"Human beings are so made that the ones who do the crushing feel nothing; it is the person crushed who feels what is happening. Unless one has placed oneself on the side of the oppressed, to feel with them, one cannot understand"

In this quote, philosopher Simone Weil reflects on the dynamics of power and oppression in human society. She observes that those who hold power and put in control over others frequently do so without feeling any empathy or regret for their actions. It is the ones who are being oppressed and squashed under the weight of this power who really understand the discomfort and suffering that features it. Weil argues that in order to genuinely understand the experience of the oppressed, one need to actively select to stand with them and feel their struggles. Without this point of view, one can not totally grasp the effect of injustice and the need for compassion and uniformity.