In order to survive, a plurality of true communities would require not egalitarianism and tolerance but knowledge, an understanding of the necessity of local differences, and respect. Respect, I think, always implies imagination - the ability to see one another, across our inevitable differences, as living souls. (pg. 181, Sex, Economy, Freedom, and Community)Wendell Berry
About This Quote
In order to survive as a society, the number of people who do not achieve as much as those who do will have to be minimized. In some cases, this means the elimination of some groups from the population. For example, if society values one or two particular characteristics more than others, then those characteristics will be seen as more important and will be promoted over all others. If a society values a particular lifestyle more than another lifestyle, then that lifestyle will be promoted over all others.
If a society values a particular type of work more than another type of work, then that lifestyle will be promoted over all others. To survive as a society, we must see ourselves as equals and we must not see ourselves as better than anyone else. Equality is very important for survival because equality ensures that no group has an advantage over another group.
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