Melissa

“I thought I was the good guy. It might sound unbelievable, but most people in mobs believe this, even while they’re doing horrible things. In all my time as an activist, I’ve never seen a single instance where the people instigating abuse, even in the worst possible cases, thought they were the “bad guys.” There is always a righteous undertone. Dehumanization works its mental magic, and turning the target into a “villain” provides the attacker with the chance to be a “hero.” You can rationalize doing all kinds of things to a symbol that you would never do to a human. The campaign becomes a false battle between good and evil, and tormenting someone is seen as a struggle over something much larger than either of you.”
― Zoe Quinn, Crash Override: How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life

“I remember hearing a saying long ago: ‘Men who start by burning books end by burning other men,’ ” I said.”
― Yōko Ogawa, The Memory Police

“For a moment everything was clear”
― Stephen King, 11/22/63

“Only in silence the word,
Only in dark the light,
Only in dying life:
Bright the hawk's flight
On the empty sky.

—The Creation of Éa”
― Ursula K. Le Guin