Bad idea Quote by Marilyn French
![“But we all die, and all death is violent, the overthrowing of the state of life, so why did that year [1968]seem so terrible? Are King or Kennedy or some peasant folk in a village more important than the starved-out of Biafra, the names on the Detroit homicide list? Maybe I'm playing an…” quote by Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/331/marilyn-french-8026_bad-idea_but-we-all-die-and-all-death-is-violent_793609.jpg)
““But we all die, and all death is violent, the overthrowing of the state of life, so why did that year [1968]seem so terrible? Are King or Kennedy or some peasant folk in a village more important than the starved-out of Biafra, the names on the Detroit homicide list? Maybe I'm playing an intellectual game, marking out one year or two on a calendar as special in horror so I can add that they were also special in significance, and thus compensate for the horror, or even redeem it. Humans are fond of finding ways to be grateful for their suffering, calling falls fortunate and deaths resurrection. It's not a bad idea, I guess: since you're going to have the suffering anyway, you might as well be grateful for it. Sometimes, though, I think if we didn't expect the suffering, we wouldn't have so much of it.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Women's Room by Marilyn French, 1977
The quote reflects on humanity's tendency to romanticize suffering and to prioritize historical events or figures over ongoing tragedies, suggesting that our mental framing of horror can both magnify and mitigate its impact.
In simple terms: People often glorify pain and focus on past events instead of present suffering.
Key Takeaway
Recognize present suffering without romanticizing it.
Themes
suffering
historical perspective
human nature
gratitude
moral hierarchy
Mood
reflective
critical
somber
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- war trauma
- social injustice
- personal loss
- historical analysis
Key Concepts
Existentialism
psychology
ethics
Questions to Reflect On
- How does framing suffering as noble affect our response?
- What can we do to prioritize present needs over nostalgic horror?
A Different Perspective
Romanticizing suffering can obscure the need for concrete action to alleviate current pain.
