People
The least pain in our little finger gives us more concern and uneasiness, than the destruction of millions of our fellow-beings.
— William Hazlitt ‧ "American Literature — Dr. Channing," Edinburgh Review, (October 1829)
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
A small pain of our own can trouble us more than vast suffering elsewhere. The comparison makes that gap in concern seem shocking. It points to a failure of sympathy when what happens close to us matters far more than what happens to others.
Context reviewed