Hell Quote by Marcus Sakey
““Perhaps the truth was that Hell wasn’t a physical location; it was an idea that could be summoned into being. Hell had been created countless times before, from the Crusaders’ massacre of Jerusalem to Stalin’s “hunger-extermination” of seven million Ukrainians; from reeking, disease-ridden slave ships bound for New Orleans to the systemized horror of Auschwitz; from Lieutenant Calley to the Khmer Rouge. There was almost an equation to it. Hell was born when some decided others weren’t people.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Long Game, 2015
Hell is a metaphor for humanity’s capacity for cruelty when we dehumanize others.
In simple terms: Dehumanizing others creates hell on earth.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and uphold every person’s humanity.
Themes
ethics
history
violence
dehumanization
Mood
somber
critical
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- education
- policy making
- media analysis
- community dialogue
Key Concepts
Moral philosophy
collective trauma
Questions to Reflect On
- What structures enable dehumanization?
- How can societies prevent such horrors?
A Different Perspective
Some argue literal hell exists, complicating metaphorical view.
![“Why did people call it Hell?" I wondered. [...] No place was Hell, no place could be Hell. It's the people calling it Hell, that's the only thing that made it so. People just sticking names on places, so that no one could see those places properly anymore. [...] No, Hell wasn't anything to do with…” quote by John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2e4/john-marsden-3782_quote_why-did-people-call-it-hell-i-wondered-n_786530.jpg)
![“Except in these latter-day songs, [Bob] Dylan is a grizzled old prophet who's already been to hell and back.” quote by Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fcd/jay-michaelson-15590_bob_except-in-these-latter-day-songs-bob-dyl_3830.jpg)
