There's no difference between a pessimist who says, "Oh it's hopeless, so don't bother doing anything." and an optimist who says, "Don't bother doing anything, it's going to turn out fine anyways. Either way, nothing happens."
Evil doesn’t have to be an overt act; it can be merely the absence of good. If you have the ability, the resources, and the opportunity to do good and you do nothing, that can be evil.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Evil can manifest not just through direct harmful actions, but also through inaction when one has the means to do good.
This quote by Yvon Chouinard emphasizes the idea that simply refraining from doing good can be considered an evil act. It challenges the notion that evil is only associated with overtly negative actions, suggesting that a lack of action in the face of an opportunity to help can be equally culpable. This perspective invites individuals to reflect on their responsibilities towards societal good and highlights the moral implications of inaction.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on social responsibility, a speaker may quote this to emphasize the importance of taking action against injustices.
More from Yvon Chouinard
All quotes →I think risk is important. I don't care if it's a great financial risk or a physical risk. You only get out of something what you put into it and the fact that you are willing to risk something means that you are going to get a lot more out of it.
The solution may be for a lot of the world's problems is to turn around and take a forward step. You can't just keep trying to make a flawed system work.
We're a part of nature. As we destroy nature, we destroy ourselves. It's a selfish thing to want to protect nature.
The future of Yosemite climbing lies not in Yosemite, but in using the new techniques in the great granite ranges of the world.
The reason it was so scary was that there was only one climber capable of rescuing us, and that was Layton Kor, and he was in Colorado.
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Let every man recognize what he is, and be certain that we are all equally priests, that is, we have the same power in the word and in any sacrament whatever.
All miracles are promised to faith, and what is faith except the audacity of will which does not hesitate in the darkness, but advances towards the light in spite of all ordeals, and surmounting all obstacles?
In a brutal country like ours, where human life is 'cheap', it's stupid to destroy yourself for the sake of your beliefs. Beliefs? High ideas? Only people in rich countries can enjoy such luxuries.
He said, "I am a man," and that meant certain things to Juana. It meant that he was half insane and half god.
Tessa was convinced that it was a lie, and also that everything she had done in her life, telling herself that it was for the best, had been no more than blind selfishness, generating confusion and mess all around. But who could bear to know which stars were already dead, she thought, blinking up at the night sky; could anybody stand to know they all were?
I tell you the groans of the damned in hell are the deep bass of the universal anthem of praise that shall ascend to the throne of my God for ever and ever.