Courage is never to let your actions be influenced by your fears.
Arthur KoestlerRead
If power corrupts, the reverse is also true; persecution corrupts the victims though perhaps in subtler and more tragic ways.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Both power and persecution can lead to corruption, particularly affecting those who suffer from persecution in profound ways.
Arthur Koestler's quote suggests that while the abuse of power can corrupt individuals and institutions, the experience of persecution can also lead to a form of corruption in its victims. This corruption may manifest in subtle yet tragic alterations to the victims' sense of self, morality, and worldview, implying that suffering and oppression can have lasting psychological effects that alter a person's character and behavior.
Themes
PowerCorruptionPersecutionVictimsPsychology
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the effects of authoritarian regimes on society, one might use this quote to illustrate how both rulers and the oppressed are affected by corruption.
More from Arthur Koestler
All quotes βHistory knows no scruples and no hesitation. Inert and unnering flows towards her goal. History knows herway. She makes no mistakes.
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In my youth I regarded the universe as an open book, printed in the language of equations, whereas now it appears to me as a text written in invisible ink, of which in our rare moments of grace we are able to decipher a small segment.
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