Once we assuage our conscience by calling something a "necessary evil", it begins to look more and more necessary and less and less evil.
Interpretation
Labeling something as a 'necessary evil' helps us justify its existence, often leading to decreased moral scrutiny.
Sydney J. Harris highlights a critical flaw in human reasoning where the act of labeling something as a 'necessary evil' leads to a comfort that diminishes our moral apprehension. When we categorize certain actions or events in this way, we risk normalizing them and failing to recognize their inherent negativity, allowing them to appear more acceptable over time.
In practice
During a corporate meeting discussing layoffs, one might quote this to challenge the perception of necessary budget cuts.
A person is either himself or not himself; is either rooted in his existence or is a fabrication; has either found his humanhood or is still playing with masks and roles and status symbols. And nobody is more aware of this difference (although unconsciously) than a child. Only an authentic person can evoke a good response in the core of the other person; only person is resonant to person.
We evaluate others with a Godlike justice, but we want them to evaluate us with a Godlike compassion.
The commonest fallacy among women is that simply having children makes them a mother - which is as absurd as believing that having a piano makes one a musician.
Man's unique agony as a species consists in his perpetual conflict between the desire to stand out and the need to blend in.
"Terrorism" is what we call the violence of the weak, and we condemn it; "war" is what we call the violence of the strong, and we glorify it.
At it's highest level, the purpose of teaching is not to teachβit is to inspire the desire for learning. Once a student's mind is set on fire, it will find a way to provide its own fuel.
Every government interference in the economy consists of giving an unearned benefit, extorted by force, to some men at the expense of others.
Better to mock the game than to play and lose.
It is generally understood that men don't aspire after the absolute right, but only to do about as well as the rest of the world.
The Kingdom is to be in the midst of your enemies. And he who will not suffer this does not want to be of the Kingdom of Christ; he wants to be among friends, to sit among roses and lilies, not with the bad people but the devout people. O you blasphemers and betrayers of Christ! If Christ had done what you are doing, who would ever have been spared?
Safety from external danger is the most powerful director of national conduct. To be more safe, [nations] at length become willing to run the risk of being less free.
No one can argue any longer about the rights of women. It's like arguing about earthquakes.
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