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Quote by Pascal Bruckner

“The critical spirit rises up against itself and consumes its form. But instead of coming out of this process greater and purified, it devours itself in a kind of self-cannibalism and takes a morose pleasure in annihilating itself. Hyper-criticism eventuates in self-hatred, leaving behind it only ruins. A new dogma of demolition is born out of the rejection of dogmas. Thus we Euro-Americans are supposed to have only one obligation: endlessly atoning for what we have inflicted on other parts of humanity. How can we fail to see that this leads us to live off self-denunciation while taking a strange pride in being the worst? Self-denigration is all too clearly a form of indirect self-glorification. Evil can come only from us; other people are motivated by sympathy, good will, candor. This is the paternalism of the guilty conscience: seeing ourselves as the kings of infamy is still a way of staying on the crest of history.”

Quote by Pascal Bruckner

Book:The Tyranny of Guilt: An Essay on Western Masochism
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The Tyranny of Guilt: An Essay on Western Masochism

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Pascal Bruckner
Pascal Bruckner

Pascal Bruckner is a French writer born on December 15, 1948. His works span various fields such as philosophy, politics, and literature, and he is known for his profound insights and unique style. more

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