Mastodawn

The disturbing factor in the success of totalitarianism is rather the true selflessness of its adherents: it may be understandable that a Nazi or Bolshevik will not be shaken in his conviction by crimes against people who do not belong to the movement or are even hostile to it; but the amazing fact is that neither is he likely to waver when the monster begins to devour its own children, and not even if he becomes a victim of persecution himself, if he is framed and condemned, if he is purged from the party and sent to a forced-labor or concentration camp. On the contrary, to the wonder of the whole civilized world, he may even be willing to help in his own prosecution and frame his own death sentence if only his status as a member of the movement is not touched.

Hannah Arendt (1906-1975) German-American philosopher, political theorist
Origins of Totalitarianism, Part 3, ch. 10 “A Classless Society,” sec. 1 (1951)

More about this quote: wist.info/arendt-hannah/42025/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #arendt #hannaharendt #belonging #fanatic #fanaticism #identity #loyalty #movement #partisan #selfdestruction #selfpreservation #selflessness #totalitarianism #tribalism #zealotry

Arendt, Hannah - Origins of Totalitarianism, Part 3, ch. 10 "A Classless Society," sec. 1 (1951) | WIST Quotations

The disturbing factor in the success of totalitarianism is rather the true selflessness of its adherents: it may be understandable that a Nazi or Bolshevik will not be shaken in his conviction by crimes against people who do not belong to the movement or are even hostile to it; but…

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TJC-Apr 26

@tafnn
Republicans declare a fossil-fuel war of choice on Americans and the world as they pollute and burn us to all to hell.
#selfdestruction #fossilfuels #pollution #madness
Self Destruction - AI Follies
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Th3BFG Apr 2

The firing of Bondi clarifies a strategy for fighting Trump's fascism: Keep the pressure on those around Trump and force them to show him for the shitty fascist he is. Trump will do the destroying of the empire for us. Soon he'll have no allies left. #resist #fightfascism #selfdestruction

Aviendha69 🦋🍁 🇨🇦 | ᑐ ∪ ∩ ⊂Mar 4

this is not a coincidence. It says girls are things to be consumed by the #Patriarchy. A ressource to be capitalized on as they seize and control the means of (re)production. #paedophilia #self-destruction

WIST Quotations Jan 28

A quotation from James Howell

Burn not thy fingers to snuff another man’s candle.

James Howell (c. 1594 - 1666) Welsh historian and writer
Paroimiographia [Παροιμιογραφία], or, Old Sayed Sawes & Adages, “New Sayings” (1659)

More about this quote: wist.info/howell-james/12025/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #jameshowell #competition #conflict #cost #selfdefeating #selfdestruction

Howell, James - Paroimiographia [Παροιμιογραφία], or, Old Sayed Sawes & Adages, "New Sayings" (1659) | WIST Quotations

Burn not thy fingers to snuff another man's candle.

WIST Quotations

WIST Quotations Jan 5

A quotation from Wendell Berry

We Americans are not usually thought to be a submissive people, but of course we are. Why else would we allow our country to be destroyed? Why else would we be rewarding its destroyers? Why else would we all — by proxies we have given to greedy corporations and corrupt politicians — be participating in its destruction? Most of us are still too sane to piss in our own cistern, but we allow others to do so and we reward them for it. We reward them so well, in fact, that those who piss in our cistern are wealthier than the rest of us.

Wendell Berry (b. 1934) American farmer, educator, poet, conservationist
Essay (1970-01-01), “Compromise, Hell!” Orion Magazine

More about this quote: wist.info/berry-wendell/81189/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #wendellberry #America #bigbusiness #economicinjustice #environment #politics #pollution #profit #selfdestruction #wealth #submission #acquiescence

Berry, Wendell - Essay (1970-01-01), "Compromise, Hell!" Orion Magazine | WIST Quotations

We Americans are not usually thought to be a submissive people, but of course we are. Why else would we allow our country to be destroyed? Why else would we be rewarding its destroyers? Why else would we all -- by proxies we have given to greedy corporations and corrupt…

WIST Quotations

WIST Quotations Dec 24

A quotation from Marcus Aurelius

The sinner sins against himself. The wrong-doer wrongs himself by making himself evil.

[Ὁ ἁμαρτάνων ἑαυτῷ ἁμαρτάνει: ὁ ἀδικῶν ἑαυτὸν ἀδικεῖ, ἑαυτὸν, ἑαυτὸν κακὸν ποιῶν.]

Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180) Roman emperor (161-180), Stoic philosopher
Meditations [To Himself; Τὰ εἰς ἑαυτόν], Book 9, ch. 4 (9.4) (AD 161-180) [tr. Hutcheson/Chrystal (1902)]

More info about (and translations of) this quote: wist.info/marcus-aureleus/8100…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #marcusaurelius #crime #harm #injury #injustice #selfdefeat #selfdestruction #selfharm #selfinflictedwound #sin #sinner #wrongdoer #wrongdoing

Marcus Aurelius - Meditations [To Himself; Τὰ εἰς ἑαυτόν], Book 9, ch. 4 (9.4) (AD 161-180) [tr. Hutcheson/Chrystal (1902)] | WIST Quotations

The sinner sins against himself. The wrong-doer wrongs himself by making himself evil. [Ὁ ἁμαρτάνων ἑαυτῷ ἁμαρτάνει: ὁ ἀδικῶν ἑαυτὸν ἀδικεῖ, ἑαυτὸν, ἑαυτὸν κακὸν ποιῶν.] (Source (Greek)). Alternate translations: He that sinneth, sinneth unto himself. He that is unjust, hurts himself, in that he makes himself worse than he was…

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WIST Quotations Has Moved!Oct 14, 2025

A quotation from Abraham Lincoln

At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) American lawyer, politician, US President (1861-65)
Speech (1838-01-27), Young Men’s Lyceum, Springfield, Illinois

More info about this quote: wist.info/lincoln-abraham/4216…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #abrahamlincoln #abelincoln #danger #freedom #nationalsecurity #selfdestruction #selfdestructiveness #threat

Speech (1838-01-27), Young Men's Lyceum, Springfield, Illinois - Lincoln, Abraham | WIST Quotations

At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must…

WIST Quotations