Amusing Quote by Douglas Coupland
““You are paralyzed by the fact that cruelty is often amusing.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Generation X by Douglas Coupland, 1991
The quote highlights how people can become desensitized, finding entertainment in cruelty.
In simple terms: People can be entertained by cruelty.
Key Takeaway
Beware of being entertained by cruelty.
Themes
morality
media
desensitization
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
cautionary
observational
When to use this quote
- watching violent media
- political satire
- online trolling
- entertainment consumption
Key Concepts
psychology
social critique
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we find cruelty amusing?
- How can we cultivate empathy?
A Different Perspective
It may overlook systemic causes of cruelty.
![“It's always amusing to see how much less the political class knows than the rest of us do. ... it's never occurred to [the likes of Senators Brownback and Obama] that they bear a worse stigma than any AIDS patient, being almost universally regarded as blowhards, crooks, dopes, and fools.” quote by Stephen D. Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fd1/stephen-d-cox-91414_aids_it-s-always-amusing-to-see-how-much-less_62268.jpg)
![“[A]n Obama presidency would be an amusing approximation of the Carter administration, complete with vaporous moralizing and foreign policy bungling.” quote by Emmett Tyrrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/212/emmett-tyrrell-42438_administration_a-n-obama-presidency-would-be-an-amusing_38310.jpg)
