The Perils of Indifference: Humanity Quotes
How we cite our quotes: (Sentence)
Quote #1
In a way, to be indifferent to that suffering is what makes the human being inhuman. (50)
According to Elie Wiesel, when you make the choice to stop relating to other people, to stop understanding them and what they're going through, you lose the part of you that makes you human.
It isn't always easy, but empathy is part of being human. Losing that means losing touch with what humanity really means.
Quote #2
The political prisoner in his cell, the hungry children, the homeless refugees—not to respond to their plight, not to relieve their solitude by offering them a spark of hope is to exile them from human memory. And in denying their humanity, we betray our own. (64-65)
Defining humanity may not be simple, but in terms of basic rights, it's pretty clear that all people deserve certain things just because they're human—and one of those things is a recognition of their worth.
Ignoring starving children and refugees means telling those populations they're worthless and they don't matter, that their situation is hopeless. And no one deserves to feel they're without hope.
Quote #3
But then, there were human beings who were sensitive to our tragedy. Those non-Jews, those Christians, we call the "Righteous Gentiles," whose selfless act of heroism saved the honor of their faith. Why were they so few? (93-95)
Elie Wiesel acknowledges the Righteous Gentiles as people who weren't indifferent, who did everything they could to help the Jews and other persecuted populations during the Holocaust. The Righteous Gentiles were a bit of a light in the darkness. But the question remains—why did so few people step up to try to help?
Quote #4
Has the human being become less indifferent and more human? Have we really learned from our experiences? Are we less insensitive to the plight of victims of ethnic cleansing and other forms of injustices in places near and far? (109-111)
Elie Wiesel is a big fan of rhetorical questions, but they always serve a purpose. In this case, with an audience on the verge of a new century, he wants them to seriously think about their answers, and part of that means thinking about humanity and the responsibilities of being human. Have we really learned from what we've seen and done, and do we have the knowledge necessary to make better choices in the future?
Quote #5
And so, once again, I think of the young Jewish boy from the Carpathian Mountains. He has accompanied the old man I have become throughout these years of quest and struggle. And together we walk towards the new millennium, carried by a profound fear and extraordinary hope. (123-125)
You might notice that the end of "The Perils of Indifference" looks pretty similar to the beginning, and Elie Wiesel does that on purpose. At the start, he sets the scene to reminds his listeners of the very worst humanity had to offer—the Holocaust, Buchenwald, millions of people dead simply because of their race or religion.
But when he finishes, Wiesel returns to the same scene to remind his audience that despite everything, part of being human means being innately hopeful. So, if the young Jewish boy from the Carpathian Mountains could still believe in the very best, anything is possible.