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
It is my conviction that nothing enduring _x000D_ _x000D_ can be built on violence. _x000D_ _x000D_ The only safe way to overcome an enemy _x000D_ _x000D_ is to make of that enemy a friend.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Violence cannot create lasting solutions; true victory comes from friendship.
Mahatma Gandhi emphasizes that using violence to confront adversaries is not a sustainable or moral approach to conflict resolution. Instead, he advocates for transforming enemies into allies through understanding and empathy, which leads to genuine peace and harmony.
Themes
ViolenceFriendshipPeaceConflict ResolutionUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on conflict resolution.
More from Mahatma Gandhi
All quotes →Love never claims, it ever gives. Love ever suffers, never resents never revenges itself.
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Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.
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The real test of nonviolence lies in its being brought in contact with those who have contempt for it.
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Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.
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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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