Badness Quote by J. E. Buckrose
“... we condone the most bitter and vindictive intolerance from a desire to appear tolerant, and run to prove that badness is not as bad as it seems, by pointing out that goodness is not so good as it looks.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Unknown source, possibly early 20th‑century commentary on tolerance
The quote warns that feigning tolerance can hide deeper intolerance, and that defending badness by downplaying goodness is self‑defeating.
In simple terms: Pretending to be tolerant can hide real hatred; defending badness by minimizing goodness is flawed.
Key Takeaway
Beware of false tolerance and moral relativism.
Themes
tolerance
hypocrisy
morality
relativism
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- political discourse
- social media debates
- organizational culture
- personal relationships
Key Concepts
ethical paradox
social perception
self‑deception
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you distinguish genuine tolerance from performative tolerance?
- When is criticizing goodness constructive?
A Different Perspective
It may oversimplify complex moral issues and ignore genuine attempts at inclusivity.
![“We must present a national persona of being irrational and vindictive, because that's going to terrify people. And then, they'll back off. And this is not [Donald] Trump, this is [Bill] Clinton. It's not [Richard] Nixon, you know. We have to be irrational and vindictive, because that's going to…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2d2/noam-chomsky-42_bills_we-must-present-a-national-persona-of-be_215086.jpg)
![“This is real. This is the real mad man theory. We have to be irrational and vindictive, so people don't know what we're up to. This is not [Donald] Trump and [Steve] Bannon, it's from the [Bill] Clinton era.” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f8c/noam-chomsky-42_bills_this-is-real-this-is-the-real-mad-man-th_205079.jpg)
