---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An Austrian philosopher named Jean Améry…"
description: "\"“An Austrian philosopher named Jean Améry, tortured by the Gestapo because of his activity with the Belgian resistance and then deported to Auschwitz b..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/153/chaim-potok-2254_faith-in-humanity_an-austrian-philosopher-named-jean-am-ry_2467683.jpg"
---

#  An Austrian philosopher named Jean Améry, tortured by the…

![“An Austrian philosopher named Jean Améry, tortured by the Gestapo because of his activity with the Belgian resistance and then deported to Auschwitz because he was a Jew, wrote that anyone who has been tortured remains forever tortured and can never again be at ease in the world. One’s faith in…” quote by Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/153/chaim-potok-2254_faith-in-humanity_an-austrian-philosopher-named-jean-am-ry_2467683.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/153/chaim-potok-2254_faith-in-humanity_an-austrian-philosopher-named-jean-am-ry_2467683.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/153/chaim-potok-2254_faith-in-humanity_an-austrian-philosopher-named-jean-am-ry_2467683.jpg)

> ““An Austrian philosopher named Jean Améry, tortured by the Gestapo because of his activity with the Belgian resistance and then deported to Auschwitz because he was a Jew, wrote that anyone who has been tortured remains forever tortured and can never again be at ease in the world. One’s faith in humanity is broken and can never be acquired again.””

[Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Torture leaves a lasting psychological scar that prevents true peace, shattering trust in humanity.

**In simple terms:** Torture permanently wounds the soul.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and support survivors.

Themes

trauma trust humanity

Mood

somber reflective

Type

philosophical testimonial

When to use this quote

- counseling
- human rights advocacy
- education on genocide
- personal healing

Key Concepts

psychological injury existential despair

Questions to Reflect On

- How does trauma reshape one's view of humanity?
- Can trust ever be rebuilt after such suffering?

A Different Perspective

Healing may be possible but full ease is elusive.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Faith in humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith-in-humanity/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/)

## Related quotes

> [“The bitter soul is forever tortured by darkness left undone”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-henegan/the-bitter-soul-is-forever-tortured-by-darkness-left-undone/)

[Carl Henegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-henegan/)

> [If a heartfelt apology on Twitter isn't enough to restore some small semblance of faith in humanity, I don't know what is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brianna-keilar/if-a-heartfelt-apology-on-twitter-isn-t-enough-to-restore-some-small/)

[Brianna Keilar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brianna-keilar/)

> [You will never be able to please everyone around you. NEVER. I'm so going to work solo in the future. Absolutely no faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-never-be-able-to-please-everyone-around-you-never-i-m-so/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“I mean this is the kind of love people dream about, poets write sonnets for, and well it's the kind of love that keeps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-kinney/i-mean-this-is-the-kind-of-love-people-dream-about-poets-write/)

[DeAnna Kinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deanna-kinney/)

> [... war reporting is still essentially the same - someone has to go there and see what is happening. You can't get that information…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-colvin/war-reporting-is-still-essentially-the-same-someone-has-to-go-there/)

[Marie Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-colvin/)

> [Restored my faith in humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/restored-my-faith-in-humanity/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“People who go through a heavy experience like that are changed men, like it or not,” he said. “They change for the better and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/people-who-go-through-a-heavy-experience-like-that-are-changed-men/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“Most people hammer your mind with Thesis&gt;Antithesis&gt;Synthesis or as my old friend, the late Robert Anton Wilson, said: "Here's what it is, here's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-matheny/most-people-hammer-your-mind-with-thesis-antithesis-synthesis-or-as/)

Joseph Matheny

> [“I didn’t have much faith in humanity before. I have even less faith now that the world has sh\*t the bed.” – character quote”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-cormier/i-didn-t-have-much-faith-in-humanity-before-i-have-even-less-faith/)

[Andrew Cormier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-cormier/)

> [“To give up faith in Christ is to give up faith in humanity; to believe in Christ is to believe in the redemption and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-give-up-faith-in-christ-is-to-give-up-faith-in-humanity-to-believe/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [It's because of certain people why I have no faith in humanity...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-because-of-certain-people-why-i-have-no-faith-in-humanity/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [When you read the news, and you see all this bad stuff happening, there's a tendency to lose faith in humanity. But I meet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-galecki/when-you-read-the-news-and-you-see-all-this-bad-stuff-happening-there/)

