Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
Absolute freedom may not be ideal for creative function. Mild tyranny or restriction often stimulates creativity better.
In plain terms
Mild restriction often boosts creativity more than total freedom.
What can you take from it?
Accept structure to enhance creative output.

Where it applies

  • workplace culture
  • artistic projects
  • academic settings

Putting it to work

  • implement gentle guidelines
  • avoid total anarchy

Questions to consider

  • What environment suits your work best?
  • Is more structure helpful?

Another view

Some art requires absolute freedom to emerge.

More from Eric Hoffer

  1. The impulse to think, to philosophize and spin beauty and brilliance out of mind and soul, is somehow the offspring of resistance - of an effort to overcome an…

    Permalink to quote #141
  2. Actual creativeness is a matter of moments. One has to piece together the minute grains to make a lump. And it is so easy to miss the momentary flashes, it is …

    Permalink to quote #143
  3. We are ready to die for an opinion but not for a fact: indeed, it is by our readiness to die that we try to prove the factualness of our opinion.

    Permalink to quote #140

Related quotes

  1. My writing is done in railroad yards while waiting for a freight, in the fields while waiting for a truck, and at noon after lunch. Towns are too distracting.

    Eric HofferEric Hoffer quote #1
  2. You make 'em, I amuse 'em.

    Dr. SeussDr. Seuss quote #1
  3. Nothing, believe me, nothing is more satisfying to me personally than getting a great idea and then beatin' it to death.

    David LettermanDavid Letterman quote #1