Accepting Quote by Bernhard Schlink
“What should our second generation have done, what should it do with the knowledge of the horrors of the extermination of the Jews? We should not believe we can comprehend the incomprehensible, we may not compare the incomparable, we may not inquire because to inquire is to make the horrors an object of discussion, even if the horrors themselves are not questioned, instead of accepting them as something in the face of which we can only fall silent in revulsion, shame and guilt. Should we only fall silent in revulsion, shame and guilt? To what purpose?”
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Reader, 1995
The horror of genocide resists being fully grasped or discussed without reducing its gravity.
In simple terms: Some tragedies are beyond full understanding.
Key Takeaway
Approach such topics with humility and reverence.
Themes
memory
ethics
historical trauma
Mood
somber
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- education
- memorials
- public discourse
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
incomprehensibility
moral responsibility
silence
Questions to Reflect On
- What responsibilities do we have to remember?
- How can we honor victims without objectifying them?
A Different Perspective
Silence can become complicit if not paired with action.
