It is dangerous to be an American Negro male. America has never wanted its Negroes to be men, and does not, generally, treat them as men. It treats them as mascots, pets, or things.
James A. BaldwinRead
Hatred destroys the person who hates.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Hatred is harmful not only to its target but also to the person who harbors it.
This quote emphasizes the destructive nature of hatred, suggesting that it is a poison that ultimately harms the individual who nurtures these feelings. Rather than impacting only the object of their hatred, the act of hating consumes the hater, leading to their own emotional and psychological deterioration.
Themes
HatredDestructionEmotionsSelf-HarmWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on forgiveness, one might quote Baldwin to highlight the dangers of holding onto hate.
More from James A. Baldwin
All quotes βThe white man discovered the Cross by way of the Bible, but the black man discovered the Bible by way of the Cross.
James A. BaldwinRead
Those kids aren't dumb. But the people who run these schools want to make sure they don't get smart: they are really teaching the kids to be slaves.
James A. BaldwinRead
Experience, which destroys innocence, also leads one back to it.
James A. BaldwinRead
The reason people think it's important to be white is that they think it's important not to be black.
James A. BaldwinRead
The trick is to love somebody.... If you love one person, you see everybody else differently.
James A. BaldwinRead
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There are truths which one can only say after having won the right to say them.
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