City Quote by Robert Walser
““How reprehensible it is when those blessed with commodities insist on ignoring the poor. Better to torment them, force them into indentured servitude, inflict compulsion and blows—this at least produces a connection, fury and a pounding heart, and these too constitute a form of relationship. But to cower in elegant homes behind golden garden gates, fearful lest the breath of warm humankind touch you, unable to indulge in extravagances for fear they might be glimpsed by the embittered oppressed, to oppress and yet lack the courage to show yourself as an oppressor, even to fear the ones you are oppressing, feeling ill at ease in your own wealth and begrudging others their ease, to resort to disagreeable weapons that require neither true audacity nor manly courage, to have money, but only money, without splendor: That’s what things look like in our cities at present””
About This Quote
Source Essay: The City and Its People, 1910, Germany
Walser condemns the wealthy's indifference to poverty, suggesting their isolation creates a false sense of connection while they avoid true responsibility.
In simple terms: Wealthy avoid confronting poverty, creating false bonds.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and address real inequality.
Themes
social class
wealth
poverty
responsibility
alienation
Mood
critical
empathetic
Type
social
ethical
When to use this quote
- urban policy debates
- philanthropy discussions
- social welfare planning
- community building
Key Concepts
ethical critique
social justice
human empathy
Questions to Reflect On
- What responsibilities do the affluent have?
- How can genuine connection be fostered?
A Different Perspective
Wealth alone cannot solve systemic inequality.
![“I am not here [in the sanitarium] to write, but to be mad.” quote by Robert Walser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d68/robert-walser-6307_inspirational_i-am-not-here-in-the-sanitarium-to-write_222396.jpg)
