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Evil is tolerable if purged of coarseness.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Evil can be accepted if it is refined and devoid of harshness.

This quote suggests that while evil is inherently negative, it can be made more acceptable or understandable when it lacks brutality or insensitivity. It emphasizes the complexities of human behavior and morality, proposing that a nuanced approach to evaluating evil exists, which involves considering its presentation and impact on society.

Themes

EvilMoralityHuman BehaviorPhilosophyTolerance

In practice

Example use cases

During a debate on ethics, one might cite this quote to argue that understanding the nuances of evil is essential for societal progress.

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Because of writers like Chinua Achebe and Camara Laye … I realized that people like me, girls with skin the color of chocolate, whose kinky hair could not form ponytails, could also exist in literature.
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If I had not grown up in Nigeria- and if all I knew of Africa were of popular images- I too would think that africa was a place of beautiful landscapes, beautiful animals and incomprehensible people fighting sensless wars, dying of poverty and aids- unable to speak for themselves and waiting to be saved by a kind white foreigner.
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Stories can break the dignity of a people, but stories can also repair that broken dignity.
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You can't write a script in your mind and then force yourself to follow it. You have to let yourself be.
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