The shock of photographed atrocities wears off with repeated viewings, just as the surprise and bemusement felt the first time one sees a pornographic movie wear off after one sees a few more.

Susan Sontag
The shock of photographed atrocities wears off with repeated viewings,...
The shock of photographed atrocities wears off with repeated viewings,...
The shock of photographed atrocities wears off with repeated viewings,...
The shock of photographed atrocities wears off with repeated viewings,...
About This Quote

In the context of a book review, this quote refers to the fact that repeated exposure to horror movies or photos can make them lose their initial power. For example, after seeing a gruesome photo of a man being burned alive, the first time one sees it is a truly shocking experience. However, if one sees it a second time or a third time or a fourth time, the shock begins to wear off and the picture becomes less and less shocking. In other words, repeated exposure dulls the initial shock by allowing one to become desensitized.

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More Quotes By Susan Sontag
  1. The truth is always something that is told, not something that is known. If there were no speaking or writing, there would be no truth about anything. There would only be what is.
  2. That's the source of the meditation on death I've carried in my heart all my life.
  3. A writer, I think, is someone who pays attention to the world.", Frankfurt Book Fair, October 12, 2003]
  4. The writer is either a practicing recluse or a delinquent, guilt-ridden one--or both. Usually both.
  5. Writing is a mysterious activity.
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