Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch

Quote by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch

Work

Venus in Furs

A classic work of literature that delves into the complex psychological interplay between a dominant male and a female dominatrix, examining the boundaries of consent and the nature of desire. more

Author

Leopold von Sacher-Masoch
Leopold von Sacher-Masoch

Leopold von Sacher-Masoch was an Austrian writer renowned for his exploration of masochism and sadomasochism in literature. His novel 'Venus in Furs' is a cornerstone of sadomasochistic fiction. Born on January 27, 1836, Sacher-Masoch's life was characterized by his complex personality and intense personal relationships, which frequently influenced his writing. more

You May Also Like

“Proximity has taught me some basic and humbling truths, including this vital lesson: Each of us is more than the worst thing we've ever done. My work with the poor and the incarcerated has persuaded me that the opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice. Finally, I've come to believe that the true measure of our commitment to justice, the character of our society, our commitment to the rule of law, fairness, and equality cannot be measured by how we treat the rich, the powerful, the privileged, and the respected among us. The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned. We are all implicated when we allow other people to be mistreated. An absence of compassion can corrupt the decency of a community, a state, a nation. Fear and anger can make us vindictive and abusive, unjust and unfair, until we all suffer from the absence of mercy and we condemn ourselves as much as we victimize others. The closer we get to mass incarceration and extreme levels of punishment, the more I believe it's necessary to recognize that we all need mercy, we all need justice, and - perhaps - we all need some measure of unmerited grace.”

JusticeGraceLessonsForgivenessMercyEqualityTruthsIncarceration
Book:Just Mercy
Create image

“So many of us have become afraid and angry. We’ve become so fearful and vengeful that we’ve thrown away children, discarded the disabled, and sanctioned the imprisonment of the sick and the weak—not because they are a threat to public safety or beyond rehabilitation but because we think it makes us seem tough, less broken. I thought of the victims of violent crime and the survivors of murdered loved ones, and how we’ve pressured them to recycle their pain and anguish and give it back to the offenders we prosecute. I thought of the many ways we’ve legalized vengeful and cruel punishments, how we’ve allowed our victimization to justify the victimization of others. We’ve submitted to the harsh instinct to crush those among us whose brokenness is most visible. But simply punishing the broken--walking away from them or hiding them from sight--only ensures that they remain broken and we do, too. There is no wholeness outside of our reciprocal humanity.”

FearJusticeMercyAngerPrisonInjusticePunishmentBrokennessJustice SystemVengefulness
Book:Just Mercy
Create image