Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

 

 (?)
Quotes are added by the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ community and are not verified by Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ.
John Banville

“Where did this absurd rule come from, and why did we so meekly obey it? Under a tyrannical regime--and the Ireland of those days was a spiritual tyranny--the populace becomes so cowed that it does the state's work for it voluntarily. And as every tyrant knows, a people's own self-censorship is the kind that works best. In the 1990s, when revelations of clerical sexual abuse and the Catholic Church's cover-ups put an end to its hegemony almost overnight, my generation scratched its head and asked, in voices trembling with incredulity, 'How could we let them get away with it for so long?' But the question, of course, contained its own answer: We let them get away with it. Power is more often surrendered than seized.”

John Banville, Time Pieces: A Dublin Memoir
Read more quotes from John Banville


Share this quote:

Friends Who Liked This Quote

To see what your friends thought of this quote, please sign up!


This Quote Is From

Time Pieces: A Dublin Memoir Time Pieces: A Dublin Memoir by John Banville
871 ratings, average rating, 178 reviews

Browse By Tag