Obedience Quote by Albert Cossery
““This easy obedience to tyrants, which often verged on devotion, always surprised him. He had come to believe that the majority of human beings aspired only to slavery. He had long wondered by what ruse this enormous enterprise of mystification orchestrated by the wealthy had been able to spread and prosper on every continent. Karamallah belonged to that category of true aristocrats who had tossed out like old soiled clothes all the values and all the dogma that these infamous individuals had generated over centuries in order to perpetuate their supremacy. And so his joy in being alive was in no way altered by these stinking dogs' enduring power on the planet. On the contrary, he found their stupid and criminal acts to be an inexhaustible source of entertainment -- so much so that there were times when he had to admit he would miss this mob were they to disappear; he feared the aura of boredom that would envelop mankind once purged of its vermin.””
About This Quote
The narrator observes a cynical delight in the chaos created by tyrants, seeing humanity's tendency toward subservience as both entertaining and a source of existential boredom if removed.
In simple terms: Cynical fascination with power and oppression
Power's absurdity fuels both dread and amusement
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- Reading political satire
- Analyzing authoritarian regimes
- Discussing human propensity for subservience
- Exploring existential ennui
Key Concepts
Practical Applications
- Philosophical essays on power
- Critical commentary on authoritarianism
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the narrator's amusement reveal about his worldview?
- How might the removal of oppressive forces affect human purpose?