Some men are like musical glasses; to produce their finest tones you must keep them wet.
Samuel Taylor ColeridgeRead
Genocide, after all, is an exercise in community building.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that genocide, despite its horrific nature, can create a disturbing sense of community among perpetrators.
Philip Gourevitch's quote unexpectedly highlights the dark and twisted nature of genocide, positing that it can serve as a perverse form of community building among those who enact such atrocities. It draws attention to how shared beliefs and actions, even if deeply immoral, can forge bonds among individuals, reflecting the complexities of human behavior and morality in extreme circumstances.
Themes
GenocideCommunityAtrocityMoralityHuman Behavior
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the impacts of historical atrocities.
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