The needs of a human being are sacred. Their satisfaction cannot be subordinated either to reasons of state, or to any consideration of money, nationality, race, or color, or to the moral or other value attributed to the human being in question, or to any consideration whatsoever.
Simone Weil
Needs, Sacred, Satisfaction, Human Rights, Spiritual Value, Ethical Balance
Simone Weil’s Quotes On Topics
Cave | Contemplation | Mercy | Student Life | Inner Strength | Fear | Conflict | Changing Sides | Personal Stability | Educational Values | Human Sacrifice | Guilt | Emotional Freedom | Spiritual Transformation | Historical Insights | Moral Insight | Nature | Societal Influence | Ideal Words | Self-reflection | More
More Simone Weil Quotes
“Joy is being fully aware of reality.” Simone Weil
Joy, Reality, Awareness, Happiness, Perception, Spiritual Insight
Simone Weil Joy, Reality, Awareness, Happiness, Perception, Spiritual Insight“If we forgive God for his crime against us, which is to have made us finite creatures, He will forgive our crime against him, which is that we are finite creatures.” Simone Weil
Finite Existence, Mutual Forgiveness, Divine Reflection, Forgiveness, God, Humanity
Simone Weil Finite Existence, Mutual Forgiveness, Divine Reflection, Forgiveness, God, Humanity“To write the lives of the great in separating them from their works necessarily ends by above all stressing their pettiness, because it is in their work that they have put the best of themselves.” Simone Weil
Biography, Greatness, Human Nature, Artistic Creation, Literary Critique, Historical Perspective
Simone Weil Biography, Greatness, Human Nature, Artistic Creation, Literary Critique, Historical Perspective“At the bottom of the heart of every human being, from earliest infancy until the tomb, there is something that goes on indomitably expecting, in the teeth of all experience of crimes committed, suffered, and witnessed, that good and not evil will be done.” Simone Weil
Humanity, Hope, Goodness, Resilience, Human Nature, Moral Expectation
Simone Weil Humanity, Hope, Goodness, Resilience, Human Nature, Moral Expectation“Patriotism is idolatry of the self.” Simone Weil
Patriotism, Idolatry, Self, Nationalism Critique, Moral Reflection, Human Identity
Simone Weil Patriotism, Idolatry, Self, Nationalism Critique, Moral Reflection, Human Identity“Why is the determination to fight against a prejudice a sure sign that one is full of it? Such a determination necessarily arises from an obsession. It constitutes an utterly sterile effort to get rid of it. In such a case the light of attention is the only thing which is effective, and it is not compatible with a polemical intention.” Simone Weil
Prejudice Fight, Sterile Efforts, Effective Attention, Prejudice, Obsession, Attention
Simone Weil Prejudice Fight, Sterile Efforts, Effective Attention, Prejudice, Obsession, Attention“Truth is one, but error is manifold.” Simone Weil
Truth, Error, Philosophy, Knowledge, Human Perception, Wisdom
Simone Weil Truth, Error, Philosophy, Knowledge, Human Perception, Wisdom“A well ordered society would be one where the State only had a negative action, comparable to that of a rudder: a light pressure at the right moment to counteract the first suggestion of any loss of equilibrium.” Simone Weil
Society, Governance, Balance, Political Philosophy, Social Order, Minimal Intervention
Simone Weil Society, Governance, Balance, Political Philosophy, Social Order, Minimal Intervention“We can only know one thing about God – that he is what we are not. Our wretchedness alone is an image of this. The more we contemplate it, the more we contemplate him.” Simone Weil
God, Human Nature, Contemplation, Divine Otherness, Spiritual Reflection, Self-awareness
Simone Weil God, Human Nature, Contemplation, Divine Otherness, Spiritual Reflection, Self-awareness“The suffering should be inflicted with the aim of bringing the soul to recognize freely some day that its infliction was just.” Simone Weil
Suffering, Soul, Justice, Moral Pain, Spiritual Recognition, Redemptive Aim
Simone Weil Suffering, Soul, Justice, Moral Pain, Spiritual Recognition, Redemptive Aim“Whoever is uprooted himself uproots others. Whoever is rooted himself doesn't uproot others.” Simone Weil
Rootedness, Social Impact, Human Nature, Cultural Identity, Personal Stability, Social Responsibility
Simone Weil Rootedness, Social Impact, Human Nature, Cultural Identity, Personal Stability, Social Responsibility“We are only geometricians of matter; the Greeks were, first of all, geometricians in the apprenticeship to virtue.” Simone Weil
Geometricians, Matter, Virtue, Greeks, Philosophical Approach, Moral Education
Simone Weil Geometricians, Matter, Virtue, Greeks, Philosophical Approach, Moral Education“Official history is a matter of believing murderers on their own word.” Simone Weil
History, Official, Belief, Murderers’ Word, Skepticism, Historical Narratives
Simone Weil History, Official, Belief, Murderers’ Word, Skepticism, Historical Narratives“Only an indirect method is effective. We do nothing if we have not first drawn back.” Simone Weil
Indirect Approach, Effective Methods, Reflection, Indirection, Effectiveness, Patience
Simone Weil Indirect Approach, Effective Methods, Reflection, Indirection, Effectiveness, Patience“Modern war appears as a struggle led by all the State apparatuses and their general staffs against all men old enough to bear arms...” Simone Weil
War Reflection, State Struggles, Modern Conflict, Human Sacrifice, Ethical Insight, Societal Challenges
Simone Weil War Reflection, State Struggles, Modern Conflict, Human Sacrifice, Ethical Insight, Societal Challenges“I would suggest that barbarism be considered as a permanent and universal human characteristic which becomes more or less pronounced according to the play of circumstances.” Simone Weil
Human Nature, Barbarism, Civilization, Social Commentary, Philosophical Insight, Historical Perspective
Simone Weil Human Nature, Barbarism, Civilization, Social Commentary, Philosophical Insight, Historical Perspective“If one were to entrust the organisation of public life to the devil, he could not invent a more clever device.” Simone Weil
Society, Evil, Organization, Social Critique, Human Nature, Philosophical Insight
Simone Weil Society, Evil, Organization, Social Critique, Human Nature, Philosophical Insight“Yet what is impossible in logic becomes true in life, and the contradiction lodged within the soul tears it to shreds.” Simone Weil
Logic, Life, Contradiction, Soul Struggles, Truth Paradox, Inner Conflict
Simone Weil Logic, Life, Contradiction, Soul Struggles, Truth Paradox, Inner Conflict“Humility is attentive patience.” Simone Weil
Humility, Patience, Attention, Virtue, Spiritual Insight, Personal Growth
Simone Weil Humility, Patience, Attention, Virtue, Spiritual Insight, Personal Growth“Education – whether its object be children or adults, individuals or an entire people, or even oneself – consists in creating motives. To show what is beneficial, what is obligatory, what is good – that is the task of education. Education concerns itself with the motives for effective action. For no action is ever carried out in the absence of motives capable of supplying the indispensable amount of energy for its execution.” Simone Weil
Education, Motivation, Action, Personal Development, Social Responsibility, Learning Process
Simone Weil Education, Motivation, Action, Personal Development, Social Responsibility, Learning Process