indifference reduces the other to an abstraction

What happened? Enjoyed this speech? Elie Wiesel: First Person Singular . Resources | PBS The century saw peace treaties, the collapse of totalitarian governments and communist regimes, and major social progress. Indifference reduces the Other to an abstraction. And together we walk towards the new millennium, carried by profound fear and extraordinary hope. Even anger, according to Wiesel, is a more positive action than indifference. People who are indifferent can be seen as cold, aloof, disinterested, unmotivated, and lacking in passion. Learn more about Elie Wiesel at:brainly.com/question/15099354, This site is using cookies under cookie policy . Does it mean that society has changed? Indifference elicits no response. One cause may be that we are overstimulated, which is easy to happen in . The prosecutors built a case where they forced the jury to see Floyd as a human being and not as an abstraction. And that ship, which was already in the shores of the United States, was sent back. One does something special for the sake of humanity because one is angry at the injustice that one witnesses. Does it mean that we have learned from the past? . Gun violence, with more than 30,000 Americans per yearlost to gun homicide and suicide, fails to stir Congressto act. 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. Indifference can lead others to do the same if they feel like it can't be bothered withing. The depth of the harm of indifference comes from how easy, and thus how pervasive, it is. I think I have done that bit', BAFTA acceptance, Leading Actress - 2019, Axel Scheffler: 'The book wasn't called 'No Room on the Broom! Use of anguish refers to stronger pain one might feel. I suppose its safe therefore, comfortable eh? Garabandal: Are the Prophecies About to be Fulfilled? In a memorable 2005 editorial,the New York Times reported, Yesterday, more than 20,000 people perished of extreme poverty.. Her expectationseems clear and, hopefully, will be realized. Indifference is forgetting about others because they are unimportant to you or you do not give a damn about them. And then, of course, the joint decision of the United States and NATO to intervene in Kosovo and save those victims, those refugees, those who were uprooted by a man, whom I believe that because of his crimes, should be charged with crimes against humanity. It lowers the intensity of the feeling of the person when used in a sentence as compared to use of 'anguish'. In the place that I come from, society was composed of three simple categories: the killers, the victims, and the bystanders. And that happened after the Kristallnacht, after the first state sponsored pogrom, with hundreds of Jewish shops destroyed, synagogues burned, thousands of people put in concentration camps. Love this Phil!! And, therefore, their lives are meaningless. How we react to the challenge is a dominant part of our character. Indifference and Apathy - Ethical Conflict Consulting Indifference is when you don't care about someone or something. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Why were they so few? But plenty of people saw that image of Chauvin looking bored as a Black mans life ebbed away beneath him. Indifference, after all, is more dangerous than anger and hatred. The pastor that night discussed what it means to be a community, and what it means to love. What is indifference? What about the children? Their hidden or even visible anguish is of no interest. After World War II ended, Wiesel went back to Kaunas to find his family home destroyed. If we spend the maximum of available resources towards fulfilling peoples human rights, if we infuse equity throughout our policies, if we ensure people the opportunity to be part of the processes of crafting the policies that will affect their lives, if we ensure that none of our policies undercut peoples rights, if we provide avenues to people to challenge policies that people believe are tilted towards indifference to their plight rather than an abiding concern for their humanity if we do all this, then we will be beginning a grand new chapter in the book of humanity. People become objects when the subject of the connection decides to objectify them on purpose. . convergent Because how could something so horrible have actually happened to millions of innocent people? But this time, the world was not silent. Indifference is the inability to feel deeply; it is the lack of sensitivity that allows some people to treat others without compassion or remorse. B) "Anguish" implies a more manageable type of suffering. All of us did. Just take them. Their hidden or even visible anguish is of no interest. Besides our own need to understand when this is given to us to handle, it is a challenge to communicate without anger its importance to those who dont have the actual experience. When we talk about racism, we often focus on spectacular acts of cruelty. 