"The surest way to work up a crusade in favor of some good cause is to promise people they will have a chance of maltreating someone. To be able to destroy with good conscience, to be able to behave badly and call your bad behavior 'righteous indignation' — this is the height of psychological luxury, the most delicious of moral treats."
"The surest way to work up a crusade in favor of some good cause is to promise people they will have a chance of maltreating someone. To be able to destroy with good conscience, to be able to behave badly and call your bad behavior 'righteous indignation' — this is the height of psychological luxury, the most delicious of moral treats."
Wow! What an excellent turn of a phrase. I have not seen that quote before, but it definitely hits the mark. There’s no indignation like righteous indignation.
I see it all the time from friends and family on the Left. Their righteousness is worn like a suit of armor. If I could just open my mind and see the wisdom of their words, I would change my entire worldview. But I’m too hardheaded to succumb to their superior logic and knowledge. 🤪 It gets harder as relatives get older and they tend to ‘forget’ our policy of never discussing politics. Or maybe it’s because they sense an impending landslide in November and are becoming more frantic in their efforts to make me see the light. I jut have to keep looking them in the eye and saying, “You and I are NOT discussing politics. Ever.”
That fits them perfectly. And I feel like it goes very well with this quote from CS Lewis:
Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.
Right?!
Here's where it usually ends up:
"The surest way to work up a crusade in favor of some good cause is to promise people they will have a chance of maltreating someone. To be able to destroy with good conscience, to be able to behave badly and call your bad behavior 'righteous indignation' — this is the height of psychological luxury, the most delicious of moral treats."
- Aldus Huxley
Wow! What an excellent turn of a phrase. I have not seen that quote before, but it definitely hits the mark. There’s no indignation like righteous indignation.
I see it all the time from friends and family on the Left. Their righteousness is worn like a suit of armor. If I could just open my mind and see the wisdom of their words, I would change my entire worldview. But I’m too hardheaded to succumb to their superior logic and knowledge. 🤪 It gets harder as relatives get older and they tend to ‘forget’ our policy of never discussing politics. Or maybe it’s because they sense an impending landslide in November and are becoming more frantic in their efforts to make me see the light. I jut have to keep looking them in the eye and saying, “You and I are NOT discussing politics. Ever.”
*just. (Why won’t this stupid app let me edit comments? It used to…)
the app is bunk. I switched back to the PC version. works better on your phone anyway.
That fits them perfectly. And I feel like it goes very well with this quote from CS Lewis:
Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.
C. S. Lewis
Perfect