In order to achieve its genocidal ambitions, totalitarianism constantly strives to strip us of our humanity. Yet, it is easy to lose our compassion, worn down by repeated harassment: I might even wish that the next blows would fall on someone else rather than me. Augustine urges us to do the same: above all, we must not become desensitized. Christ lived through his trials with his full sensitivity.

In an age of ubiquitous advertising, Klemperer's reflection remains acutely relevant. Better than anyone else, he understood the power of enchantment and self-alienation conveyed by the words of language.