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In a situation like this, of course you identify with everyone who's suffering. (But we must also think about) the terrorists who are creating such horrible future lives for themselves because of the negativity of this karma. It's all of our jobs to keep our minds as expansive as possible. If you can see (the terrorists) as a relative who's dangerously sick and we have to give them medicine, and the medicine is love and compassion. There's nothing better.
Richard Gere
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote emphasizes the importance of empathy and compassion, even towards those who commit harmful acts.

Richard Gere reflects on the need to empathize with all parties affected by suffering, including those who cause it. He suggests that terrorists, viewed as individuals suffering from their own harmful actions, require 'medicine' in the form of love and compassion rather than hate. This perspective encourages a broader understanding of humanity and the belief that compassion can heal negativity and foster positive change.

Themes

EmpathyCompassionLoveTerrorismSufferingKarma

In practice

Example use cases

This quote could be shared during a discussion about conflict resolution and understanding differing perspectives.

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If you can see the terrorists as a relative who's dangerously sick and we have to give them medicine and the medicine is love and compassion. There's nothing better.
Richard GereRead

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