I stared at her. We were so similar in such different ways, but I couldn’t even begin to comprehend her train of thought. Why were the people who clung so fiercely to the notions of right and wrong the very same individuals that had the worst grasp of what they meant?
“There’s a habit some people have,” Glenn said, “Where they divide people into enemies and allies. It’s in your records, as a matter of fact, your propensity to define people as enemies and act without mercy, while being gentle and kind to your friends. The Chief Director is another person who is very similar. Pairings you two together, you could have been great allies or great enemies, but there’s not much middle ground. It’s a shame you have a powerful enemy, now.”
Count Dooku: Ah, such naïve joie de vivre. You and mah son would get along famously. Both such romantics. Soon you will see ze world is shades of grey, not black and white.
Anakin Skywalker: No! It is black and white! I've been surrounded by darkness since I was born. And there will be no more black!
Anakin Skywalker: No! It is black and white! I've been surrounded by darkness since I was born. And there will be no more black!
"Media, news or otherwise, will always try to paint our reality as black and white as possible, to be easier to digest to a mass audience. Reality is nuanced, and nuance is hard to stomach. Situations like these are never black and white. And that can make people feel unsure of themselves and uncomfortable. People would rather believe Law & Order when it says that every legal defense we have is letting thousands of criminals go free than hear of the millions who've been prevented from being falsely imprisoned because of it."
"This man is an animal - rabid, destructive, and incapable of nuanced understanding. He. Must. Be. Put. Down."
—The Ancestor, on the Fanatic, Darkest Dungeon
Perhaps it's time we drain the color from within
Till we're back to seeing black and white
And wrong and right again
Till we're back to seeing black and white
And wrong and right again
— Light Yagami, Death Note: The Musical, "Where Is The Justice?"
Darth Vader: I have brought peace, freedom, justice, and security to my new Empire!
Obi-Wan: Your new Empire?!
Darth Vader: Don't make me kill you.
Obi-Wan: Anakin, my allegiance is to the Republic! To democracy!
Darth Vader: If you're not with me, then you're my enemy.
Obi-Wan: Only a Sith deals in absolutes. (picks up his lightsaber) I will do what I must.
Obi-Wan: Your new Empire?!
Darth Vader: Don't make me kill you.
Obi-Wan: Anakin, my allegiance is to the Republic! To democracy!
Darth Vader: If you're not with me, then you're my enemy.
Obi-Wan: Only a Sith deals in absolutes. (picks up his lightsaber) I will do what I must.
Darth Vader: I should've known the Jedi were plotting to take over!
Obi-Wan: Anakin, Chancellor Palpatine is evil!
Darth Vader: From my point of view, the Jedi are evil!
Obi-Wan: Well, then, you are lost!
Obi-Wan: Anakin, Chancellor Palpatine is evil!
Darth Vader: From my point of view, the Jedi are evil!
Obi-Wan: Well, then, you are lost!
The great thing about having enemies is that you can pretend that all the badness in the whole world is in your enemies and all the goodness in the whole world is in you!
"There aren't any real heroes left. So... why not make our own? The world needs someone willing to fight for its people's justice. A hero to lead them. To unify them. A hero like me. And if I'm the hero... that makes YOU the villain!"
— Shadow Konoe, Persona 5 Strikers
Michael: Your Honor, I once stood in front of you and said I thought there was something wrong with the points system. I finally know what it is. Life now is complicated, it's impossible for anyone to be good enough for the Good Place. I know you don't like to learn too much about life on Earth to remain impartial, but these days, just buying a tomato at a grocery store means that you are unwittingly supporting toxic pesticides, exploiting labor, contributing to global warming. Humans think that they're making one choice, but they're actually making dozens of choices they don't even know they're making.
Judge: Your big revelation is "Life is complicated"? That's not a revelation. That's a divorced woman's throw pillow. I mean, this guy chose this tomato. Those are the consequences. You don't want the consequences? Do the research, buy another tomato.
Judge: Your big revelation is "Life is complicated"? That's not a revelation. That's a divorced woman's throw pillow. I mean, this guy chose this tomato. Those are the consequences. You don't want the consequences? Do the research, buy another tomato.
Michael: Look, there are plenty of awful people and thoughtless jerks, and I guess Nazis, again, somehow, but there are also people who are really trying to be good, and they aren't getting close.
Shawn: Because they're not good at being good, because they're bad. The score they got on Earth is how good or bad they are, full stop, end of story.
Shawn: Because they're not good at being good, because they're bad. The score they got on Earth is how good or bad they are, full stop, end of story.
"How do the rebels navigate the fine line between ideology and practicality? Do they compromise their ideals for the sake of a quick victory? Is it right to use terror to fight the evil empire's rule of fear? Complex questions of morality in times of war and chaos? Nah. Rebels good! Empire bad! All of those shades of gray will be burned away in the rebellion's totally justified and most definitely not brutal purges. It's a stark moral binary from here on out, which come to think of it is something that a lot of real rebel groups have that make them come across as unhinged when viewed from the outside. But in this case, it's okay because the author says so!"
— Terrible Writing Advice, REBELS
"Many different values mix together, and the world becomes gray... That is unforgivable! I will separate Pokémon and people, and black and white will be clearly distinct!"
"It's as though she thinks she'll simply get the last pirate ever at some point. And then we'll all be cured of the bad behaviour, forever."
— Lord Admiral Toyn, discussing Paloma Feti, Cassiopeia Quinn
”[Lenin’s] criterion of morality was simple: does a certain action advance or hinder the cause of the Revolution?”
— Robert Service on Vladimir Lenin, Lenin: A Biography
Makoto: … You! How dare you?! I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY FRIEND!
Ann: She called you a useless burden, Makoto!
Makoto: … Yes, once, and she apologized the second she said it! … Is that seriously your justification for this bloodshed?! All this death?! Have any of the people you think you’re fighting for actually wanted you to do this in the first place?
Ann: L-look at this place. She thinks the courthouse is a rigged casino – just how many trials has she twisted in her favour?!
Akechi: Sae-san’s been under a lot of pressure lately. Wouldn’t you be tempted to forge evidence if your boss was threatening your livelihood? Still, temptation is just that – a temptation. I’d like to throttle my father and push his body off a thirty-floor building, but that doesn’t mean I’ve done it. I won’t defend the Japanese legal system, but Sae-san’s no more corrupt than any prosecutor is.
Ann: She called you a useless burden, Makoto!
Makoto: … Yes, once, and she apologized the second she said it! … Is that seriously your justification for this bloodshed?! All this death?! Have any of the people you think you’re fighting for actually wanted you to do this in the first place?
Ann: L-look at this place. She thinks the courthouse is a rigged casino – just how many trials has she twisted in her favour?!
Akechi: Sae-san’s been under a lot of pressure lately. Wouldn’t you be tempted to forge evidence if your boss was threatening your livelihood? Still, temptation is just that – a temptation. I’d like to throttle my father and push his body off a thirty-floor building, but that doesn’t mean I’ve done it. I won’t defend the Japanese legal system, but Sae-san’s no more corrupt than any prosecutor is.
— Blackened Masks, "Lovers, Separated"
