The world on a train

I'm in uncharacteristically poetic mode. Found this the other day:

The world on a train
BBC News
09/08/05

Nine years ago, novelist Geoff Ryman wrote a pioneering online novel, 253. It told a tale of the relationships between people who happened to be on a Tube train at the same time. Now, inspired by the varied lives of those who died on 7 July, Ryman offers his thoughts and tribute.

I actually completely disagreed with some parts:

I don't believe there are evil people or evil countries ... Everybody has a measure of right on their side and a measure of wrong.

The bit that I liked & caught my attention was this last part:

The philosopher Hannah Arendt concluded that evil lay in the refusal to think. One of the things evil cannot face contemplating is variety. It prefers monolithic simplicity. Reality outstrips simplicity through a constant flowering of unexpected lives. Evil thoughts and deeds cannot prevail against it.

Maybe some of you ex-literature / ex-art history students can muse intelligently on this!

;-)