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. He feels that neglecting a person's suffering makes it easy to dismiss that person as less than human. If they knew, we thought, surely those leaders would have moved heaven and earth to intervene. Better an unjust God than an indifferent one. And in denying their humanity, we betray our own. You denounce it. ", 5. The look in Derek Chauvin's eyes was something worse than hate Your email address will not be published. Wiesel wants to be clear that, in some cases, people did learn from the Holocaust and World War II. He has accompanied the old man I have become throughout these years of quest and struggle. In a way, to be indifferent to that suffering is what makes the human being inhuman. Or, is itsimply the plague of indifference? It is indifference that can "reduce the other to an abstraction" (par 8). Using anguish instead of pain makes the suffering more intense and adds a more intense tone to the whole passage as well. Is it a philosophy? In many respects, apathy is worse than rage and hatred because when people are furious, they take action to address the issue. How can it, if you're pretending what's going on simply isn't happening? To not be seen is another, more insidious variant of racism that can be infuriating. And our only miserable consolation was that we believed that Auschwitz and Treblinka were closely guarded secrets; that the leaders of the free world did not know what was going on behind those black gates and barbed wire; that they had no knowledge of the war against the Jews that Hitler's armies and their accomplices waged as part of the war against the Allies. Never, ever make a promise because it\s momentarily appropriate and then run from the promise. People often become indifferent to what matters most in life. Better an unjust God than an indifferent one. Do we feel their pain, their agony? Indifference, after all, is more dangerous than anger and hatred. It's neither pleasant nor enjoyable, but it's all part of being a good human, according to Elie Wiesel. Indifference reduces the Other to an abstraction. Maybe it's because he wants people to think about the answers themselves, or maybe it's because he simply doesn't know what those answers are. You fight it. Racism needs indifference like a plant needs water and sunlight. Yet, for the person who is indifferent, his or her neighbor are of no consequence. King didnt write his epic Letter from Birmingham Jail in 1963 in response to the hateful actions of White segregationists. You and your wife have obviously met that challenge. Its White indifference that allows so many people in the medical profession to believe that Black people dont feel pain like others. 2023 Cable News Network. Indifferent people might be perceived as cold, distant, disinterested, uninspired, and lacking in enthusiasm. Jeff Zelevansky/Reuters/Corbis. In paragraph 6, Elie Wiesel states, "Indifference reduces the Other to It is, after all, awkward, troublesome, to be involved in another person's pain and despair. When he was 12 years old andat a summer camp,he was under water for twenty-five minutes which eventually resulted in a disabled body but produced an indomitable spirit and brilliant soul. Sixty years ago, its human cargo -- nearly 1,000 Jews -- was turned back to Nazi Germany. When individuals are apathetic, they do nothing. Why the indifference, on the highest level, to the suffering of the victims? Of course, apathy may be enticingeven attractive. It originally appeared on Phil\s website, and he offers this in the hope that it helps others. Their hidden or even visible anguish is of no interest. (93-95). "The Perils of Indifference" Speech Summary, Text, & Analysis indifference: [noun] the quality, state, or fact of being indifferent. I expect that is why other great advocates for human rights have emphasized the danger of indifference. And yet, my friends, good things have also happened in this traumatic century: the defeat of Nazism, the collapse of communism, the rebirth of Israel on its ancestral soil, the demise of apartheid, Israel's peace treaty with Egypt, the peace accord in Ireland. Indifference reduces the other to an abstraction. Elie Wiesel is a big fan of rhetorical questions, but they always serve a purpose. Elie also believes that indifference causes others pain and suffering. Copyright 2020 - 2023 Authors Cast Inc. What did Elie Wiesel say about indifference? If nobody cared, there would be no need for activism because there are people who want to fix things but cannot if nobody reports problems or tries new solutions. It is so easy for one to simply take feeling out of all perspectives in life. , The Boy In Striped pajamas focus question #5In the last eight paragraphs of the story, all three characters have conflicts. Some of them -- so many of them -- could be saved. Many people cant muster the strength to watch the entire Floyd video. The 20th century was filled with all sorts of horror, and Elie Wiesel asks his audience to take a moment and consider how history will look back on it. This speech serves as a stark warning against being oblivious to pain and injustice. And what it represents could pose the biggest challenge to broader police reforms ahead. He addressed it to a group of White moderates who he