“The sad souls of those who lived without blame and without praise.”
- c. 1265 – September 14, 1321
- Italian
- Poet, Writer, Philosopher, Author of The Divine Comedy
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Quote
“The sad souls of those who lived without blame and without praise.”
Explanation
This quote comes from Dante Alighieri’s Inferno, Canto III, where he describes the “neutral angels” and the souls of those who took no side in life—neither for good nor evil. These souls are not admitted to Heaven or even to Hell proper, but are trapped in a liminal, miserable state outside the gates of Hell, eternally forgotten. In Italian, Dante writes: “Coloro che visser sanza ’nfamia e sanza lodo”, which translates literally to “those who lived without infamy and without praise.”
Dante harshly condemns these people not for sin, but for cowardice and moral passivity. In his view, those who fail to stand for anything—who avoid moral decisions or actions out of fear, selfishness, or complacency—are among the most contemptible. They are denied even the dignity of a place in Hell, because their lives were so devoid of meaningful impact. This reflects Dante’s deeply held belief that human life is a moral journey, and to abstain from that struggle is to forfeit one’s place in history, memory, and divine justice.
This judgment resonates powerfully today in contexts where apathy, neutrality, or silence enable injustice. Whether in the face of oppression, political wrongdoing, or ethical dilemmas, choosing not to act is itself a choice—and often one with consequences. Dante’s words challenge us to avoid living in the shadows of history, and instead to seek lives of purpose, conviction, and moral clarity, even when doing so is difficult.
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