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Quote by Judith N. Shklar

“It is, however, not only undignified to idealize political victims; it is also very dangerous. One of our political actualities is that the victims of political torture and injustice are often no better than their tormentors. They are only waiting to change places with the latter. Of course, if one puts cruelty first this makes no difference. It does not matter whether the victim of torture is a decent man or a villain. No one deserves to be subjected to the appalling instruments of cruelty.”

Book:Ordinary Vices

Work

Ordinary Vices

This book delves into the various vices that humans are prone to, examining how they shape personal lives and societal dynamics. It offers a nuanced look at the darker aspects of human nature. more

Author

Judith N. Shklar

Judith N. Shklar was an American political theorist renowned for her exploration of political emotion and the moral aspects of politics. She served as a professor at Harvard University and her writings have had a profound impact on the fields of political theory and ethics. more

“In the politics of eternity, the seduction by a mythicized past prevents us from thinking about possible futures. The habit of dwelling on victimhood dulls the impulse of self-correction. Since the nation is defined by its inherent virtue rather than by its future potential, politics becomes a discussion of good and evil rather than a discussion of possible solutions to real problems. Since the crisis is permanent, the sense of emergency is always present; planning for the future seems impossible or even disloyal. How can we even think of reform when the enemy is always at the gate?”

Past Politics Future Eternity Crisis Myths Victimhood Maga Emergency

Book:On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century

Source: On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century

“Being a rape victim just sucked, for a while. Sometimes, though, without meaning to be, I was proud: I have suffered, and that entitled me to something, but I didn’t know what. Everyone seemed to be reaching deep into the crevices of their souls to find oozing gobs of pain, and if that pain was parented by some distant generation that spent brutal winters chasing diminishing herds after its own numbers had dwindled from the settler’s diseases and brute force, it seems ever more potent, wrapped around our DNA double-helixes. A pain so old begins to feel like predestination, locking every generation into more, whether that’s the truth or something I tell myself because I like the pain. Even more, I savor the twisted prestige of inheriting old hurts most people only read about in history books.”

Pain Colonialism Victimhood

Author:Elissa Washuta

“Sometimes in our story we are the victim, sometimes the martyr and sometimes the villain.”

Ego Martyr Martyrdom Victims Victimhood Victimization Victim Mentality Victim Blaming

Book:In the Cave of my Heart: Poems

Source: In the Cave of my Heart: Poems

“Many today have difficulty understanding how the Puritans could execute people based on something like spectral evidence. Yet modern moral panics are more like witch hunts than one might suppose.”