thought were indifferent to the suffering of Black people living under segregation, and who were more devoted to order than to justice.. Even hatred at times may elicit a response. You can be indifferent to someone or something without actually hating them. He believes that ignoring a person's misery makes it easier to look at that person as something less than human. Is it a philosophy? Of course, indifference can be temptingmore than that, seductive. The next time you feel indifferent to someone, try to change this by making an effort to not feel this way. The Righteous Gentiles were a bit of a light in the darkness. You disarm it. You've undoubtedly seen the images from various concentration camps throughout Europe. In a 1965 speech, Martin Luther King, Jr., called the greatest tragedy of this periodnot the vitriolic words and other violent actions of the bad people but the appalling silence and indifference of the good people.. Ignoring starving children and refugees means telling those populations they're worthless and they don't matter, that their situation is hopeless. One does something special for the sake of humanity because one is angry at the injustice that one witnesses. And now, I stand before you, Mr. President -- Commander-in-Chief of the army that freed me, and tens of thousands of others -- and I am filled with a profound and abiding gratitude to the American people. And, therefore, their lives are meaningless. Indifference, after all, is more dangerous than anger and hatred. Perils of Indifference | Other - Quizizz During the darkest of times, inside the ghettoes and death camps -- and I'm glad that Mrs. Clinton mentioned that we are now commemorating that event, that period, that we are now in the Days of Remembrance -- but then, we felt abandoned, forgotten. She wants to share herstory with thosewho have experienced life altering events andwith the people and the communities who surround them. The ultimate answer to indifference is at the societal, structural level. 'The Perils Of Indifference' By Elie Wiesel - 863 Words | Bartleby Speakola is a labour of love and Id be very grateful if you would share, tweet or like it. Indifference elicits no response. It is, after all, awkward, troublesome, to be involved in another person's pain and despair. Anger can at times be creative. You disarm it. This time, the world was not silent. Mr. President, Mrs. Clinton, members of Congress, Ambassador Holbrooke, Excellencies, friends: Fifty-four years ago to the day, a young Jewish boy from a small town in the Carpathian Mountains woke up, not far from Goethe's beloved Weimar, in a place of eternal infamy called Buchenwald. The depressing tale of the St. Louis is case in point. One writes a great poem, a great symphony. There was no superhuman strength that day. Wiesel was born on July 2, 1928 in Sighetu Marmaiei, Romania. If you are indifferent to something, it means that you do not care about it. But I still wouldn't hate him/her. 4. Oh, we see them on television, we read about them in the papers, and we do so with a broken heart. He has accompanied the old man I have become throughout these years of quest and struggle. In a word, that was the enduring evil against which Elie Wiesel the Nobel Peace Laureate and Auschwitz survivor who died earlier this month struggled, indifference to avoidable anguish. If you are indifferent to many things that normally would bother you or affect you emotionally, then you should see a doctor to find out why. As a result, apathy is always the enemy's buddy, because it helps the aggressor rather than his victim, whose grief is amplified when he or she feels forgotten. What Did Elie Wiesel Say About Indifference? - Authors Cast In fact, after the Americans liberated Buchenwald in 1945, they forced locals to march through the camp to see what had happened there and what they'd ignored. And in denying their humanity, we betray our own. And thats why its no accident that it was White indifference not hatred that seemed to anger the Rev. Not to say Ive never had my indifferent moments because I have. infidel (100, 104-106). Indifference, then, is not only a sin, it is a punishment. 600 New Jersey Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20001 To honor the humanity of others and of ourselves, to let the victim know that she is not forgotten, we could each develop our own plan of action against our ownindifference. In a way, to be indifferent to that suffering is what makes the human being inhuman. Catholic Doctrine and the Sunday Readings for May 2023, The Chosen: Lightness and Letting Jesus Laugh, What is AI and Where is it Going? Martin Luther King Jr. the most. Does it mean society has changed? Their hidden or even visible anguish is of no interest. We expect our actions to produce certain reactions. In a way, to be indifferent to that suffering is what makes the human being inhuman. Subscribe to get the latest global health and law news. What will the legacy of this vanishing century be? Reflections on Indifference and Human Rights - O'Neill But the look of disinterest in Chauvins eyes is a reminder that indifference