“Europe I travelled third—and only once first, just to see what it was like—but there I noticed no such difference between the first and the third-classes. In South Africa third-class passengers are mostly Negroes, yet the third-class comforts are better there than here.”
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Probable attribution
This saying is widely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, but the attribution is not supported by a reliable primary source.
Likely origin: Gandhi, An Autobiography - remarks comparing train travel classes in India, Europe and South Africa.
About this quote
Comparison is what exposes the injustice you've stopped noticing at home. Set your own arrangements beside how others do it, and the neglect of those at the bottom — the ones with the least say — suddenly looks like a choice somebody made rather than the natural order of things.
When to use it
- Visiting a country with paid sick leave makes a worker question why his own job offers none.
- Touring a well-run shelter shows a city council how shabby its own facilities really are.
- Comparing schools across town reveals which neighborhoods keep getting the worn-out textbooks.