Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!
Anne FrankRead
Is discord going to show itself while we are still fighting, is the Jew once again worth less than another? Oh, it is sad, very sad, that once more, for the umpteenth time, the old truth is confirmed: What one Christian does is his own responsibility, what one Jew does is thrown back at all Jews.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the unfairness of collective judgment based on individual actions, especially in the context of prejudice.
Anne Frank's quote addresses the profound injustice of how individuals from a marginalized group are often judged collectively based on the actions of one. She highlights the sad reality that while a Christian's actions are seen as personal, a Jew's actions are unfairly imposed upon all Jews, perpetuating systemic discrimination and bias. This points to the broader issue of prejudice, and the collective blame that minority communities often endure, reminding us of the importance of individual accountability.
Themes
PrejudiceAccountabilityInjusticeDiscriminationCollective Judgment
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion about social justice, one might quote Anne Frank to highlight the need for individual accountability in the fight against prejudice.
More from Anne Frank
All quotes →People who give will never be poor.
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Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.
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Don't condemn me, remember rather that sometimes I, too, can reach the bursting point.
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The Annex is an ideal place to hide in. It may be damp and lopsided, but there's probably not a more comfortable hiding place in all of Amsterdam. No, in all of Holland.
Anne FrankRead
I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that every-thing will change for the better, that this cruelty too shall end, that peace and tranquility will return once more.
Anne FrankRead
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If we can find God only as he is revealed in nature we have no moral God.
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