The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
Elie WieselRead
Listen to me, kid. Don't forget that you are in a concentration camp. In this place, it is every many for himself, and you cannot think of others. Not even you father. In this place, there is no such thing as father, brother, friend. Each of us lives and dies alone. Let me give you good advice: stop giving your ration of bread and soup to your old father. You cannot help him anymore. And you are hurting yourself. In fact, you should be getting his rations.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Survival in dire circumstances often requires making harsh choices that prioritize one's own well-being over familial bonds.
This quote highlights the brutal reality of survival in a concentration camp, where the instinct to survive supersedes family ties and emotional bonds. Elie Wiesel's message is a stark reminder that in extreme situations, self-preservation becomes paramount, even if it means making heart-wrenching decisions against loved ones. It reflects the harsh truth of human instinct in the face of adversity, emphasizing that survival often entails difficult moral choices.
Themes
SurvivalSacrificeFamilyLonelinessAdversity
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about resilience in times of hardship.
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.
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Certain things, certain events, seem inexplicable only for a time: up to the moment when the veil is torn aside.
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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
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