Arms Quote by Pankaj Mishra
“Our tolerance of the intolerable found a low threshold as early as the late 1950s with the grotesque excesses of McCarthyism, which destroyed so many honest lives, and then with the insane nuclear arms race and confrontations.”
About This Quote
Societies often accept harmful extremes until they become normalized, as seen in McCarthyism and the nuclear arms race, revealing a low tolerance for injustice.
In simple terms: People get used to bad things quickly, like fear and and nuclear threats.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and challenge harmful norms early.
Themes
political tolerance
historical cycles
danger of complacency
Mood
concerned
reflective
Type
cautionary
historical
When to use this quote
- public policy
- education reform
- media literacy
- activism
Key Concepts
authoritarianism
nuclear proliferation
social normalization
Questions to Reflect On
- What early signs of intolerance do you ignore?
- How can societies maintain vigilance against emerging threats?
A Different Perspective
Normalization can be hard to reverse once entrenched.
![“Without a deal [with Iran], the international sanctions regime will unravel with little ability to reimpose them. With this deal, we have the possibility of peacefully resolving a major threat to regional and international security. Without a deal, we risk even more war in the Middle East and…” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/190/barack-obama-17_ability_without-a-deal-with-iran-the-internation_522652.jpg)
