Eric Hoffer: “The intellectual knows with every fiber of his being that all men are not equal”

“The intellectual knows with every fiber of his being that all men are not equal, and there are few things that he cares for less than a classless society. No matter how genuine the intellectual’s altruism, he regards the common man as a means.

A free society is as much a threat to the intellectual’s sense of worth as an automated economy is a threat to the worker’s sense of worth. Any social order…which can function well with a minimum of leadership will be an anathema to the intellectual.”

– Eric Hoffer