I don't know much about politics, and I don't want to know.

The words of Elie Wiesel — “I don’t know much about politics, and I don’t want to know. That’s why I rarely involve myself in politics.” — come not from ignorance, but from deep sorrow and clarity. Wiesel, survivor of the Holocaust and witness to humanity’s darkest hour, understood that politics can often become a theater of power, ambition, and compromise, while the true calling of his life was remembrance, testimony, and moral witness. He did not despise politics out of indifference, but because he had seen where its corruption could lead when it forgets humanity.

The meaning of his words lies in the contrast between politics and morality. Wiesel chose not the path of political maneuvering, but the path of conscience. For him, the danger of immersing in politics was that it could dilute the purity of his mission: to speak for the dead, to remind the living, and to awaken the world’s soul against indifference. To be entangled in debates of policy and party would, in his eyes, diminish the sacred weight of memory and testimony.

History bears witness to this distinction. After the horrors of Auschwitz, many survivors turned their pain into political struggle — some to rebuild nations, others to avenge their people. Wiesel, however, turned to the written and spoken word, bearing the flame of remembrance. His book Night did not argue for policy or party but cried out with eternal force: never forget. Like the prophets of old, he stood not in the councils of kings but on the margins, holding a mirror to humanity. In this way, his refusal to dwell in politics allowed his voice to transcend politics.

The origin of his declaration lies in humility as well. Wiesel often confessed that he was a teacher, a witness, a teller of stories, not a strategist or a ruler. He did not claim knowledge he did not seek, nor strength he did not desire. His power was in refusing to be what the world expected — a politician — and instead choosing to be what the world needed: a moral compass. By stepping outside politics, he gave his voice the authority to speak to all sides.

Therefore, O seekers of wisdom, learn from Wiesel’s example: there are times when the noblest task is not to seize power, but to bear witness. Let others argue about politics and its fleeting games; the greater calling may be to remind humanity of its soul, to speak of memory, compassion, and truth. As Wiesel teaches, one does not need to be a politician to change the course of history — one needs only the courage to speak for what is eternal.