The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
Elie WieselRead
When my father was born, it was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. When I was born, it was Lithuania. When I left, it was Hungary. It is difficult to say where I come from.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote expresses the complex nature of identity shaped by changing national borders and history.
Elie Wiesel's quote reflects on the fluidity of personal and national identity through the lens of historical changes in geography and governance. It illustrates how one's sense of belonging can be complicated, especially when the political landscape shifts dramatically over time, making it challenging to define where one truly comes from or belongs.
Themes
IdentityHistoryBelongingNationalityChange
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion on cultural identity, you might use this quote to emphasize how complex our backgrounds can be.
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.
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Certain things, certain events, seem inexplicable only for a time: up to the moment when the veil is torn aside.
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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.
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No one is as capable of gratitude as one who has escaped the kingdom of night.
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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
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