Life must be lived and curiosity kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life.
Eleanor RooseveltRead
...so much attention is paid to the aggressive sins, such as violence and cruelty, and greed with all their tragic effects, that too little attention is paid to the passive sins, such as apathy and laziness, which in the long run can have a more devastating and destructive effect upon society than the others.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the dangers of neglecting passive sins like apathy and laziness, which can be more harmful than aggressive sins.
Eleanor Roosevelt's quote highlights the contrast between aggressive sins, such as violence and greed, which are often condemned and attract public outrage, and passive sins, like apathy and laziness, which tend to be overlooked. Over time, these passive sins can erode societal values and contribute to a more destructive environment, suggesting that our moral responsibilities extend beyond the active wrongdoings to include our failures to engage and act positively in our communities.
Themes
ApathyLazinessPassive SinsSocietyViolenceNeglect
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about community engagement, to stress the importance of everyone participating actively.
More from Eleanor Roosevelt
All quotes →Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.
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You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give.
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Our children should learn the general framework of their government and then they should know where they come in contact with the government, where it touches their daily lives and where their influence is exerted on the government. It must not be a distant thing, someone else's business, but they must see how every cog in the wheel of a democracy is important and bears its share of responsibility for the smooth running of the entire machine.
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It takes courage to love, but pain through love is the purifying fire which those who love generously know.
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I believe that anyone can conquer fear by doing the things he fears to do.
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