So the opposite of addiction is not sobriety. It is human connection.
Johann HariRead
Your working assumption, when you meet a homophobe, should be that they are gay.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that individuals who express hostility towards LGBTQ+ individuals may themselves be struggling with their own sexual identity.
Johann Hari's quote implies that homophobia often stems from repressed feelings and internal conflicts regarding one's own sexuality. By assuming that a homophobe might be gay, it encourages a deeper understanding and empathy towards individuals who express such hatred, as their attitudes might be a reflection of their own fears and insecurities.
Themes
HomophobiaIdentitySexualityEmpathyUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on LGBTQ+ issues, this quote can be used to discuss the psychological aspects of homophobia.
More from Johann Hari
All quotes →Similar quotes
There is a reason the word belonging has a synonym for want at its center; it is the human condition.
Jodi PicoultRead
I don't think homosexuality is a choice. Society forces you to think it's a choice, but in fact, it's in one's nature. The choice is whether one expresses one's nature truthfully or spends the rest of one's life lying about it.
Marlo ThomasRead
Isn’t the most sensitive point of this mourning the fact that I must lose a language — the amorous language? No more ‘I love you’s.
Roland BarthesRead
Farewell, my sister, fare thee well. The elements be kind to thee, and make Thy spirits all of comfort: fare thee well.
William ShakespeareRead
No one is more conventional than a woman who is falling out of love.
Francoise SaganRead
Asking women to respect themselves in order to ‘earn’ the right to be treated like a human being is total horseshit. But suggesting that you have the right to treat her exactly as you please because she didn’t adhere to your archaic views of feminine propriety is misogyny, plain and simple.
Clementine FordRead