There is absolutely no greater high than challenging the power structure as a nobody, giving it your all, and winning. I think I've learned that lesson twice now. The essence of successful revolution, be it for an individual, a community of individuals, or a nation, depends on accepting that challenge.

Abbie Hoffman

Categorized in : Thinking Winning Successful

You measure a democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists.

Abbie Hoffman

freedom political giving

You are talking to a leftist. I believe in the redistribution of wealth and power in the world. I believe in universal hospital care for everyone. I believe that we should not have a single homeless person in the richest country in the world. And I believe that we should not have a C.I.A. that goes around overwhelming governments and assassinating political leaders, working for tight oligarchies around the world to protect the tight oligarchy here at home.

Abbie Hoffman

single believe country

It is always the young that make the change. You don't get these ideas when you're middle-aged. Young people have daring, creativity, imagination and personal computers. Above all, what you have as young people that's vitally needed to make social change, is impatience. You want it to happen now. There have to be enough people that say, ‘We want it now, in our lifetime.’ This is your moment. This is your opportunity. Be adventurists in the sense of being bold and daring. Be opportunists and seize this opportunity, this moment in history, to go out and save our country. It's your turn now.

Abbie Hoffman

creativity opportunity country

Democracy is not something you believe in or a place to hang your hat, but it's something you do. You participate. If you stop doing it, democracy crumbles.

Abbie Hoffman

freedom motivational believe

I think we are constantly faced with the same decision. The decision to be blindly obedient to authority versus the decision to try and change things by fighting the powers that be is always, throughout history, the only decision.

Abbie Hoffman

fighting decision thinking

I believe in compulsory cannibalism. If people were forced to eat what they killed, there would be no more wars.

Abbie Hoffman

military war peace

Today is the first day of the rest of your life.

Abbie Hoffman

motivational inspirational life

Peace is a very complicated concept. When the lion gobbles up the lamb and wipes his lips, then there's peace. Well, I ain't for that peace at all.

Abbie Hoffman

lambs wipe peace

My critique of democracy begins and ends with this point. Kids must be educated to disrespect authority or else democracy is a farce.

Abbie Hoffman

disrespect democracy kids

The '60s are gone, dope will never be as cheap, sex never as free, and the rock and roll never as great.

Abbie Hoffman

dope rocks sex

Sacred cows make the tastiest hamburger.

Abbie Hoffman

hamburgers cows advice

When decorum is repression, the only dignity free men have is to speak out.

Abbie Hoffman

dignity speaks-out men

The idea that media is there to educate us, or to inform us, is ridiculous because that's about tenth or eleventh on their list.

Abbie Hoffman

lists media ideas

Never impose your language on people you wish to reach.

Abbie Hoffman

language wish people

I learned one thing; you never do anything for fame or money. You only do things 'cause they're fun or good. If you can combine the two at the same time, you can make a contribution to the world and have a lot of happiness.

Abbie Hoffman

fun two world

It's too late. We can't win, they've gotten too powerful.

Abbie Hoffman

powerful winning too-late

Action is the only reality; not only reality, but morality as well.

Abbie Hoffman

morality action reality

What if when they called a war, no one went?

Abbie Hoffman

what-if ifs war

The best way to educate oneself is to become part of the revolution.

Abbie Hoffman

educate revolution way

Become an internationalist and learn to respect all life. Make war on machines. And in particular the sterile machines of corporate death and the robots that guard them.

Abbie Hoffman

robots war life