[Johnny Galecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-galecki/)

> [“When a writer uses his secret wounds as his starting point, he is, whether he is aware of it or not, putting great faith…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-d-jackson/when-a-writer-uses-his-secret-wounds-as-his-starting-point-he-is/)

Michael D. Jackson

> [“When a bad experience shakes your faith in humanity, hold those depressing thoughts and ask yourself. 1. How many things in life have you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drishti-bablani/when-a-bad-experience-shakes-your-faith-in-humanity-hold-those/)

[Drishti Bablani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drishti-bablani/)

> [You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is like an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-must-not-lose-faith-in-humanity-humanity-is-like-an-ocean-if-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Chaim Potok

> [“DW: Some critics have written that they don’t admire your so-called simple style. You have contended that your writing is a result of much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/dw-some-critics-have-written-that-they-don-t-admire-your-so-called/)

[Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/)

> [“I cannot pray. I talk to God through my sculpture and painting.' 'That's also prayer.' He smiled faintly, the morning sun on his face.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/i-cannot-pray-i-talk-to-god-through-my-sculpture-and-painting-that-s/)

[Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/)

> [I don't work on my Sabbath. I write five-and-a-half or six days a week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/i-don-t-work-on-my-sabbath-i-write-five-and-a-half-or-six-days-a-week/)

[Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/)

> [And these two elements are at odds with one another because Freud is utterly adversary to almost all the ways of structuring the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/and-these-two-elements-are-at-odds-with-one-another-because-freud-is/)

[Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/)

> [“How should a Jew feel? There we went through the seven gates of hell for matzos. Here I stand in matzos over my head.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/how-should-a-jew-feel-there-we-went-through-the-seven-gates-of-hell/)

[Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/)

> [“In our time... a man whose enemies are faceless bureaucrats almost never wins. It is our equivalent to the anger of the gods in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/in-our-time-a-man-whose-enemies-are-faceless-bureaucrats-almost-never/)

[Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/)

> [Seeds must be sown everywhere. Only some will bear fruit. But there would not be the fruit from the few had the many not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/seeds-must-be-sown-everywhere-only-some-will-bear-fruit-but-there/)

[Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/)

> [“Basically it’s none of our business how somebody manages to grow, if only he does grow, if only we’re on the trail of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/basically-it-s-none-of-our-business-how-somebody-manages-to-grow-if/)

[Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/)

> [“I walked the streets and tasted the golden sun that lay across the city.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/i-walked-the-streets-and-tasted-the-golden-sun-that-lay-across-the/)

[Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/)

> [What I have in advance are people I want to write about and a problem or problems that I see those people encountering and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/what-i-have-in-advance-are-people-i-want-to-write-about-and-a-problem/)

[Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/)

> [“Millions of people can draw. Art is whether there is a scream in you wanting to get out in a special way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/millions-of-people-can-draw-art-is-whether-there-is-a-scream-in-you/)

[Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/)

> [“When the alternative is possible disaster, a man must gamble.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/when-the-alternative-is-possible-disaster-a-man-must-gamble/)

[Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/)

> [I will go wherever the truth leads me. It is secular scholarship, Rebbe; it is not the scholarship of tradition. In secular scholarship there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/i-will-go-wherever-the-truth-leads-me-it-is-secular-scholarship-rebbe/)

[Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/)

> [… the world will indulge you just so long Asher Lev. Then it will stop. You will simply have to grow accustomed to that truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/the-world-will-indulge-you-just-so-long-asher-lev-then-it-will-stop/)

[Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/)

> [No one knows he is fortunate until he becomes unfortunate, that's the way the world is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/no-one-knows-he-is-fortunate-until-he-becomes-unfortunate-that-s-the/)

[Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/)

[Explore all 175 Chaim Potok quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/)

## More Faith in humanity quotes

> [You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is like an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-must-not-lose-faith-in-humanity-humanity-is-like-an-ocean-if-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“When a bad experience shakes your faith in humanity, hold those depressing thoughts and ask yourself. 1. How many things in life have you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drishti-bablani/when-a-bad-experience-shakes-your-faith-in-humanity-hold-those/)

