Admirable Quote by David Graeber
“The question we should be asking is not why people are sometimes cruel, or even why a few people are usually cruel (all evidence suggests true sadists are an extremely small proportion of the population overall), but how we have come to create institutions that encourage such behavior and that suggest cruel people are in some ways admirable-or at least as deserving of sympathy as those they push around.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Bullshit Jobs: A Theory, David Graeber, 2018
The focus should shift from blaming individuals for cruelty to examining how institutions foster and reward such behavior, often portraying the cruel as admirable or sympathetic.
In simple terms: Look at how systems enable cruelty, not just the people.
Key Takeaway
Question and redesign harmful institutions.
Themes
power
institutional design
morality
social responsibility
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- workplace policy
- government regulation
- educational curricula
- community activism
Key Concepts
structural violence
organizational psychology
ethical leadership
Questions to Reflect On
- How do current policies incentivize cruelty?
- What reforms could reduce institutional cruelty?
A Different Perspective
Institutions can be resistant to change due to entrenched interests.
![“I didn't get a chance to meet Glen [Beck] for this movie. I did meet him a few years ago, coincidentally, before any of this happened. But I've been familiar with his work, so I felt I wanted to get it right. I wanted to honor him. I respect him and I think the way he does his job is admirable…” quote by Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bee/zachary-quinto-4021_admirable_i-didn-t-get-a-chance-to-meet-glen-beck_138334.jpg)
