"There is probably an element of malice in our readiness to overestimate people - we are, as it were, laying up for ourselves the pleasure of later cutting them down to size"

This quote by Eric Hoffer suggests that people typically tend to overstate others, however this is not constantly done out of kindness. Rather, it is typically done out of a destructive desire to later bring them down to size. This might be seen as a kind of psychological adjustment, where individuals are at first applauded and then later on criticized in order to make them feel inferior. This could be done out of envy, or just to make oneself feel remarkable. It is a method of controlling the other individual, and it is a kind of psychological abuse. Hoffer's quote is a tip that we should be careful not to overestimate people out of a harmful desire to later on bring them down. We ought to rather be kind and generous in our evaluations of others, and not use them as a way to an end.