Europe has what we do not have yet, a sense of the mysterious and inexorable limits of life, a sense, in a word, of tragedy. And we have what they sorely need: a sense of life's possibilities.
James BaldwinRead
It is a very rare man who does not victimize the helpless.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the tendency of people to exploit those who are vulnerable.
James Baldwin's quote reflects on the nature of humanity, suggesting that it is uncommon to find individuals who do not take advantage of those who are less powerful or vulnerable. This statement encourages reflection on societal dynamics and the moral responsibility that individuals have toward others, particularly those who are helpless or marginalized.
Themes
VulnerabilityExploitationHumanityMoralitySocial Justice
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion on social justice, this quote can be used to emphasize the need for greater empathy toward those in vulnerable positions.
More from James Baldwin
All quotes βThose who say it can't be done are usually interrupted by others doing it.
James BaldwinRead
Similar quotes
Before I got here, I thought for a long time that the way out of the labyrinth was to pretend that it did not exist, to build a small, self-sufficient world in the back corner of the endless maze and to pretend that I was not lost, but home.
John GreenRead
Nothing burns like the cold. But only for a while. Then it gets inside you and starts to fill you up, and after a while you don't have the strength to fight it.
George R. R. MartinRead
Meat is not agreeable to the wise: it has a nauseating odor, it causes a bad reputation, it is food for the carnivorous; I say this, Mahamati, it is not to be eaten.
Gautama BuddhaRead
The Constitution overrides a statute, but a statute, if consistent with the Constitution, overrides the law of judges. In this sense, judge-made law is secondary and subordinate to the law that is made by legislators.
Benjamin N. CardozoRead
People always want to be on the right side of history; it is a lot easier to say, 'What an atrocity that was' then it is to say, 'What an atrocity this is.'
Natasha TretheweyRead
There are such beings as vampires, some of us have evidence that they exist. Even had we not the proof of our own unhappy experience, the teachings and the records of the past give proof enough for sane peoples.
Bram StokerRead