Indifference elicits no response. 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. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. (13-16). Do we, should we, allow ourselves to be. And thats why its no accident that it was White indifference not hatred that seemed to anger the Rev. Indifference. Why were they so few? And so, once again, I think of the young Jewish boy from the Carpathian Mountains. Indifference reduces the Other to an abstraction. C. Some of my friends are funny. 2023 Shmoop University Inc | All Rights Reserved | Privacy | Legal. And I thank all of you for being here. Why have American presidents refused for decades to use the term genocide in describing the atrocities committed against Armenians by the Ottoman E We read on the front pages of our newspapers about the worlds indifference to ISIS attacks in Baghdad that slaughter hundreds of people. How we react to the challenge is a dominant part of our character. In the place that I come from, society was composed of three simple categories: the killers, the victims, and the bystanders. Over there, behind the black gates of Auschwitz, the most tragic of all prisoners were the "Muselmanner," as they were called. anguish (n.) great mental suffering, distress, or pain abstraction Their hidden or even visible anguish is of no interest. They acted when they saw bad things happening around the world, and even though it didn't put a stop to all the trauma and suffering, taking action, on a small scale or on a large scale, will always be incredibly important. Editor\s Note: This is a guest contribution from reader Philip A. Dzialo, and it accompanies Tammy Ruiz\s article, Be Not Afraid, Be Not Mean. People who are indifferent can be seen as cold, aloof, disinterested, unmotivated, and lacking in passion. Violent acts of White racism grab the headlines. And, therefore, their lives are meaningless. Liberated a day earlier by American soldiers, he remembers their rage at what they saw. Using anguish instead of pain makes the suffering more intense and adds a more intense tone to the whole passage as well. Use of anguish brings out deep emotions of the character. Why did some of America's largest corporations continue to do business with Hitler's Germany until 1942? Elie Wiesel - The Perils of Indifference | Genius One day, when he refused to bow down to a Nazi dictator, he was arrested and imprisoned for three months. Indifference reduces the other to an abstraction. . Elie Wiesel was a Holocaust survivor and writer who fought against indifference. Can one possibly view indifference as a virtue? This site is using cookies under cookie policy . According to Elie Wiesel, being indifferent to another person, or another group of people, reduces them to nothingas if their problems or their suffering just doesn't matter. He and millions of Jews throughout Europe had suffered for years because the rest of the world didn't want to believe the rumors of death camps in Nazi-occupied countries. Catholic Doctrine and the Sunday Readings for May 2023, The Chosen: Lightness and Letting Jesus Laugh, What is AI and Where is it Going? humans lack emotion. defined as being uncaring vis--vis arbitrary policies affecting other social groups. You denounce it. Just take them. This time, we do respond. Your article challenges me on many frontsmy initial gut reaction was to think back at promises I may have made that I didnt follow through with. 'Anguish' means 'severe pain' or anxiety. Etymologically, the word means "no difference." Why the indifference, on the highest level, to the suffering of the victims? But plenty of people saw that image of Chauvin looking bored as a Black mans life ebbed away beneath him. All of us did. It is so much easier to look away from victims. The Rev. Garabandal: Are the Prophecies About to be Fulfilled? When we ignore someone's anguish, we send them a message that they are not important to us. They were dead and did not know it. Indifference reduces the Other to an abstraction." Question 2 options: A) "Pain" is a stronger word. Indifference reduces the Other to an abstraction. So, if the young Jewish boy from the Carpathian Mountains could still believe in the very best, anything is possible. And that answer, I believe, is human rights. But some live their entire lives that way and I cant for the life of me understand the appeal. It is, after all, awkward, troublesome, to be involved in another person\s pain and despair. indifference: [noun] the quality, state, or fact of being indifferent. (93-95). The late Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel once said, The opposite of love is not hate, its indifference., Wiesel said that to the indifferent person, his or her neighbor are of no consequence Their hidden or even visible anguish is of no interest. Yupthose are the million-dollar questions. . During that time, he went to public school and then worked after school as a clerk in a clothing store. How to raise sufficient resources and divvy up spending between health care, education, social safety net programs, equal access to justice.? Over there, behind the black gates of Auschwitz, the most tragic of all prisoners were the "Muselmanner," as they were called. You fight it. Indifference, then, is not only a sin, it is a punishment. It is so easy for one to simply take feeling out of all perspectives in life. That will go down as one of the defining images of our era because it tells a story about racism that many people dont want to hear. If we find a way to show solidarity with the people of Paris after more than 130 people are killed there, we could take similar action after Baghdads marketplace attack. