Barbed wire Quote by Samantha Power
“My second epiphany came as an intern at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The man I worked for was consumed with what was going on in Bosnia. And the more I knew [about it] the more saddened I was. There were these images of emaciated men behind barbed wire… It was like, I've got to find a way to do something.”
About This Quote
Source Memoir: "The Education of an Idealist", 2019
Witnessing suffering can ignite a drive to act, turning empathy into purposeful engagement.
In simple terms: Seeing suffering inspires action.
Channel empathy into concrete efforts.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- humanitarian crises
- policy advocacy
- career decisions
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What steps can you take to stay effective?
- How to avoid burnout?
Emotional involvement can cloud objectivity.