not just hate is a critical part of how racism works. Is there a philosophy of indifference conceivable? Yet, for the person who is indifferent, his or her neighbor are of no consequence. (28-35). How would the meaning of the following passage change if - Brainly So many of our severelychallenged children and adults are pure and richhuman beings whose lives are often re-defined by the stares, the avoidance, the pity, the indifference of their fellow human beings. Imagine their collective sense of betrayal when they realized that world leaders had known what was going onand did nothing. Perhaps thats why one of the best novels about racism by a Black author is titled Invisible Man.. The indifference that makes a difference: Why unconcern for minorities Giving the dead in Baghdad as well as Brussels, Pakistan as well as Paris, our respect will not end the bombings and other attacks. There are plenty of complicated proposals to reform policing: a federal ban on chokeholds and no-knock warrants, challenging authorities immunity from civil suits and stopping the militarization of local police. Global Health Justice Scholar, Elie Wiesel speaks at a UN General Assembly special session in 2005 commemorating the Holocaust. Over there, behind the black gates of Auschwitz, the most tragic of all prisoners were the "Muselmanner," as they were called. Despite all this tragedy, Wiesel says he felt no sorrow because he believed they were dead. Allow a caretaker to go out to supper once every so often. Banishing indifference requires, I believe, recognizing that beyond being troublesometo be involved in another persons pain and despair, it is also beyond our capacity to give all the worlds ills, all people who suffer avoidable pain and despair, due attention. And, nevertheless, his image in Jewish history -- I must say it -- his image in Jewish history is flawed. Are peopleafraid ofa very challengedfriend and don\t know what to say or do? They would have spoken out with great outrage and conviction. 4:03 AM EDT, Sat April 24, 2021. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Never ask, \Can I get you something?\ Just get it. In his book, Race in the Mind of America: Breaking the Vicious Circle Between Blacks and Whites, psychologist Paul L. Wachtel wrote that what is often called racism can be more precisely described as indifference. You denounce it. Indifference is not a beginning; it is an end. And, therefore, indifference is always the friend of the enemy, for it benefits the aggressor never his victim, whose pain is magnified when he or she feels forgotten. King later spent days in solitary confinement writing his "Letter From Birmingham Jail," which stirred the world by explaining why Black people couldn't keep waiting for fair treatment. I was here and I will never forget it. The assumption of indifference was frequently used by the . Explain. When someone is indifferent to your pain, they don't care what you go through. According to Wiesel, the selflessness and heroism of the Righteous Gentiles is the kind of behavior the rest of the world needs to emulate going into the next century. Has the human being become less indifferent and more human? for Caitlin & Johnny - 2015, Korey Soderman (via Kyle): 'All our lives I have used my voice to help Korey express his thoughts, so today, like always, I will be my brothers voice' for Kyle and Jess - 2014, Bruce Springsteen: 'They're keepers of some of the most beautiful sonic architecture in rock and roll', Induction U2 into Rock Hall of Fame - 2005, Olivia Colman: 'Done that bit. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Indifference reduces the other to an abstraction" (Perils of Indifference). Indifference reduces the other to an abstraction. He thought there never would be again. Indifference, after all, is more dangerous than anger and hatred. Drop by. A strange and unnatural state in which the lines blur between light and darkness, dusk and dawn, crime and punishment, cruelty and compassion, good and evil. 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? Of course, indifference can be tempting -- more than that, seductive. Yet, for the person who is indifferent, his or her neighbor are of no consequence. The trick is choosing to move beyond that place and take action to be compassionate and goodand that's not an easy thing to do. It can be inferred that what Elie Wiesel meant by the above statement is that" "being indifferent or showing no empathy or care towards another warps a person's view of others and the self-respect and care that is due to them." Why did Elie Wiesel write the perils of indifference? At the start, he sets the scene to reminds his listeners of the very worst humanity had to offerthe Holocaust, Buchenwald, millions of people dead simply because of their race or religion. But then Chauvin came along. Their hidden or even visible anguish is of no interest. Millions of innocent people died in concentration camps throughout Europe, but genocides were occurring in Rwanda and Kosovo. I just wouldn't give him/her any attention at all.
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