Plague Year Quote by Daniel Defoe
““a near View of Death would soon reconcile Men of good Priciples one to another, and that it is chiefly owing to our easy Scituation in Life, and our putting these Things far from us, that our Breaches are formented, ill Blood continued, Prejudices, Breach of Charity and of Christian Union so much kept and so far carry'd on among us, as it is: Another Plague Year would reconcile all these Differences, a close conversing with Death, or the Diseases that threaten Death, would scum off the Gall from our Tempers, remove the Animosities among us, and bring us to see with differing Eyes, than those which we look'd on Things with before””
About This Quote
Source Book: A Journal of the Plague Year, 1722
Contemplating death can dissolve moral divisions and reduce societal animosity, especially when life feels comfortable and detached from mortality.
In simple terms: Thinking about death can unite people and lessen prejudice.
Key Takeaway
Use mortality as a lens to foster empathy.
Themes
mortality
unity
prejudice
social cohesion
Mood
reflective
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- public health crises
- personal reflection
- community building
- conflict resolution
Key Concepts
human nature
psychology
ethics
Questions to Reflect On
- How might confronting mortality change your daily interactions?
- What societal structures keep us distant from death?
A Different Perspective
If people remain insulated from death, the unifying effect may be limited.
![“I'd been reading Daniel Defoe's Journal of the Plague Year when the [1992 Los Angeles] riots broke out and I began to see them both - L.A. and the London plague - as the same event. A time of crisis. A time when rich and poor get thrown together - and, suddenly one sees alternatives. I began to…” quote by Naomi Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/917/naomi-wallace-53600_alternatives_i-d-been-reading-daniel-defoe-s-journal_2455493.jpg)
