--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When a person identifies himself with a…" description: "\"When a person identifies himself with a group his critical faculties are diminished and his passions enhanced by a kind of emotive resonance. The indiv..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e6/arthur-koestler-1903_critical_when-a-person-identifies-himself-with-a_660802.jpg" --- # When a person identifies himself with a group his critical… ![“When a person identifies himself with a group his critical faculties are diminished and his passions enhanced by a kind of emotive resonance. The individual is not a killer, the group is, and by identifying with it, the individual becomes one. This is the infernal dialect reflected in man's history.” quote by Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e6/arthur-koestler-1903_critical_when-a-person-identifies-himself-with-a_660802.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e6/arthur-koestler-1903_critical_when-a-person-identifies-himself-with-a_660802.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e6/arthur-koestler-1903_critical_when-a-person-identifies-himself-with-a_660802.jpg) > “When a person identifies himself with a group his critical faculties are diminished and his passions enhanced by a kind of emotive resonance. The individual is not a killer, the group is, and by identifying with it, the individual becomes one. This is the infernal dialect reflected in man's history.” [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Identifying with a group suppresses personal judgment and amplifies emotions, making individuals act as the group’s collective, often violently. **In simple terms:** Group identity dulls personal judgment, fuels emotion. Key Takeaway Beware group influence, retain critical thought. Themes identity group dynamics violence psychology Mood cautious reflective Type analytical warning. When to use this quote - political movements - military units - cult recruitment - social media echo chambers Key Concepts social conformity collective behavior emotive resonance Questions to Reflect On - How does group identity shape your moral choices? - When have you felt your judgment overridden by a group? A Different Perspective Group pressure can also foster solidarity and positive action, not just violence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Critical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critical/) [Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) [Dialect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dialect/) [Dialect Reflected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dialect-reflected-5265608/) [Diminished Passions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diminished-passions-5265607/) [Faculty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faculty/) [Group Identifying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/group-identifying-5265609/) [Groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/groups/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Identifying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identifying/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Individual Infernal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual-infernal-5265605/) [Killers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killers/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Resonance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resonance/) [Resonance Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resonance-individual-5265606/) ## Related quotes > [Language is so specific to art, all the way to the past in China. 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