Good grades Quote by John Holloway
““In order to protect our jobs, our visas, our profits, our chances of receiving good grades, our sanity, we pretend not to see, we sanitise our own perception, filtering out the pain, pretending that it is not here but out there, far away, in Africa, in Russia, a hundred years ago, in an otherness that, by being alien, cleanses our own experience of all negativity.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Public lecture, 2015, unknown venue
People distance themselves from global suffering by imagining it occurs elsewhere, sanitizing their perception to protect personal comfort and status.
In simple terms: We ignore distant pain to feel safe.
Recognize and confront distant injustices.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- activism
- education
- media consumption
- policy advocacy
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does ignoring distant suffering affect your own values?
- What steps can you take to stay informed without feeling overwhelmed?
Such denial can lead to inaction and moral disengagement.