If there is such a phenomenon as absolute evil, it consists in treating another human being as a thing.
John BrunnerRead
Extremism. It is an almost infallible sign — a kind of death-rattle — when a human institution is forced by its members into stressing those and only those factors which are identificatory, at the expense of others which it necessarily shares with competing institutions because human beings belong to all of them.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Extremism in institutions tends to highlight divisive traits, neglecting shared humanity.
This quote by John Brunner highlights the danger of extremism within human institutions, suggesting that when members of these institutions focus solely on what differentiates them from others, they risk disregarding the commonalities that unite all human beings. This obsession with identification at the expense of understanding and cooperation fosters division and can mark the decline of healthy discourse and relationships among groups.
Themes
ExtremismDivisionHumanityInstitutionCooperation
In practice
Example use cases
During a community forum on tolerance, someone could use this quote to emphasize the need for understanding amidst differences.
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