“The terrible sacrifice offered to Kali in the name of religion enhanced my desire to know Bengali”
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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: M.K. Gandhi, autobiography (Calcutta / Congress-era chapters); narrative sentence about Kali sacrifice prompting his wish to learn Bengali.
About this quote
What disturbs us can pull us toward understanding rather than away from it. Instead of judging a practice from the outside, you learn its language and context first, turning discomfort into a reason to study so any later response rests on real knowledge.
When to use it
- A volunteer unsettled by a community's rituals decides to learn its language before forming any opinion.
- A manager who dislikes a team's workflow spends weeks learning the domain before proposing changes.
- A traveler shaken by an unfamiliar ceremony reads its history to grasp what it means to the people who keep it.