The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
Elie WieselRead
Indifference, to me, is the epitome of evil.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Indifference is a profound moral failing that contributes to evil in the world.
Elie Wiesel's statement emphasizes that indifference, or the lack of concern for the suffering of others, is one of the greatest evils one can perpetuate. By choosing not to care or act in the face of injustice, individuals enable and exacerbate the suffering of those in need, making indifference a powerful force for harm in society.
Themes
IndifferenceEvilSufferingCompassionAction
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on humanitarian issues, one might say, 'As Elie Wiesel stated, 'Indifference, to me, is the epitome of evil,' reminding us to take action.
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
I wonder if I've been changed in the night. Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!
Lewis CarrollRead
While in a vintage restaurant..."the past isn't quaint while you're in it. Only at a safe distance, later, when you see it as decor, not as the shape your life's been squeezed into.
Margaret AtwoodRead
Order and disorder', said the speaker, 'they each have their beauty.
Orson Scott CardRead
Well, as everyone knows, once witchcraft gets started, there's no stopping it.
Mikhail BulgakovRead
You can understand other people only as much as you understand yourself and only on the level of your own being. This means you can judge other people's knowledge but you cannot judge their being. You can see in them only as much as you have in yourself. But people always make the mistake of thinking they can judge other people's being. In reality, if they wish to meet and understand people of a higher development than themselves they must work with the aim of changing their being.
P.D. OuspenskyRead
We kill at every step, not only in wars, riots and executions. We kill when we close our eyes to poverty, suffering and shame.In the same way all disrespect for life, all hard-heartedness,all indifference, all contempt is nothing else than killing.
Hermann HesseRead