Ridicule, nominally amusing but really an expression of hostility, was the favourite weapon — the worst possible, short of actual cruelty, in dealing with young people.
crueltyquotes
You find this curious fact, that the more intense has been the religion of any period and the more profound has been the dogmatic belief, the greater has been the cruelty and the worse has been the state of affairs.
I must say that I think all this doctrine, that hell-fire is a punishment for sin, is a doctrine of cruelty. It is a doctrine that put cruelty into the world and gave the world generations of cruel torture; and the Christ of the Gospels, if you could take Him as His chroniclers represent Him, would certainly have to be considered partly responsible for that.
Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.
cruelty / fear / superstition / wisdom
It struck him that the truly characteristic thing about modern life was not its cruelty and insecurity, but simply it’s bareness, it’s dinginess, it’s listlessness.
It is impossible to found a civilization on fear and hatred and cruelty. It would never endure.
1984 / civilization / cruelty / fear / hatred
There is a certain right by which we many deprive a man of life, but none by which we may deprive him of death; this is mere cruelty.
To see others suffer does one good, to make others suffer even more: this is a hard saying but an ancient, mighty, human, all-too-human principle [….] Without cruelty there is no festival.