Whenever politicians start talking in mystical terms, beware. They might be trying to disguise and excuse real suffering by wrapping it up in big incomprehensible words. Be particularly careful about the following four words: sacrifice, eternity, purity, redemption. If you hear any of these, sound the alarm. And if you happen to live in a country whose leader routinely says things like Their sacrifice will redeem the purity of our eternal nation know that you are in deep trouble.

21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari