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Saturday Scholar: Say what you think.
5 lessons learnt through the knowledge & wisdom of history...
Robert Hook
May 11, 2024
Saturday Scholar: Say what you think
Happy Saturday climbers! The average are addicted to leisure. The exceptional are obsessed with learning.
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak for me.
Historical Context
Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1930s.
The Nazis used propaganda, intimidation, and violence to solidify their control over the country.
The Nazi regime targeted various groups, including political opponents (socialists, communists), trade unionists, intellectuals, and religious leaders who spoke out against the regime's policies.
Individuals were arrested, tortured, and often executed or sent to concentration camps.
November 1938, the Nazis unleashed a wave of violence against Jews, known as Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass), during which Jewish businesses, synagogues, and homes were vandalized and destroyed.
Many Germans, including those in positions of authority like Niemöller, initially remained silent or even supported the Nazi regime's actions, either out of fear, apathy, or ideological alignment.
Niemöller himself initially supported Hitler's rise but later became disillusioned and critical.
Say what you are thinking, not what you think you should say.
5 Lessons Learnt
The Danger of Apathy.
The poem highlights the danger of remaining indifferent when injustice occurs. By not speaking out when you think something is wrong you inadvertently becoming complicit.
The Slippery Slope of Tyranny.
Tyranny doesn’t happen all at once, it’s a slow and steady process of slowly eliminating all enemies until there is no one left to oppose. Take action quickly.
Injustice anywhere threatens justice everywhere.
Injustice spreads rapidly as seen within the Nazi regime. The world was very close to becoming very different to the world we live in today.
The Responsibility to Speak Out
I’m usually not the type of person to make issues out of things that don’t effect me… I think this is because I’ve always been focused on making my life as good as possible, as I’m learning more I’m realising that fulfilment in life comes from outside yourself just as much as within. Speak out if you think something is wrong If you don’t, someone else may not - because they feel like the minority.
Everyone wants to fit in.
It’s easy to agree with others to fit in. Even if you don’t agree. In my opinion one of the most important things in life I’ve always done is spoken my mind and stuck up for what I believe in. There’s only a few things I have strong opinions on but I’m not afraid to speak them even if they’re not the norm.
Even if you are the minority of one, the truth is the truth.
