Wednesday, March 09, 2022

When Things Are Quiet

There is a certain indolence in us, a wish not to be disturbed, which tempts us to think that when things are quiet, all is well.  Subconsciously, we tend to give the preference to "social peace," though it be only apparent, because our lives and possessions seem then secure.  Actually, human beings acquiesce too easily in evil conditions; they rebel far too little and too seldom.  There is nothing noble about acquiescence in a cramped life or mere submission to superior force.

-- A. J. Muste (1885 - 1967), Dutch-born American clergyman who eventually became a Quaker, Christian pacifist, socialist, and social activist involved in the U.S. labor and civil rights movements, "Pacifism and Class War" in The Essays of A. J. Muste (1967) edited by Nat Hentoff p. 179-85

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