The Case for Looking Away From Suffering
This opinion piece challenges the prevailing notion that constant attention to suffering is a moral imperative. While Pope Leo XIV recently admonished the 'globalization of indifference,' arguing that turning away from pain is a sign of fear and apathy, author Benjamin A. Saltzman offers a nuanced counterpoint. He suggests that averting one's eyes is not always an act of indifference but can be a profound response rooted in grief, horror, and awe. To illustrate this, Saltzman references the frescoes by 15th-century painter Fra Angelico at the Convent of San Marco in Florence. In these artworks, figures such as Mary, John, and St. Dominic are depicted covering their faces or turning away from the Crucifixion. The author argues that this gesture allows for necessary reflection, enabling individuals to process the magnitude of suffering rather than remaining numb to it. Ultimately, the article posits that looking away can facilitate a deeper, more meaningful engagement with human agony, contrasting with the superficial consumption of tragic imagery in modern media.
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The Case for Looking Away From Suffering
This opinion piece challenges the prevailing notion that constant attention to suffering is a moral imperative. While Pope Leo XIV recently admonished the 'globalization of indifference,' arguing that turning away from pain is a sign of fear and apathy, author Benjamin A. Saltzman offers a nuanced counterpoint. He suggests that averting one's eyes is not always an act of indifference but can be a profound response rooted in grief, horror, and awe. To illustrate this, Saltzman references the frescoes by 15th-century painter Fra Angelico at the Convent of San Marco in Florence. In these artworks, figures such as Mary, John, and St. Dominic are depicted covering their faces or turning away from the Crucifixion. The author argues that this gesture allows for necessary reflection, enabling individuals to process the magnitude of suffering rather than remaining numb to it. Ultimately, the article posits that looking away can facilitate a deeper, more meaningful engagement with human agony, contrasting with the superficial consumption of tragic imagery in modern media.
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