[Drishti Bablani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drishti-bablani/)

> [“When a writer uses his secret wounds as his starting point, he is, whether he is aware of it or not, putting great faith…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-d-jackson/when-a-writer-uses-his-secret-wounds-as-his-starting-point-he-is/)

Michael D. Jackson

> [When you read the news, and you see all this bad stuff happening, there's a tendency to lose faith in humanity. But I meet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-galecki/when-you-read-the-news-and-you-see-all-this-bad-stuff-happening-there/)

[Johnny Galecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-galecki/)

> [It's because of certain people why I have no faith in humanity...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-because-of-certain-people-why-i-have-no-faith-in-humanity/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“To give up faith in Christ is to give up faith in humanity; to believe in Christ is to believe in the redemption and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-give-up-faith-in-christ-is-to-give-up-faith-in-humanity-to-believe/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“I didn’t have much faith in humanity before. I have even less faith now that the world has sh\*t the bed.” – character quote”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-cormier/i-didn-t-have-much-faith-in-humanity-before-i-have-even-less-faith/)

[Andrew Cormier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-cormier/)

> [“Most people hammer your mind with Thesis&gt;Antithesis&gt;Synthesis or as my old friend, the late Robert Anton Wilson, said: "Here's what it is, here's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-matheny/most-people-hammer-your-mind-with-thesis-antithesis-synthesis-or-as/)

Joseph Matheny

> [“People who go through a heavy experience like that are changed men, like it or not,” he said. “They change for the better and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/people-who-go-through-a-heavy-experience-like-that-are-changed-men/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [Restored my faith in humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/restored-my-faith-in-humanity/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [... war reporting is still essentially the same - someone has to go there and see what is happening. You can't get that information…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-colvin/war-reporting-is-still-essentially-the-same-someone-has-to-go-there/)

[Marie Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-colvin/)

> [“I mean this is the kind of love people dream about, poets write sonnets for, and well it's the kind of love that keeps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-kinney/i-mean-this-is-the-kind-of-love-people-dream-about-poets-write/)

[DeAnna Kinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deanna-kinney/)

> [You will never be able to please everyone around you. NEVER. I'm so going to work solo in the future. Absolutely no faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-never-be-able-to-please-everyone-around-you-never-i-m-so/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If a heartfelt apology on Twitter isn't enough to restore some small semblance of faith in humanity, I don't know what is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brianna-keilar/if-a-heartfelt-apology-on-twitter-isn-t-enough-to-restore-some-small/)

[Brianna Keilar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brianna-keilar/)

> [Cutting the space budget really restores my faith in humanity. It eliminates dreams, goals, and ideals and lets us get straight to the business…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-hart/cutting-the-space-budget-really-restores-my-faith-in-humanity-it/)

[Johnny Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-hart/)

[Browse all 78 Faith in humanity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith-in-humanity/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“An Austrian philosopher named Jean Améry, tortured by the Gestapo because of his activity with the Belgian resistance and then deported to Auschwitz because he was a Jew, wrote that anyone who has been tortured remains forever tortured and can never again be at ease in the world. One’s faith in humanity is broken and can never be acquired again.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Chaim Potok"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/an-austrian-philosopher-named-jean-am-ry-tortured-by-the-gestapo/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Faith in humanity"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/an-austrian-philosopher-named-jean-am-ry-tortured-by-the-gestapo/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/153/chaim-potok-2254_faith-in-humanity_an-austrian-philosopher-named-jean-am-ry_2467683.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/153/chaim-potok-2254_faith-in-humanity_an-austrian-philosopher-named-jean-am-ry_2467683.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/153/chaim-potok-2254_faith-in-humanity_an-austrian-philosopher-named-jean-am-ry_2467683.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“An Austrian philosopher named Jean Améry, tortured by the Gestapo because of his activity with the Belgian…” — Chaim Potok",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Chaim Potok",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“An Austrian philosopher named Jean Améry,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/an-austrian-philosopher-named-jean-am-ry-tortured-by-the-gestapo/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/an-austrian-philosopher-named-jean-am-ry-tortured-by-the-gestapo/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
