--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have seen that it is not man who is…" description: "\"“I have seen that it is not man who is impotent in the struggle against evil, but the power of evil that is impotent in the struggle against man. The p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/434/vasily-grossman-4608_blind-love_i-have-seen-that-it-is-not-man-who-is-im_1890707.jpg" --- # I have seen that it is not man who is impotent in the… ![“I have seen that it is not man who is impotent in the struggle against evil, but the power of evil that is impotent in the struggle against man. The powerlessness of kindness, of senseless kindness, is the secret of its immortality. It can never by conquered. The more stupid, the more senseless…” quote by Vasily Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/434/vasily-grossman-4608_blind-love_i-have-seen-that-it-is-not-man-who-is-im_1890707.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/434/vasily-grossman-4608_blind-love_i-have-seen-that-it-is-not-man-who-is-im_1890707.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/434/vasily-grossman-4608_blind-love_i-have-seen-that-it-is-not-man-who-is-im_1890707.jpg) > ““I have seen that it is not man who is impotent in the struggle against evil, but the power of evil that is impotent in the struggle against man. The powerlessness of kindness, of senseless kindness, is the secret of its immortality. It can never by conquered. The more stupid, the more senseless, the more helpless it may seem, the vaster it is. Evil is impotent before it. The prophets, religious teachers, reformers, social and political leaders are impotent before it. This dumb, blind love is man’s meaning. Human history is not the battle of good struggling to overcome evil. It is a battle fought by a great evil, struggling to crush a small kernel of human kindness. But if what is human in human beings has not been destroyed even now, then evil will never conquer.”” [Vasily Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-grossman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Evil’s power is limited; human kindness persists despite oppression and cruelty. **In simple terms:** Kindness endures even when evil seems stronger. Key Takeaway Cultivate kindness, recognize its resilience. Themes kindness evil resilience humanity Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal relationships - activism - community building - conflict resolution Key Concepts moral philosophy existentialism social critique Questions to Reflect On - How can we protect kindness in hostile environments? - What actions sustain kindness against systemic evil? A Different Perspective Evil can overwhelm kindness if not actively nurtured. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blind love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blind-love/) [Evil Impotent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil-impotent-2060264/) [Human kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-kindness/) [Impotent Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impotent-struggle-2060267/) [Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness/) [Overcome Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overcome-evil/) [Political Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-leader/) [Political leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-leaders/) [Powerlessness Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerlessness-kindness-2060266/) [Struggle Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle-evil-540688/) ## Related quotes > [“My faith has been tempered in Hell. My faith has emerged from the flames of the crematoria, from the concrete of the gas chamber.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasily-grossman/my-faith-has-been-tempered-in-hell-my-faith-has-emerged-from-the/) [Vasily Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-grossman/) > [I saw that evil was impotent—that evil was the irrational, the blind, the anti-real—and that the only weapon of its triumph was the willingness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/i-saw-that-evil-was-impotent-that-evil-was-the-irrational-the-blind/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Evil is impotent and has no power but that which we let it extort from us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-galt/evil-is-impotent-and-has-no-power-but-that-which-we-let-it-extort/) [John Galt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-galt/) > [There is a deep and undeniable sadness in all this: whenever we see the dawn of an eternal good that will never be overcome…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasily-grossman/there-is-a-deep-and-undeniable-sadness-in-all-this-whenever-we-see/) [Vasily Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-grossman/) > [Human history is not the battle of good struggling to overcome evil. It is a battle fought by a great evil struggling to crush…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasily-grossman/human-history-is-not-the-battle-of-good-struggling-to-overcome-evil/) [Vasily Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-grossman/) > [When good people in any country cease their vigilance and struggle, then evil men prevail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/when-good-people-in-any-country-cease-their-vigilance-and-struggle/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [“But I have a belief of my own, and it comforts me." "What is that?" said Will, rather jealous of the belief. "That by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/but-i-have-a-belief-of-my-own-and-it-comforts-me-what-is-that-said/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [I may not unnerve myself while I can struggle against evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-may-not-unnerve-myself-while-i-can-struggle-against-evil/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [It was reasonable to struggle, to suffer, perhaps even to die, for a more just, a more compassionate society, but not in a world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-was-reasonable-to-struggle-to-suffer-perhaps-even-to-die-for-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-i-solzhenitsyn/gradually-it-was-disclosed-to-me-that-the-line-separating-good-and-4/) [Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-i-solzhenitsyn/) > [“Unfortunately, evil will never be wholly defeated.Mankind is faced with a continual struggle against evil. We believe that this is where the meaning of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alija-izetbegovic/unfortunately-evil-will-never-be-wholly-defeated-mankind-is-faced/) [Alija Izetbegović](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alija-izetbegovic/) > [The struggle with evil by means of violence is the same as an attempt to stop a cloud, in order that there may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-struggle-with-evil-by-means-of-violence-is-the-same-as-an-attempt/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“Evil does not fight against evil, rather it struggles against Good. Where as, Good does not struggle against evil, rather it overwhelmingly defeats it".…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-alan-woods/evil-does-not-fight-against-evil-rather-it-struggles-against-good/) [R. Alan Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-alan-woods/) > [The challenge of preventing any further proliferation of nuclear weapons is just such a trial in the quest for world peace, one that cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisaku-ikeda/the-challenge-of-preventing-any-further-proliferation-of-nuclear/) [Daisaku Ikeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisaku-ikeda/) > [“what is better, to be born good, or to overcome your evil nature through great effort?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paarthurnax-skyrim/what-is-better-to-be-born-good-or-to-overcome-your-evil-nature/) [Paarthurnax skyrim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paarthurnax-skyrim/) ## More by Vasily Grossman > [“When a person dies, they cross over from the realm of freedom to the realm of slavery. Life is freedom, and dying is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasily-grossman/when-a-person-dies-they-cross-over-from-the-realm-of-freedom-to-the/) [Vasily Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-grossman/) > [“Life was terrible. It was as though they could understand, as though they could read in one another’s eyes, that the power which had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasily-grossman/life-was-terrible-it-was-as-though-they-could-understand-as-though/) [Vasily Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-grossman/) > [“She's got legs like a stork, no arse worth speaking of, and great cow-like eyes. call that a woman?' 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My faith has emerged from the flames of the crematoria, from the concrete of the gas chamber.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasily-grossman/my-faith-has-been-tempered-in-hell-my-faith-has-emerged-from-the/) [Vasily Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-grossman/) > [“Another fact that allowed Fascism to gain power over men was their blindness. A man cannot believe that he is about to be destroyed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasily-grossman/another-fact-that-allowed-fascism-to-gain-power-over-men-was-their/) [Vasily Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-grossman/) > [Chekhov said: let's put God - and all these grand progressive ideas - to one side. Let's begin with man; let's be kind and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasily-grossman/chekhov-said-let-s-put-god-and-all-these-grand-progressive-ideas-to/) [Vasily Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-grossman/) > [“Before the war Sofya Levinton had once said to Yevgenia Nikolaevna Shaposhnikova, 'If one man is fated to be killed by another, it would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasily-grossman/before-the-war-sofya-levinton-had-once-said-to-yevgenia-nikolaevna/) [Vasily Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-grossman/) > [“Freedom is the direct opposite of necessity; freedom is necessity overcome.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasily-grossman/freedom-is-the-direct-opposite-of-necessity-freedom-is-necessity/) [Vasily Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-grossman/) > [There's nothing more difficult than saying goodbye to a house where you've suffered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasily-grossman/there-s-nothing-more-difficult-than-saying-goodbye-to-a-house-where/) [Vasily Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-grossman/) > [“The travelers emerged into a spacious square. In the middle of this square were several dozen people on a wooden bandstand like in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasily-grossman/the-travelers-emerged-into-a-spacious-square-in-the-middle-of-this/) [Vasily Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-grossman/) > [“Among a million Russian huts you will never find even two that are exactly the same. Everything that lives is unique. It is unimaginable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasily-grossman/among-a-million-russian-huts-you-will-never-find-even-two-that-are/) [Vasily Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-grossman/) > [“Don't you remember how you once answered a question of mine? Me - I shall never forget your words. Those words of yours