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ifindkarma.bsky.social
“10% of any population is cruel, no matter what, and 10% is merciful, no matter what, and the remaining 80% can be moved in either direction.”
Susan Sontag

“There’s no record of Arendt ever saying ‘The death of human empathy is one of the earliest and most telling signs…’”
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The quote, "The death of human empathy is one of the earliest and most telling signs of a culture about to fall into barbarism," is widely attributed to Hannah Arendt, but The New York Times notes there's no record of her saying it, though it sounds plausible and aligns with her ideas on evil and apathy, like her famous "banality of evil" concept. Arendt explored how apathy enables evil and totalitarianism, but this specific quote is an internet fabrication, often used in political discussions about modern callousness. NYT link: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/18/books/review/empathy-paul-bloom-joe-rigney-hannah-arendt-allie-beth-stuckey.html No paywall: https://archive.is/HX5oa “It takes courage not to be discouraged.” Ben Ferencz “10% of any population is cruel, no matter what, and 10% is merciful, no matter what, and… 80% can be moved in either direction.” Susan Sontag Quote from NYT: By Jennifer Szalai July 18, 2025 There’s an arresting quotation that resurfaces online now and again, usually accompanied by a photograph of a dark-haired woman with an intense gaze: “The death of human empathy is one of the earliest and most telling signs that a culture is about to fall into barbarism.” It’s followed by the name of the woman in the picture: the political philosopher Hannah Arendt, who fled the barbarism of Nazi Germany. Only there’s no record of Arendt ever saying that, or anything like it. The bogus quotation is the kind of artifact that flourishes on the internet in bewildering times — plausible-sounding and politically ominous. It happens to dovetail with a liberal argument that has flourished in the age of Trump: That the MAGA movement is actively promoting callousness and cruelty. Trump’s critics say supporting examples aren’t hard to come by: the gutting of lifesaving aid to the poor and the sick, the violent crackdown on immigrants, the gleefully sadistic memes. The implication is that one side is committed to empathy while the other side is not.
December 31, 2025 at 7:59 PM
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ifindkarma.bsky.social
“The America I love, the America I’ve written about, that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration… Rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism.” @brucespringsteen.net

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Bruce Springsteen in Manchester England May 2025, introducing the song that gives the tour its name Land of Hope and Dreams: “In my home, the America I love, the America I’ve written about, that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration. Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experiment to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism and let freedom ring!”
May 16, 2025 at 6:11 AM