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Wiesel wants to be clear that, in some cases, people did learn from the Holocaust and World War II. 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. O Moorish Whereas, 'pain' refers to a feeling of suffering caused by a damage. But I still wouldn't hate him/her. The horrors Elie Wiesel and millions of others experienced during the Holocaust weren't the result of a single person, or even a single group. Indifference is not a response." And, for thosewho promised to be with the disabled and their caregivers for the \however long it takes\ and either passively andindifferently disappear or actively \make up a story\ about why they cannot or will not, well,it is not about getting over it, or moving on, for me it is about confronting their indifference. Of course, indifference can be tempting more than that, seductive. Indifference reduces the Other to an abstraction. In a way, to be indifferent to that suffering is what makes the human being inhuman. You're affirming their belief that no one gives a fig about themand as a result, you end up helping the bad guys. They widened in disbelief. It is knowing that thousands of people die every day of easily avoidable causes, but living your life as though oblivious to that reality, except perhaps an occasional gift to charity. What happened? And, therefore, their lives are meaningless. And he wasn't the only person who feels that way. Much of the progress on police reform, though, will boil down to this: Will enough lawmakers and judges see Black and brown people who are being brutalized by the justice system as fellow human beings? In "The Perils of Indifference," why does Elie Wiesel think Etymologically, the word means \no difference.\ 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. While these reflections confront my feelings about life with Adam, the thoughts and feelings apply aptly to the plight of so many others. The Psychology of Ignorance What causes "indifference" as a psychological condition? When it is our turn, were surprised that were weak. "The Perils of Indifference" Speech Summary, Text, & Analysis Is it becauseAdam is non-verbal and non-ambulatory? (28-35). appreciated. 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. Wrapped in their torn blankets, they would sit or lie on the ground, staring vacantly into space, unaware of who or where they were, strangers to their surroundings. Their hidden or even visible anguish is of no interest. Yet, for the person who is indifferent, his or her neighbor are of no consequence. Anger can at times be creative. Does it mean that we have learned from the past? He had almost been lost to history until his story was told again in 1986 by Lawrence Weschler in his book "A Miracle for Breakfast.". Indifference elicits no response. Indifference, after all, is more dangerous than anger and hatred. Wiesel was born on July 2, 1928 in Sighetu Marmaiei, Romania. Indifference harms those who are already in pain because it is a lack of awareness of their humanity and, hence, dignity. 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. It's neither pleasant nor enjoyable, but it's all part of being a good human, according to Elie Wiesel. Also, attend well to the widowed (whose friends also disappear, the elderly, infirm, emotionally torn by personal demons). This time, we intervene. How will it be remembered in the new millennium? ', Illustrator of the Year, British Book Awards - 2018, Tina Fey: 'Only in comedy is an obedient white girl from the suburbs a diversity candidate', Kennedy Center Mark Twain Award - 2010, Sacha Baron Cohen: 'Just think what Goebbels might have done with Facebook', Anti Defamation League Leadership Award - 2019, Greta Thunberg: 'How dare you', UN Climate Action Summit - 2019, Charlie Munger: 'The Psychology of Human Misjudgment', Harvard University - 1995, Lawrence O'Donnell: 'The original sin of this country is that we invaders shot and murdered our way across the land killing every Native American that we could', The Last Word, 'Dakota' - 2016. The devotion and care that you and your wife give to your son is beyond admirable. For us to be ignored by God was a harsher punishment than to be a victim of His anger. And, therefore, their lives are meaningless. Yes, there will still be questions. 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. It is so much easier to avoid such rude interruptions to our work, our dreams, our hopes. . Or will some they continue to see them as thugs, predators, or superhuman? elicit Elie believes indifference is worse than hate because it implies that someone's suffering isn't worth rumination and consideration. His many classmates and a plethora of teammates, his teachers and therapists, our friends and many family members I expect them to rush here, to call, to send a card to celebrate the life of a thriving, joyful friend and relative. And just as there are different types of diseases, so too are there different kinds of indifference. The History Place - Great Speeches Collection: Elie Wiesel Speech The Indifference reduces the other to an abstraction. Over there, behind the black gates of Auschwitz, the most tragic of all prisoners were the "Muselmanner," as they were called. Rooted in our tradition, some of us felt that to be abandoned by humanity then was not the ultimate. Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, Nobel Laureate, and author (most famously known for Night), gave this impassioned speech as part of the Millennium Lecture series, hosted by President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. Their hidden or even visible anguish is of no interest. You disarm it. It is so much easier to avoid such rude interruptions to our work, our dreams, our hopes. It came at the end of his trial, when the judge read the guilty verdict. The Perils of Indifference | Havurah Shir Hadash Speakola is a labour of love and Id be very grateful if you would share, tweet or like it. And, therefore, their lives are meaningless. Indifference is the inability to feel deeply; it is the lack of sensitivity that allows some people to treat others without compassion or remorse. But they were real, and Elie Wiesel understood better than anyone the consequences of underestimating those images. Indifference reduces the other to an abstraction. It becomes clear throughout his speech that Elie Wiesel sees the folks who stood idly by as being part of the problem. Hi speech lovers,With costs of hosting website and podcast, this labour of love has become a difficult financial proposition in recent times. A society that grounds its actions in human rights will be a society of love. You could be indifferent to someone you love or something that concerns you. Why was there a greater effort to save SS murderers after the war than to save their victims during the war? Aremy expectations unrealistic or hasty? nonobvious Ignoring starving children and refugees means telling those populations they're worthless and they don't matter, that their situation is hopeless. There is social indifference, which means ignoring other people's needs and desires. History is going to judge us for our actions, so we better be sure the legacy we leave is the right one. You disarm it. It can also be used as a verb and is used when someone is felling extremely distressed about something. (28-35). (50). In fact, it exacerbates the problem because by ignoring the victims and what they're experiencing, you're making their suffering worse. Oh, we see them on television, we read about them in the papers, and we do so with a broken heart. Its strength is in its anonymity it doesnt typically call attention to itself, and its perpetrators are often unaware that they see certain people as the Other. Never wonder if the disabled would be okay going to a movie or a dinner. ONeill Institute for National and Global Health Law The Jewish refugees on board the St. Louis were turned away from Cuba, and then from the United States, before they were accepted into various countries throughout Europe, including the United Kingdom, France, and Belgium. "The Perils of Indifference" is a not-so-gentle reminder of the negative consequences of indifference, and how important it is to take an interest in the anguish of others, even when it's tempting to look the other way. America was built by folks searching for religious freedom, and Wiesel doesn't understand how such a place could turn its back on 1,000 people looking for that same freedomespecially when they'd heard whispers about the kinds of horrors happening in the Nazi-controlled parts of Europe. They told jurors Chauvin showed indifference to Floyds pleas for help. Defining humanity may not be simple, but in terms of basic rights, it's pretty clear that all people deserve certain things just because they're humanand one of those things is a recognition of their worth. B. How will it be remembered in the new millennium? A. But that doesn't mean we have to let it get away with doing damage to others. Indifference reduces the other to an abstraction means. What does Elie mean? He believes that ignoring a person's misery makes it easier to look at that person as something less than human. 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. The prosecutors built a case where they forced the jury to see Floyd as a human being and not as an abstraction. Phil believes his son and his family to be in an active state of healing. indifference, in the mathematical theory of probability, a classical principle stated by the Swiss mathematician Jakob Bernoulli and formulated (and named) by the English economist John Maynard Keynes in A Treatise on Probability (1921): two cases are equally likely if no reason is known why either case should be the preferable one. That way, if and when horrible things happen, larger populations step up and fight for the victims who can't fight for themselves. You are very right about expectations fueling our lives and grief resulting when we dont get what we expected (especially if we did all the correct things). Yet, for the person who is indifferent, his or her neighbor are of no consequence. Why did some of America's largest corporations continue to do business with Hitler's Germany until 1942? This time, we