Who said “An empty head is not really empty; it is stuffed with rubbish. Hence the difficulty of…”?

Verified

Eric Hoffer. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceReflections on the Human Condition (1973)

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“An empty head is not really empty; it is stuffed with rubbish. Hence the difficulty of forcing anything into an empty head.”
— Eric Hoffer
VerifiedReflections on the Human Condition (1973) · evidenceStupidity

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Reflections on the Human Condition (1973).

APA

Hoffer, E. (n.d.). An empty head is not really empty; it is stuffed with rubbish. Hence the difficulty of forcing anything into an empty head. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/31046-an-empty-head-is-not-really-empty-it/

MLA

Hoffer, Eric. “An empty head is not really empty; it is stuffed with rubbish. Hence the difficulty of forcing anything into an empty head.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/31046-an-empty-head-is-not-really-empty-it/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Hoffer, Eric. “An empty head is not really empty; it is stuffed with rubbish. Hence the difficulty of forcing anything into an empty head.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/31046-an-empty-head-is-not-really-empty-it/.

Related quotes

“Just as the performance of the vilest and most wicked deeds requires spirit and talent, so even the greatest demand a certain insensitivity which under other circumstances we would call stupidity.”
— Georg C. Lichtenberg
VerifiedNotebook F (1776-1779) · evidenceDetails & citeStupidity

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