Plautus Quotes

Like the herd animals we are, we sniff warily at the strange one among us.

With most people, strangers are not only enemies, but inferiors.

It is normal to hate what we fear, and it happens frequently, though not always, that we fear what we hate. I think it may be taken as the rule among primitive men, that they both fear and hate whatever is unfamiliar.

People are always afraid of the unknown - and banding together against the Thing That Is Different From Us is a time-honoured tradition for rallying the masses.

Yesterday's news feeds our fear that our neighbours are more likely than not to be bad eggs: benefit fraudsters, bogus asylum seekers, paedophiles or jihadist terrorists.

In its worse forms, conservatism is a matter of 'I hate strangers and anything that's different.'

We are all naturally xenophobic.

The tools of conquest do not necessarily come with bombs and explosives and fallout. There are weapons that are simply thoughts, attitudes, prejudices, to be found only in the minds of men. For the record, prejudices can kill, and suspicion can destroy. And a thoughtless, frightened search for a scapegoat has a fallout all of its own

You do not trust white people. You have said that. You don't trust Jews. You have said that. You don't trust journalists. You have said that. Well, here I am.

Everybody is xenophobic to an extent.

Yes, it is frustrating to listen to those who foment fear, suspicion and intolerance, who don't know the mistakes of history, and are in the midst of repeating them. Have faith that the character of the American people as a whole is such that, in the end, we will choose not to drink this brand of soiled milk.

The biggest challenge or biggest crisis knocking on the doors of humankind is fear and intolerance.

Chronically insecure people easily lose their altruism, tolerance, and respect for non-conformity. If they have no alternative on offer, they can be led to attribute their plight to strangers in their midst.

There will always be people for whom hate is easier when it’s not backed up by anything but fear.

With total strangers, it had always been my policy to expect the worst. Usually they-and those that you knew best, for that matter-did not disappoint.

We need to start looking at some of the root causes of division. And one of the reasons why people are exploited to hate, to fear others is that people are afraid in their own lives.

I think what happens is when you have fear, fear translates into hatred.

I don't trust anybody.

There is serious Islamophobia in the world.

In criticizing an ideology, one cannot be racist, hateful, or bigoted. These descriptors apply to positions held against people and not ideologies.

I hear a lot of talk today about xenophobia. Is it really phobia if you have something to be afraid of?

We are taught to be suspicious, especially of anyone who might not look like us or share our beliefs.

I just know there's an albino living in the colored quarters. I can feel it in my bones.

Ignorance breeds fear and hatred.

I sometimes think that courage is the thing that you need more than any other thing. It's fear that cripples us. It's fear that accounts for racism, it's fear that accounts for sexism, for xenophobia.