It was obvious that bigotry was never a one-way operation, that hatred bred hatred!
Interpretation
Bigotry and hatred perpetuate themselves in a cycle, affecting all involved.
In this quote, Isaac Asimov addresses the nature of bigotry, suggesting that it is not an isolated phenomenon but rather a reciprocal one where hatred fosters more hatred. This cyclical relationship indicates that actions of prejudice not only harm the target but also reflect back on the perpetrator, creating a shared environment of animosity and misunderstanding.
In practice
In a debate on tolerance, a speaker might use this quote to emphasize the mutual harm of bigotry.
Democracy cannot survive overpopulation. Human dignity cannot survive it. Convenience and decency cannot survive it. As you put more and more people into the world, the value of life not only declines, but it disappears. It doesn't matter if someone dies.
Science does not promise absolute truth, nor does it consider that such a thing necessarily exists. Science does not even promise that everything in the Universe is amenable to the scientific process.
Democracy cannot survive overpopulation.
Although the time of death is approaching me, I am not afraid of dying and going to Hell or (what would be considerably worse) going to the popularized version of Heaven. I expect death to be nothingness and, for removing me from all possible fears of death, I am thankful to atheism.
A subtle thought that is in error may yet give rise to fruitful inquiry that can establish truths of great value.
During the century after Newton, it was still possible for a man of unusual attainments to master all fields of scientific knowledge. But by 1800, this had become entirely impracticable.
We lead two lives, and the half of our soul is madness, and half heaven is lit by a black sun. I say I am a man, is the other that hides in me?
To reflect upon the event horizon is a great deal more awe-inspiring than a burning bush or a wooden statue that weeps or pees or bleeds.
It would be absurd if we did not understand both angels and devils, since we invented them.
One way to understand light in the ocean of air is by flying it. Life in the air is an extension of perceiving.
If God is dead, somebody is going to have to take his place. It will be megalomania or erotomania, the drive for power or the drive for pleasure, the clenched fist or the phallus, Hitler or Hugh Hefner.
Jews are frequently compared to the proverbial 'canary in the coal mine,' an enduring signal for when the world is failing to meet its obligations in tackling bigotry. It has never been clearer to me just how widely understood that truism is.
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