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Quote by Shane Claiborne

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The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical

This book is a philosophical exploration of the idea that one can be a radical agent of change in the world without needing to engage in extreme or unconventional behavior. It probably includes anecdotes and personal narratives from individuals who have made meaningful impacts through their ordinary lives, emphasizing the power of small, consistent actions. The book may also discuss societal structures and individual responsibilities, encouraging readers to consider their own roles in creating positive change. more

Author

Shane Claiborne
Shane Claiborne

Shane Claiborne is an author, social activist, and Christian pacifist, known for his advocacy of simple living and opposition to war. Born on July 11, 1975, Claiborne's work and activities aim to promote social justice and global peace. more

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“He said, moreover, "Teach those who are ignorant as many things as possible; society is culpable, in that it does not afford instruction gratis; it is responsible for the night which it produces. This soul is full of shadow; sin is therein committed. The guilty one is not the person who has committed the sin, but the person who has created the shadow." It will be perceived that he had a peculiar manner of his own of judging things: I suspect that he obtained it from the Gospel.”

“The great hatred of capitalism in the hearts of the oppressed, ancient and modern, I think, stems not merely from the ensuing vast inequality in wealth, and the often unfair and arbitrary nature of who profits and who suffers, but from the silent acknowledgement that under a free market economy the many victims of the greed of the few are still better off than those under the utopian socialism of the well-intended. It is a hard thing for the poor to acknowledge benefits from their rich moral inferiors who never so intended it. (p.272)”

“At its most basic, the logic of 'meritocracy' is ironclad: putting the most qualified, best equipped people into the positions of greates responsibility and import...But my central contention is that our near-religious fidelity to the meritocratic model comes with huge costs. We overestimate the advantages of meritocracy and underappreciate its costs, because we don't think hard enough about the consequences of the inequality it produces. As Americans, we take it as a given that unequal levels of achievement are natural, even desirable. Sociologist Jermole Karabel, whose work looks at elite formation, once said he 'didnt think any advanced democracy is as obsessed with equality of opportunity or as relatively unconcerned with equality of condition' as the United States. This is our central problem. And my proposed solution for correcting the excesses of our extreme version of meritocracy is quite simple: make America more equal”