The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
Elie WieselRead
Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Silence in the face of suffering allows oppressors to continue their actions without challenge.
Elie Wiesel's quote emphasizes the dangers of silence when faced with injustice and suffering. It suggests that remaining quiet during moments of oppression not only fails to support the victims but also empowers the perpetrators, allowing them to act without accountability. Thus, speaking out is a moral duty for those who witness injustice.
Themes
SilenceTormentorTormentedInjusticeOppressionSuffering
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about human rights, one might invoke this quote to highlight the importance of speaking out against injustice.
More from Elie Wiesel
All quotes →With every cell of my being and with every fiber of my memory I oppose the death penalty in all forms. I do not believe any civilized society should be at the service of death. I don't think it's human to become an agent of the angel of death.
Elie WieselRead
Certain things, certain events, seem inexplicable only for a time: up to the moment when the veil is torn aside.
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We're alone, but we are capable of communicating to one another both our loneliness and our desire to break through it. You say, 'I'm alone.' Someone answers, 'I'm alone too.' There's a shift in the scale of power. A bridge is thrown between the two abysses.
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No one is as capable of gratitude as one who has escaped the kingdom of night.
Elie WieselRead
My loyalty to my people, to our people, and to Israel comes first and prevents me from saying anything critical of Israel outside Israel… As a Jew I see my role as a melitz yosher, a defender of Israel: I defend even her mistakes… I must identify with whatever Israel does – even with her errors.
Elie WieselRead
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