Applause Is Not Immunity

Stand up against wrongdoing—regardless of who commits it or who suffers it. If you applaud the cruelty of the ruthless merely because someone else is the victim, do not be surprised when their cruelty turns on you. Your applause does not buy you immunity; it only encourages the conduct you may one day suffer.

The hen that applauds the hawk should not be surprised when it swoops down on her own chicks.

The true test of our principles is how faithfully we uphold them when doing so offers us no personal advantage. It is easy to condemn injustice when we bear its wounds; character asks us to recognise it when someone else bleeds—even someone we dislike. If our judgment changes with the identity of the victim, we are defending our preferences rather than our principles.

A wise person, on witnessing such acts, first establishes the facts, refuses to join the applause and challenges the wrongdoing with calm courage. Wisdom calls for proportionate action: supporting the person harmed, speaking truth where it can make a difference and seeking accountability through appropriate channels.

We need not wait for suffering to become personal before finding the courage to oppose it.