“ One cannot be too extreme in dealing with social ills; besides, the extreme thing is generally the true thing. ”
Emma Goldman, Anarchism and Other Essays (1910). copy citation
| Author | Emma Goldman |
|---|---|
| Source | Anarchism and Other Essays |
| Topic | truth extremism |
| Date | 1910 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2162/2162-h/2162-h.htm |
Context
“I shall prefer that rather than be guilty of the demagogic platitudes so commonly in vogue as a bait for the people. I realize the malady of the oppressed and disinherited masses only too well, but I refuse to prescribe the usual ridiculous palliatives which allow the patient neither to die nor to recover. One cannot be too extreme in dealing with social ills; besides, the extreme thing is generally the true thing. My lack of faith in the majority is dictated by my faith in the potentialities of the individual. Only when the latter becomes free to choose his associates for a common purpose, can we hope for order and harmony out of this world of chaos and inequality.”
source
Meaning and analysis