intervene. And the illustrious occupant of the White House then, who was a great leader -- and I say it with some anguish and pain, because, today is exactly 54 years marking his death -- Franklin Delano Roosevelt died on April the 12th, 1945. The depth of the harm of indifference comes from how easy, and thus how pervasive, it is. Indifference reduces the other to an abstraction. In a way, to be indifferent to that suffering is what makes the human being inhuman. In a memorable 2005 editorial,the New York Times reported, Yesterday, more than 20,000 people perished of extreme poverty.. It's neither comfortable nor fun, but, according to Elie Wiesel, it's part of being a good human. Better an unjust God than an indifferent one. Of course, indifference can be tempting -- more than that, seductive. It is merely another form of slavery. "The Perils of Indifference" is a call to action, to remind everyone that they have a duty to respond to indifference and intolerance because their legacyas well as their humanitydepends on it. Use of anguish refers to stronger pain one might feel. Indifference is not a beginning; it is an end. Elie Wiesel: First Person Singular . Resources | PBS The Psychology of Indifference - Gratia Plena 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. In particular, indifference is "more dangerous than anger and hatred." It is "not a beginning, it is an end." It is "not only a sin, it is a punishment" (par 11-13). 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. In this case, with an audience on the verge of a new century, he wants them to seriously think about their answers, and part of that means thinking about humanity and the responsibilities of being human. Martin Luther King Jr. the most. The Perils of Indifference, Elie Wiesel > Marcus Sweetser Attorney They don't reach for opportunities because they're not worth the effort or risk involved. If we structure our society around these rights, then we can truly be a society where indifference no longer reigns, where we do not with our silencetell millions of people by failing to speak to their needs, theirlives, their pain that they do not matter, that their humanity is not really of concern to us. Giving the dead in Baghdad as well as Brussels, Pakistan as well as Paris, our respect will not end the bombings and other attacks. Over there, behind the black gates of Auschwitz, the most tragic of all prisoners were the "Muselmanner," as they were called. There is altogether too much of it. 4. But both France and Belgium eventually fell to the Nazis, and some 254 refugees from the St. Louis ended up being murderedwhich means the U.S. government's choice to turn their backs on the passengers, to be indifferent to their experiences, led to the loss of innocent lives. Indifference produces no response. You fight it. It is indifference that can "reduce the other to an abstraction" (par 8). The only thing that everyone forms of indifference has in common is that they all involve some type of neglect. Did you encounter any technical issues? (104-106). (123-125). ), because they are criminals (and what combination of poor education, abuse, violent neighborhoods, economic hardships, contributed to their plight?). Even hatred at times may elicit a response. In a way, to be indifferent to that suffering is what makes the human being inhuman. It is doing something that denies or removes their importance or value. Indifferent people might be perceived as cold, distant, disinterested, uninspired, and lacking in enthusiasm. Phil, I am so sorry that your family had to experience this tragedy. What will the legacy of this vanishing century be? Published Indifference or apathy is a state in which we don't care and/or don't take action on something happening around us. Can one possibly view indifference as a virtue? This time, the world was not silent. Georgetown University Law Center Indifference reduces the other to an abstraction. [3] It is, after all, awkward, troublesome, to be involved in another person\'s pain and despair. It is, after all, awkward, troublesome, to be involved in another person's pain and despair. In many respects, apathy is worse than rage and hatred because when people are furious, they take action to address the issue. 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. th a focus on the Essential Question for this unit: What does our response to the conflict say about us? Use evidence from the text to support your response. 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. It is so much easier to look away from victims. Its just too painful. 