Discuss Lotte's insistence that "great things only happen when strong people make difficult choices"?

There are many examples of the Reich's coordinated effort to dehumanize Jews, from the picture book about poisonous mushrooms to the documentary The Eternal Jew. How do these materials relate to Lotte's insistence that "great things only happen when strong people make difficult choices"?

Sometimes there are no good choices. A famous example in WW2 was. when the German code was cracked so the Allies knew the location and time of a bombing that would cause great loss of life but would result in Germany changing the codes. Either choice would result in death. However, this is NOT the way Lotte used the phrase. Instead, she parroted this line as justification for immoral actions in order to achieve horrific ends. The strong people she referred to meant those who were willing to embrace evil.

The "strong people" Lotte described were strong only because they manipulated and deceived others. "Great things" in her world are those which are based on horrific propaganda like those Coburn describes in her novel. The success of Nazi indoctrination relied on willingness of the German population through fear or ignorance to NOT question the illusions of "great things" and "strong people". The difficult choices Lotte described were wrong and evil ones.

In her way of thinking, Lotte believed that the treatment, expulsion, and killing of Jews was a necessary means to achieve great things. Whatever action taken against Jews was a step in the right direction, no matter how difficult it might be to do so. This thinking is the refuge for those Nazi sympathizers who found a "temporary conscience". The Jews were the target, the source of all real German misery and the good life Germans deserve will only occur when the difficult choices (killing) are made.

I don't know if they are always great things, in fact, in this context, I would disagree. I hope the truth is that good things - the right things - happen when strong & good people make difficult choices. Choices need to be made with compassionate hearts.

But, in my experience, I've done the best I could with the best I had , at that time. If I can always say that with honesty, I know I succeeded. There is always the aftermath and follow thru. It never just stops there.

And, every experience is different......I could go on and on and I think I've already said enough. :)

In this case, Lotte’s “great things happen when strong people make difficult choices” is an excuse for the horrific harm done to Jews and others during the war. Deep down, I can only hope that people like her knew what they were doing was wrong, but I really don’t know. Look at all the white supremacist groups today who spew hatred and seem to believe it?

I thought it was a reflection of someone trying to convince herself that it was a good thing because she wanted to survive and knew it would be safer to agree with the party line than to show her honest feelings. When faced with that kind of situation we are all capable of convincing ourselves that what is bad is not bad. Lotte was a survivor and willing to ignore her morality in order to do so. One of millions of Germans at that dreadful time in history. Not just Germans. There were many countries that turned their backs on the horrors of the Third Reich in order to survive.

I think in general sometimes ordinary good people can do extraordinary things when put to the test. We are all tested at different times in our life and we can be brave and sacrifice ourselves. There are examples during the holocaust where people's lives were saved by ordinary people rising to the challenge. Lotte, however, is perverting this idea by using the word "strong" to mean physical force.

I’ve already posted, but I’d like to agree with those who’ve noted that this phrase is still used by those who feel compelled to reach their goal regardless of the morality and ethics of the methods to reach the goal.

I think that quote can be correct in some instances, but in this case, was used as a justification for the evil being done by the Germans.

One can justify horrible actions under the guise of "doing good." In the case of the story, the actions justified are certainly NOT good. Lotte is fooling herself.