Ability Quote by Susan Sontag
“Literature can train, and exercise, our ability to weep for those who are not us or ours.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: “On Photography”, 1977
Artistic works expand empathy by letting us feel for strangers, broadening emotional reach.
In simple terms: Literature builds empathy for others.
Key Takeaway
Read diverse stories to grow compassion.
Themes
empathy
literature
emotional intelligence
Mood
reflective
thoughtful
Type
inspirational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- reading novels
- watching films
- discussing books
- teaching literature
Key Concepts
psychology
humanism
Questions to Reflect On
- How does a story change your view of strangers?
- What barriers limit empathy from art?
A Different Perspective
May not affect those resistant to emotional engagement.
![“Anthropology has always struggled with an intense, fascinated repulsion towards its subject… [The anthropologist] submits himself to the exotic to confirm his own inner alienation as an urban intellectual.” quote by Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fe1/susan-sontag-332_alienation_anthropology-has-always-struggled-with-a_15322.jpg)
