The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
Humanity? Humanity is not concerned with us. Today anything is allowed. Anything is possible.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the moral indifference of humanity in the face of overwhelming possibilities, suggesting a loss of ethical concern.
Elie Wiesel's quote suggests a world where human beings are indifferent to moral responsibilities, and where the boundaries of what is acceptable have become blurred. He points out that in contemporary society, people may feel liberated to act without concern for humanity or ethics, leading to the idea that anything is permissible. This notion prompts a critical reflection on moral values and responsibilities in a world where freedom of action might overshadow the importance of compassion and consideration for others.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech addressing youth about the importance of moral choices in today's world.
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.
Certain things, certain events, seem inexplicable only for a time: up to the moment when the veil is torn aside.
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.
No one is as capable of gratitude as one who has escaped the kingdom of night.
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.
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...All endeavours which are directed to a purely worldly end...contain within themselves the germs of their own corruption.
I am only 8 years old, I told myself. No little boy of 8 has ever murdered anyone. It's not possible.
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It is the main earthly business of a human being to make his home, and the immediate surroundings of his home, as symbolic and significant to his own imagination as he can.