opened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasily-grossman/don-t-you-remember-how-you-once-answered-a-question-of-mine-me-i/) [Vasily Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-grossman/) > [“Perhaps you’ve read Tolstoy’s Hadji Mourat? Perhaps you’ve read The Cossacks? Perhaps you’ve read the story “A Prisoner in the Caucasus”? They were written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasily-grossman/perhaps-you-ve-read-tolstoy-s-hadji-mourat-perhaps-you-ve-read-the/) [Vasily Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-grossman/) [Explore all 101 Vasily Grossman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-grossman/) ## More Blind love quotes > [What is love ?? many people ask them selves the some question everyday. Love is blind; because when you love someone it doesn't matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-is-love-many-people-ask-them-selves-the-some-question-everyday/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Love is not blind. Love sees everything and says yes to it all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stabile/love-is-not-blind-love-sees-everything-and-says-yes-to-it-all/) [Scott Stabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stabile/) > [Love is not blind it just makes people blind who are in love..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shubham-joshi/love-is-not-blind-it-just-makes-people-blind-who-are-in-love/) [Shubham Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shubham-joshi/) > [Love is blind Love is deaf Love is colorless Love feels Love is freedom Love is strength Love is courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laine/love-is-blind-love-is-deaf-love-is-colorless-love-feels-love-is/) [Laine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laine/) > [LOVE IS NOT BLIND,IT IS MEN/WOMEN (HUMAN) THAT ARE BLIND IN LOVE.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelius-ibiolorundun/love-is-not-blind-it-is-men-women-human-that-are-blind-in-love/) [CORNELIUS IBIOLORUNDUN](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelius-ibiolorundun/) > [“My faith has been tempered in Hell. My faith has emerged from the flames of the crematoria, from the concrete of the gas chamber.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasily-grossman/my-faith-has-been-tempered-in-hell-my-faith-has-emerged-from-the/) [Vasily Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-grossman/) > [Blind is his love and best befits the dark- Benvolio (in Romeo and Juliet)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/blind-is-his-love-and-best-befits-the-dark-benvolio-in-romeo-and/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Love is sweets and honey Love is sometimes for your heart Love is sometimes for the money ¥ Love is passionate Love is blind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/love-is-sweets-and-honey-love-is-sometimes-for-your-heart-love-is/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [The chief evil with relation to the body is love for the body and pitying it. This takes away all the soul's authority over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theophan-the-recluse/the-chief-evil-with-relation-to-the-body-is-love-for-the-body-and/) [Theophan the Recluse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theophan-the-recluse/) > [Now I believe it when people say love is blind...'cause I must have been blind to love a person like you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/now-i-believe-it-when-people-say-love-is-blind-cause-i-must-have-been/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Love is blind and love can be foolish Our heart doesn't always love the right people at the right time. Sometimes we hurt the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/love-is-blind-and-love-can-be-foolish-our-heart-doesn-t-always-love/) [Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/) > [Love is Special, Love is Rare. Love is made 4 two 2 Share. Love is Gentle, Love is Blind, Love begins when 2 Hearts combine!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-special-love-is-rare-love-is-made-4-two-2-share-love-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The heart fools the mind, where eyes went deaf to words, that fell on blinded ears to easy to fall in love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/the-heart-fools-the-mind-where-eyes-went-deaf-to-words-that-fell-on/) [Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/) > [“Love is old slaughterer. Love is not blind. Love is a canibal with extremely acute vision. Love is insectile, it is always hungry”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/love-is-old-slaughterer-love-is-not-blind-love-is-a-canibal-with/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“Justice could be as blind as love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/justice-could-be-as-blind-as-love/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) [Browse all 84 Blind love quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blind-love/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I have seen that it is not man who is impotent in the struggle against evil, but the power of evil that is impotent in the struggle against man. The powerlessness of kindness, of senseless kindness, is the secret of its immortality. It can never by conquered. The more stupid, the more senseless, the more helpless it may seem, the vaster it is. Evil is impotent before it. The prophets, religious teachers, reformers, social and political leaders are impotent before it. This dumb, blind love is man’s meaning. Human history is not the battle of good struggling to overcome evil. It is a battle fought by a great evil, struggling to crush a small kernel of human kindness. 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