Envy, propelled by fear, can be even more toxic than anger, because it involves the thought that other people enjoy the good things of life which the envier can't hope to attain through hard work and emulation.
Martha NussbaumRead
When we have emotions of fear and pity toward the hero of a tragedy, we explore aspects of our own vulnerability in a safe and pleasing setting.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Tragedies allow us to confront our vulnerabilities while feeling safe and connected through the emotions they evoke.
This quote by Martha Nussbaum suggests that when we empathize with the hero in a tragedy, we are not only feeling for their plight but also reflecting on our own vulnerabilities. The experience of engaging with tragic narratives creates a safe space for exploring deep emotional responses like fear and pity, ultimately prompting self-reflection and connecting us with universal human experiences.
Themes
EmotionsVulnerabilityTragedyHeroFearPity
In practice
Example use cases
In a literary discussion about the role of tragedy in shaping our understanding of human emotions.
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I find so often, you know, just on a very mundane level; you've got a meeting and your child's acting in a school play. You can't do both things. And it's not simply that you can't do both, but whatever you do, you're going to be neglecting something that's really important.
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Look at the great tradition of Western political philosophy. Those people were all immersed in revolutionary movements. Most weren't career academics - often, they were too radical to be accepted in the academy. Rousseau's books were banned. Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill couldn't hold academic positions because they were atheists.
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