Bigotry may be roughly defined as the anger of men who…
““Bigotry may be roughly defined as the anger of men who have no opinions. It is the resistance offered to definite ideas by that vague bulk of people whose ideas are indefinite to excess. Bigotry may be called the appalling frenzy of the indifferent. This frenzy of the indifferent is in truth a terrible thing; it has made all monstrous and widely pervading persecutions. In this degree it was not the people who cared who ever persecuted; the people who cared were not sufficiently numerous. It was the people who did not care who filled the world with fire and oppression. It was the hands of the indifferent that lit the faggots; it was the hands of the indifferent that turned the rack. There have come some persecutions out of the pain of a passionate certainty; but these produced, not bigotry, but fanaticism--a very different and a somewhat admirable thing. Bigotry in the main has always been the pervading omnipotence of those who do not care crushing out those who care in darkness and blood.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Bigotry is the angry, unexamined hostility of indifferent people, enabling oppression when caring individuals are few.
In simple terms: Indifference fuels hostility and oppression.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate informed empathy and active concern.
Themes
bigotry
indifference
oppression
responsibility
Mood
critical
urgent
Type
ethical
political
When to use this quote
- political discourse
- community building
- education
- media consumption
Key Concepts
moral philosophy
social dynamics
activism
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies encourage caring participation?
- What role does education play in reducing indifference?
A Different Perspective
It may not account for systemic factors beyond individual attitudes.