The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
Elie WieselRead
A destruction, an annihilation that only man can provoke, only man can prevent.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Humanity has the power to cause great destruction, but it also has the responsibility to prevent it.
This quote by Elie Wiesel highlights the duality of human nature; while humans possess the ability to initiate significant harm and annihilation, they also hold the capacity to avert such tragedies. It suggests a moral imperative for individuals to recognize their role in preventing the destruction of themselves and the world around them, emphasizing the importance of choice and responsibility in human actions.
Themes
DestructionResponsibilityHumanityPreventAnnihilation
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on environmental sustainability, one might use this quote to emphasize the need for collective action against climate change.
More from Elie Wiesel
All quotes →With every cell of my being and with every fiber of my memory I oppose the death penalty in all forms. I do not believe any civilized society should be at the service of death. I don't think it's human to become an agent of the angel of death.
Elie WieselRead
Certain things, certain events, seem inexplicable only for a time: up to the moment when the veil is torn aside.
Elie WieselRead
We're alone, but we are capable of communicating to one another both our loneliness and our desire to break through it. You say, 'I'm alone.' Someone answers, 'I'm alone too.' There's a shift in the scale of power. A bridge is thrown between the two abysses.
Elie WieselRead
No one is as capable of gratitude as one who has escaped the kingdom of night.
Elie WieselRead
My loyalty to my people, to our people, and to Israel comes first and prevents me from saying anything critical of Israel outside Israel… As a Jew I see my role as a melitz yosher, a defender of Israel: I defend even her mistakes… I must identify with whatever Israel does – even with her errors.
Elie WieselRead
Similar quotes
The church would betray its own love for God and its fidelity to the gospel if it stopped being . . . a defender of the rights of the poor . . . a humanizer of every legitimate struggle to achieve a more just society . . . that prepares the way for the true reign of God in history.
Oscar RomeroRead
A lie which is half a truth is ever the blackest of lies.
Alfred Lord TennysonRead
We have time to grow old. The air is full of our cries. But habit is a great deadener.
Samuel BeckettRead
It's easier to put on a pair of shoes than to wrap the earth in leather.
Chogyam TrungpaRead
We tend to set up success in Christian work as our purpose, but our purpose should be to display the glory of God in human life, to live a life "hidden with Christ in God" in our everyday human conditions.
Oswald ChambersRead
Human security recognizes the importance of individuals and that the key to ensuring growth in developing countries is to foster individual talent and abilities, build self-reliance, and put people in a position to make a broader contribution to society. Growth must be inclusive, and no one must be left behind.
Shinzo AbeRead