Discovering witnesses is just as important as catching criminals.
The end was surely near. The Nazis killed you only when you were naked, because they knew, psychologically, that naked people never resist.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the brutality of oppression and the psychological tactics used by oppressors to ensure submission.
Simon Wiesenthal's quote highlights the horrific reality of how the Nazis marginalized their victims, stripping them of dignity and agency in order to dominate them completely. It serves as a poignant reminder of the psychological warfare involved in dehumanizing individuals, where the act of being naked symbolizes total vulnerability and helplessness, thus discouraging any form of resistance. This insight into the mindset of oppressors challenges us to remember the importance of dignity in the fight against tyranny.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech addressing human rights, to illustrate the importance of dignity.
More from Simon Wiesenthal
All quotes βJustice for crimes against humanity must have no limitations.
My cause was justice, not vengeance. My work is for a better tomorrow and a more secure future for our children and grandchildren.
The schools would fail through their silence, the Church through its forgiveness, and the home through the denial and silence of the parents. The new generation has to hear what the older generation refuses to tell it.
We know that we are not collectively guilty, so how can we accuse any other nation, no matter what some of its people have done, of being collectively guilty?
Human rights is the only ideology that deserves to survive
Similar quotes
What I do with my work is, I give women permission to be angry. Because that's our right. Because it's an emotion. Because it's been taken away from us. Because we've been silenced.
It was not pre-arranged. It just happened that the driver made a demand and I just didn't feel like obeying his demand. I was quite tired after spending a full day working.
We seem to have lost. We have not lost. To refuse to fight would have been to lose; to fight is to win. We have kept faith with the past, and handed on a tradition to the future.
The likelihood that your acts of resistance cannot stop the injustice does not exempt you from acting in what you sincerely and reflectively hold to be the best interests of your community.
...children have the resilience to outlive their sufferings, if given a chance.
Rape is the most humiliating thing that can be done to you; it's the most vulnerable that you can be. But once I realized that, I became a stronger person and faced all my fears.