I believe that in intense conflict, far from becoming sharper, differences melt away.
Rene GirardRead
Instead of blaming victimization on the victims, the Gospels blame it on the victimizers. What the myths systematically hide, the Bible reveals.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the idea that responsibility for victimization lies with those who perpetrate harm, rather than the victims themselves.
Rene Girard's quote challenges the conventional narrative around victimhood by asserting that the true blame for victimization should be placed on the aggressors rather than the victims. He suggests that while societal myths may obscure this truth, religious texts like the Bible shed light on the inherent injustice of victimization and reveal the moral responsibility of the victimizers.
Themes
VictimizationResponsibilityBibleMythsJusticeVictimizers
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about social justice, this quote could be used to emphasize the need to hold perpetrators accountable.
More from Rene Girard
All quotes βWe don't even know what our desire is. We ask other people to tell us our desires. We would like our desires to come from our deepest selves, our personal depths - but if it did, it would not be desire. Desire is always for something we feel we lack.
Rene GirardRead
The protective system of scapegoats is finally destroyed by the Crucifixion narratives as they reveal Jesus' innocence and, little by little, that of all analogous victims.
Rene GirardRead
What I call a mimetic crisis is a situation of conflict so intense that on both sides people act the same way and talk the same way even though, or because, they are more and more hostile to each other.
Rene GirardRead
Salvation lies in imitating Christ, in other words, in imitating the 'withdrawal relationship' that links him with his Father... To listen to the Father's silence is to abandon oneself to his withdrawal, to conform to it.
Rene GirardRead
It doesn't take much insight to realize that wars have been getting worse every time - worse from the point of view of the civilian, more and more destructive, more and more total.
Rene GirardRead
Similar quotes
Ask him why there are hypocrites in the world.' 'Because it is hard to bear the happiness of others.' 'When are we happy?' 'When we desire nothing and realize that possession is only momentary, and so are forever playing.' 'What is regret?' 'To realize that one has spent one's life worrying about the future.' 'What is sorrow?' 'To long for the past.' 'What is the highest pleasure?' 'To hear a good story.
Vikram ChandraRead
In politics as in religion, my tenets are few and simple. The leading one of which, and indeed that which embraces most others, is to be honest and just ourselves and to exact it from others, meddling as little as possible in their affairs where our own are not involved. If this maxim was generally adopted, wars would cease and our swords would soon be converted into reap hooks and our harvests be more peaceful, abundant, and happy.
George WashingtonRead
When you once see something as false which you have accepted as true, as natural, as human, then you can never go back to it.
Jiddu KrishnamurtiRead
If you look at history you'll find that no state has been so plagued by its rulers as when power has fallen into the hands of some dabbler in philosophy or literary addict.
Desiderius ErasmusRead
When you get your,'Who am I?', question right, all of your,'What should I do?' questions tend to take care of themselves
Richard RohrRead
Unity in variety is the plan of the universe.
Swami VivekanandaRead