Kindness towards strangers is rare in North Korea. There is a risk to helping others. The state made accusers and informers of us all.
Interpretation
The quote reflects the courage needed to show kindness in a repressive environment where such actions can have serious consequences.
In this quote, Lee Hyeon-Seo speaks to the scarcity of kindness among strangers in North Korea, a place where societal norms and government actions have instilled fear of retribution for helping others. The idea of helping someone becomes risky as the state has encouraged a culture of suspicion, where individuals may inform on one another, leading to a breakdown of communal support and kindness.
In practice
During a speech about human rights, this quote highlights the importance of compassion even in hostile environments.
The #MeToo movement doesn't belong to Republicans or the Democrats. The #MeToo movement belongs to women who are having the courage to come forward and say this is wrong. People should be protected. We want that for all of our daughters and all of our sisters. We also want there to be rights for the accused.
I was repeatedly told that there isn't an African American woman who can open a show on Broadway. I said, 'Well, how do we know? How do we know if we don't do it?' I said, 'I think you're wrong.'
Through persistence, self-knowledge, prayer, commitment, optimism, a resolute trust in God and the building of your own personal moral strength, you can enjoy the blessings of a deeper faith and face the difficulties of life with courage and confidence.
what you hear in my voice is fury, not suffering. Anger, not moral authority
Be brave and celebrate with us your 'perceived flaws,' as society tells us. May we make our flaws famous, and thus redefine the heinous.
Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow.
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