--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Tragedy speaks not of secular dilemmas…" description: "\"Tragedy speaks not of secular dilemmas which may be resolved by rational innovation, but of the unalterable bias toward inhumanity and destruction in t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/011/george-steiner-4683_bias_tragedy-speaks-not-of-secular-dilemmas-w_967580.png" --- # Tragedy speaks not of secular dilemmas which may be… ![“Tragedy speaks not of secular dilemmas which may be resolved by rational innovation, but of the unalterable bias toward inhumanity and destruction in the drift of the world.” quote by George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/011/george-steiner-4683_bias_tragedy-speaks-not-of-secular-dilemmas-w_967580.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/011/george-steiner-4683_bias_tragedy-speaks-not-of-secular-dilemmas-w_967580.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/011/george-steiner-4683_bias_tragedy-speaks-not-of-secular-dilemmas-w_967580.png) > “Tragedy speaks not of secular dilemmas which may be resolved by rational innovation, but of the unalterable bias toward inhumanity and destruction in the drift of the world.” [George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Tragedy shows humanity’s persistent cruelty despite rational solutions. **In simple terms:** Tragedy reveals inherent cruelty. Key Takeaway Recognize limits of rationalism. Themes tragedy human nature irrationality Mood somber thoughtful Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - conflict resolution - policy making - social reform Key Concepts philosophical pessimism ethical limits Questions to Reflect On - Can reason ever fully overcome human cruelty? - What role does tragedy play in societal change? A Different Perspective Rational progress can’t erase deep biases. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bias/) [Destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destruction/) [Dilemma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dilemma/) [Inhumanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inhumanity/) [Innovation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovation/) [Secular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secular/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Tragedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragedy/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [The capacity for imaginative reflex, for moral risk in any human being is not limitless; on the contrary, it can be rapidly absorbed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/the-capacity-for-imaginative-reflex-for-moral-risk-in-any-human-being/) [George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/) > [We recall our terrible past so that we can deal with it, to forgive where forgiveness is necessary, without forgetting; to ensure that never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/we-recall-our-terrible-past-so-that-we-can-deal-with-it-to-forgive/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [I became an anti-fascist, and the more I saw what was happening to the peoples of Europe, the Jews, the more I saw the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-belafonte/i-became-an-anti-fascist-and-the-more-i-saw-what-was-happening-to-the/) [Harry Belafonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-belafonte/) > [That the desires of the majority of the people are often for injustice and inhumanity against the minority, is demonstrated by every page of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/that-the-desires-of-the-majority-of-the-people-are-often-for/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [More inhumanity (to man) has been done by man himself than any other of nature's causes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-von-pufendorf/more-inhumanity-to-man-has-been-done-by-man-himself-than-any-other-of/) Samuel von Pufendorf > [We cannot afford to regard as normal the presence of injustice, inhumanity, and violence, including their verbal and cyber manifestations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernice-king/we-cannot-afford-to-regard-as-normal-the-presence-of-injustice/) [Bernice King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-king/) > [Almost as many inhumanities are committed in the name of love as in the name of religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bette-davis/almost-as-many-inhumanities-are-committed-in-the-name-of-love-as-in/) [Bette Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bette-davis/) > [The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that's the essence of inhumanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-worst-sin-toward-our-fellow-creatures-is-not-to-hate-them-but-to/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [I remember as a child of eight being told by a young friend that I had killed Christ. 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A couple of hours in a church pew each Sabbath…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/our-lack-of-community-is-intensely-painful-a-tv-talk-show-is-not/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“The human race comes from Africa, but inhumanity originated in Europe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/the-human-race-comes-from-africa-but-inhumanity-originated-in-europe/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“You can be bit in the leg by a rattlesnake and seek help to heal your wound, or you can run after it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/you-can-be-bit-in-the-leg-by-a-rattlesnake-and-seek-help-to-heal-your/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [An increasing number of people are growing uncomfortable with the gulf between the world's rich and the poor. Ostentatiously splashing your money around simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kalle-lasn/an-increasing-number-of-people-are-growing-uncomfortable-with-the/) [Kalle Lasn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kalle-lasn/) > [“I had not then learned the measure of “man’s inhumanity to man,” nor to what limitless extent of wickedness he will go for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-northup/i-had-not-then-learned-the-measure-of-man-s-inhumanity-to-man-nor-to/) [Solomon Northup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-northup/) > [The concept of humanity is an especially useful ideological instrument of imperialist expansion, and in its ethical-humanitarian form it is a specific vehicle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/the-concept-of-humanity-is-an-especially-useful-ideological/) [Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/) ## More by George Steiner > [“But there is a third mode of trancendence: in it language simply ceases, and the motion of spirit gives no further outward manifestation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/but-there-is-a-third-mode-of-trancendence-in-it-language-simply/) [George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/) > [Words that are saturated with lies or atrocity, do not easily resume life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/words-that-are-saturated-with-lies-or-atrocity-do-not-easily-resume/) [George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/) > [Every one of my opponents, every one of my critics, will tell you that I am a generalist spread far too thin in an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/every-one-of-my-opponents-every-one-of-my-critics-will-tell-you-that/) [George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/) > [The very opposite of freedom is cliche, and nothing is less free, more inert with convention and hollow brutality, than a row of four-letter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/the-very-opposite-of-freedom-is-cliche-and-nothing-is-less-free-more/) [George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/) > [Books are in no hurry. An act of creation is in no hurry; it reads us, it privileges us infinitely. 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It looks to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/to-a-degree-which-is-difficult-to-determine-the-esoteric-impulse-in/) [George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/) > [Books are in no hurry. An act of creation is in no hurry; it reads us, it privileges us infinitely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/books-are-in-no-hurry-an-act-of-creation-is-in-no-hurry-it-reads-us-2/) [George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/) > [“The inception of human consciousness, the genesis of awareness, must have entailed prolonged 'condensations' around intractable nodes of wonder and terror, at the discriminations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/the-inception-of-human-consciousness-the-genesis-of-awareness-must/) [George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/) > [The immense majority of human biographies are a gray transit between domestic spasm and oblivion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/the-immense-majority-of-human-biographies-are-a-gray-transit-between/) [George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/) > [The new sound-sphere is global. 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Without translation, we would inhabit parishes bordering on silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/every-language-is-a-world-without-translation-we-would-inhabit/) [George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/) [Explore all 104 George Steiner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/) ## More Bias quotes > [The print is devised so that I can cut the dresses on the bias, so they work around the body. It's not like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-galliano/the-print-is-devised-so-that-i-can-cut-the-dresses-on-the-bias-so/) [John Galliano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-galliano/) > [“Mental illness is not something you misunderstand in this era. Get educated because bias is no different than racism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/mental-illness-is-not-something-you-misunderstand-in-this-era-get/) [Shannon L. 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