Skip to content

...so much attention is paid to the aggressive sins, such…

“...so much attention is paid to the aggressive sins, such as violence and cruelty, and greed with all their tragic effects, that too little attention is paid to the passive sins, such as apathy and laziness, which in the long run can have a more devastating and destructive effect upon society than…” quote by Eleanor Roosevelt
Download Open image
“...so much attention is paid to the aggressive sins, such as violence and cruelty, and greed with all their tragic effects, that too little attention is paid to the passive sins, such as apathy and laziness, which in the long run can have a more devastating and destructive effect upon society than the others.”

Eleanor Roosevelt

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

It highlights that society focuses on obvious violent crimes while neglecting passive vices like apathy, which can erode social fabric over time.

In simple terms: People ignore lazy, indifferent behavior that can harm society more than obvious crimes.

Key Takeaway

Address passive sins to protect society.

Themes

morality social responsibility justice

Mood

concerned reflective

Type

ethical observational

When to use this quote

  • community building
  • public policy
  • education
  • workplace culture
  • personal development

Key Concepts

virtue ethics collective harm psychology

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can we recognize and confront apathy in daily life?
  • What policies can reduce societal laziness?
A Different Perspective

Passive sins are harder to detect and often excused as harmless.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by Eleanor Roosevelt

Explore all 612 Eleanor Roosevelt quotes

More Action quotes

Browse all 14,940 Action quotes