“Free men are aware of the imperfection inherent in human affairs, and they are willing to fight and die for that which is not perfect.”

— Eric Hoffer

The Temper of Our Time (1967)
Context: Free men are aware of the imperfection inherent in human affairs, and they are willing to fight and die for that which is not perfect. They know that basic human problems can have no final solutions, that our freedom, justice, equality, etc. are far from absolute, and that the good life is compounded of half measures, compromises, lesser evils, and gropings toward the perfect. The rejection of approximations and the insistence on absolutes are the manifestation of a nihilism that loathes freedom, tolerance, and equity.

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Eric Hoffer 240

American philosopher 1898–1983

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“Free men are aware of the imperfection inherent in human affairs, and they are willing to fight and die for that which is not perfect.”

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