant and underrated crease of our time.