To forgive is not to forget. The merit lies in loving in spite of the vivid knowledge that one that must be loved is not a friend. There is not merit in loving an enemy when you forget him for a friend.
Mahatma GandhiRead
Celebration of Independence Day with great pomp and show was quite appropriate when we were fighting for independence which we had neither seen nor handled. Now we have handled it and we seem to be disillusioned. At least - I am, even if you are not. What are we celebrating today? Surely, not our disillusionment.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Gandhi questions the meaning of celebrating independence when the reality does not match the ideals.
In this quote, Mahatma Gandhi reflects on the nature of celebrating Independence Day in light of the disillusionment many feel after achieving freedom. He challenges the notion of celebration when the reality of independence does not align with the hopes and dreams it was meant to represent, prompting a deeper contemplation about what it means to be truly free and fulfilled.
Themes
IndependenceDisillusionmentCelebrationFreedomPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion on national identity at a community event.
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The devotion of such titans of spirit as Lenin to an Ideal must bear fruit. The nobility of his selflessness will be an example through centuries to come, and his Ideal will reach perfection.
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