4:03 AM EDT, Sat April 24, 2021. Why was there a greater effort to save SS murderers after the war than to save their victims during the war? For example, someone may be indifferent to your pain because they do not care whether you live or die. How would the meaning of the following passage change if - Brainly answer choices . (70-72). We expect our actions to produce certain reactions. Indifference distorts a person's perception of others and the dignity that each person possesses. It's White indifference that allows so many Black and brown students to go to. (7). White indifference is why its harder for Black and brown people to vote in some states than for White people. Love this Phil!! (51). They are us', Address to Parliament following Christchurch massacre - 2019, Dolores Ibrruri: "No Pasarn!, They shall not pass! Wrapped in their torn blankets, they would sit or lie on the ground, staring vacantly into space, unaware of who or where they were--strangers to their surroundings . If you question the statements about human indifference, visit a state institution for severely disabled, a state funded day habilitation facility, an elderly set of parents who have just had public or family support services reduced or eliminated by the state. But the question remainswhy did so few people step up to try to help? Indifference is a betrayal of life and those who live it. It's neither pleasant nor enjoyable, but it's all part of being a good human, according to Elie Wiesel. It is for us to build. Discuss these conflicts wi She has a degree in English Literature and Writing, and spends her days writing about everything from fashion to feminism. And now we knew, we learned, we discovered that the Pentagon knew, the State Department knew. Millions more were killed in World War I, World War II, and Vietnam, and still countries were using violence to solve their problems. The political prisoner in his cell, the hungry children, the homeless refugeesnot to respond to their plight, not to relieve their solitude by offering them a spark of hope is to exile them from human memory. (81-85). Indifference reduces the Other to an abstraction." At the beginning of this fall semester, I went to Alliance Bible Fellowship's College Connection. 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. Of course, when those actions fail to produce what we need, we experience disappointment, grief and disillusion. Their hidden or even visible anguish is of no interest. About Us Erase Indifference Continue with Recommended Cookies. Genius is the ultimate source of music knowledge, created by scholars like you who share facts and insight about the songs and artists they love. 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. It can spread quickly, affecting many people until no one trusts or cares about anyone else again. Or, is itsimply the plague of indifference? , The Boy In Striped pajamas focus question #5In the last eight paragraphs of the story, all three characters have conflicts. It is so much easier to look away from victims. And let us remember the meeting, filled with drama and emotion, between Rabin and Arafat that you, Mr. President, convened in this very place. Indifference can also be a sign of mental illness. My friends and me infidel MLK's 'I have been to the mountaintop' the, Elie Wiesel: 'And now we knew, we learned, we discovered that the Pentagon knew', The Perils of Indifference - United Nations, 1999. http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/e John F Kennedy: 'Not because they are easy, but because they are hard', Moon Speech - 1962, Emmeline Pankhurst: 'I am here as a soldier who has temporarily left the field of battle', Freedom or Death - 1913 , Jon Stewart: "They responded in five seconds", 9-11 first responders, Address to Congress - 2019, Jacinda Ardern: 'They were New Zealanders. We are on the threshold of a new century, a new millennium. Does this mean we have learned from the past? And together we walk towards the new millennium, carried by profound fear and extraordinary hope. Indifference is both individual and societal. One writes a great poem, a great symphony. And together we walk towards the new millennium, carried by a profound fear and extraordinary hope. One writes a great poem, a great symphony. Do we feel their pain, their agony? Yet, for the person who is indifferent, his or her neighbor are of no consequence. They felt nothing. I hear that so many times but I was so careful, I did everything to be healthy, I cant understand why my baby died. And even if he lives to be a very old man, he will always be grateful to them for that rage, and also for their compassion. You and your wife have obviously met that challenge. It was the look of indifference in Chauvins eyes on May 25, 2020, as he casually drained the life out of George Floyd. ', Defense of 2nd Spanish Republic - 1936, Jimmy Reid: 'A rat race is for rats. These failures have cast a dark shadow over humanity: two World Wars, countless civil wars, the senseless chain of assassinations (Gandhi, the Kennedys, Martin Luther King, Sadat, Rabin), bloodbaths in Cambodia and Algeria, India and Pakistan, Ireland and Rwanda, Eritrea and Ethiopia, Sarajevo and Kosovo; the inhumanity in the gulag and the tragedy of Hiroshima. The Perils of Indifference - Apex Learning There was no superhuman strength that day. You fight it. If you can afford a donation, it will help Speakola survive and prosper. You've undoubtedly seen the images from various concentration camps throughout Europe. Your email address will not be published. A grown man, crying out for his mother.. Our team has experience in preserving and safeguarding the . I sincerely hope that the Spirit inspires the people around you to become more attentive and caring toward your son. And he knew they'd help him tell the story, to be sure future generations would never try to deny the Holocaust. Prosecutor Steve Schleicher speaking during the Chauvin trial. Human indifference is a plague. 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.
