When I saw photographs of children murdered by the…
“When I saw photographs of children murdered by the Fascist, I felt furious pity. When the supporters of Franco talked of Red atrocities, I merely felt indignant that people should tell such lies. In the first case I saw corpses, in the second only words. . . I gradually acquired a certain horror of the way in which my own mind worked. It was clear to me that unless I cared about every murdered child impartially, I did not really care about children being murdered at all.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
He contrasts visceral horror of seeing murdered children with abstract outrage at false narratives, realizing his empathy is selective unless he cares universally.
In simple terms: Seeing horrors vs. hearing lies shows his limited empathy.
Key Takeaway
Expand empathy to all suffering.
Themes
empathy
justice
selectivity
Mood
thoughtful
somber
Type
philosophical
reflective
When to use this quote
- journalism
- human rights activism
- education
Key Concepts
moral philosophy
psychology
war trauma
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you broaden your concern for distant suffering?
- What practices foster universal empathy?
A Different Perspective
Selective empathy can blind us to broader injustice.