The question of collective guilt is a thorny one. If I have done nothing wrong, personally, then how can I be guilty of something others did, even if I share a part of my social or cultural identity with them? But what is the content of this shared identity? Could it be the case that, experiencing a portion of shared responsibility, even without any personal guilt, is a way of feeling that part of my identity as having a meaningful substance? And might there be an opening for truth to emerge in this difficult space? Read more in this Aeon article by the historian Helmut Walser Smith, exploring German cross-generational reckoning with some of the darkest times of its past. Enjoy!
“To her, what he had said was not about party politics. It was about the truth of things. Weizsäcker’s speech created an opening – a chance to speak truth.”
Helmut Walser Smith from the article
Link to the article: Those born later
Keeping up the “Spreading the Word” tradition, I hope to share an insightful and mind-broadening article, podcast episode or video every weekend. Humans have always turned and returned to storytelling to find meaning. My end-of-week “Spreading the Word” posts are an online sharing of meaningful stories.
keep exploring and storytelling!
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