Octavian Paler was born in Lisa, Brașov County. He was educated at Spiru Haret High School in Bucharest. In the summer of 1944, just one week before graduating the 7th grade, he was forced to leave the school because of an argument with his uncle and Spiru Haret's school head master – George Șerban.
Octavian Paler was born in Lisa, Brașov County. He attended Spiru Haret High School in Bucharest. In the summer of 1944, just one week before completing his seventh-grade studies, he was compelled to leave the school due to a disagreement with his uncle and Spiru Haret's principal, George Șerban.