It's the opposite of an unfortunately precient quote by Nietzsche. To paraphrase: "I am filled with sadness when I think of the German people: so estimable in the individual! So contemptible as a whole!"
Liberals love the idea of humanity in general, they hate individuals in particular.
It's the opposite of an unfortunately precient quote by Nietzsche. To paraphrase: "I am filled with sadness when I think of the German people: so estimable in the individual! So contemptible as a whole!"
Oh, I thought that it was based on this section of The Brothers Karamazov, which struck me when I read it:
"It's just the same story as a doctor once told me," observed the elder. "He was a man getting on in years, and undoubtedly clever. He spoke as frankly as you, though in jest, in bitter jest.The DU post itself is simply unbelievable. I refuse to visit--part of me wonders if this thread's continued in the same vein, but another part of me can already guess the answer.'I love humanity,' he said, 'but I wonder at myself. The more I love humanity in general, the less I love man in particular. In my dreams,' he said, 'I have often come to making enthusiastic schemes for the service of humanity, and perhaps I might actually have faced crucifixion if it had been suddenly necessary; and yet I am incapable of living in the same room with anyone for two days together, as I know by experience. As soon as anyone is near me, his personality disturbs my self-complacency and restricts my freedom. In twenty-four hours I begin to hate the best of men: one because he's too long over his dinner; another because he has a cold and keeps on blowing his nose. I become hostile to people the moment they come close to me. But it has always happened that the more I detest men individually the more ardent becomes my love for humanity.'