The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
Elie WieselRead
A destruction, an annihilation that only man can provoke, only man can prevent.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Humanity has the power to cause great destruction, but it also has the responsibility to prevent it.
This quote by Elie Wiesel highlights the duality of human nature; while humans possess the ability to initiate significant harm and annihilation, they also hold the capacity to avert such tragedies. It suggests a moral imperative for individuals to recognize their role in preventing the destruction of themselves and the world around them, emphasizing the importance of choice and responsibility in human actions.
Themes
DestructionResponsibilityHumanityPreventAnnihilation
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on environmental sustainability, one might use this quote to emphasize the need for collective action against climate change.
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
One cannot avoid a certain feeling of disgust, when one observes the actions of man displayed on the great stage of the world. Wisdom is manifested by individuals here and there; but the web of human history as a whole appears to be woven from folly and childish vanity, often, too, from puerile wickedness and love of destruction: with the result that at the end one is puzzled to know what idea to form of our species which prides itself so much on its advantages.
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It especially annoys me when racists are accused of 'discrimination.' The ability to discriminate is a precious faculty; by judging all members on one 'race' to be the same, the racist precisely shows himself incapable of discrimination.
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Today, nobody sees, or wishes to see, that in our time the enslavement of the majority of men is based on money taxes, levied on land and otherwise, which are collected by government from the subjects.
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He who practices Tasawwuf without learning Sacred Law corrupts his faith, while he who learns Sacred Law without practicing Tasawwuf corrupts himself. _x000D_ _x000D_ Only he who combines the two proves true.
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Those who are able to see beyond the shadows and lies of their culture will never be understood let alone believed by the masses.
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There is no conclusive evidence of life after death, but there is no evidence of any sort against it. Soon enough you will know, so why fret about it?
Robert A. HeinleinRead