He said when he went to sell a man a flue, he asked first…
““He said when he went to sell a man a flue, he asked first about that man's wife's health and how his children were. He said he had a book that he kept the names of his customers' families and what was wrong with them. A man's wife had cancer, he put her name down in the book and wrote 'cancer' after it and inquired about her every time he went to that man's hardware store until she died; then he scratched out the word 'cancer' and wrote 'dead' there. "And I say thank God when they're dead," the salesman said; "that's one less to remember.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
A salesman records customers' family ailments, erasing them after death, reflecting a morbid sense of relief.
In simple terms: The salesman tracks illnesses, feels relief when customers die.
Key Takeaway
Question the ethics of dehumanizing others.
Themes
ethics
mortality
empathy
Mood
somber
critical
Type
literary
psychological
When to use this quote
- customer service
- health care
- personal boundaries
Key Concepts
dehumanization
record-keeping
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- What does this reveal about how we value human life?
- How can we prevent such objectification in professional settings?
A Different Perspective
Such behavior reveals a disturbing lack of compassion.