QuoteProject
My doctrine is this, that if we see cruelty or wrong that we have the power to stop, and do nothing, we make ourselves sharers in the guilt.
Anna Sewell
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote emphasizes the moral responsibility to act against wrongdoing and cruelty when one has the power to do so.

Anna Sewell's quote highlights the ethical obligation that individuals have to confront and rectify injustices they encounter. It suggests that inaction in the face of cruelty is tantamount to complicity, implying that we share a burden of guilt if we choose to ignore the wrongs that we are capable of addressing. This serves as a call to action, encouraging people to take a stand against injustice rather than remaining passive observers.

Themes

CrueltyGuiltActionResponsibilityJustice

In practice

Example use cases

In a motivational speech advocating for social justice, one could reference this quote to inspire action against injustice.

More from Anna Sewell

There is no religion without love, and people may talk as much as they like about their religion, but if it does not teach them to be good and kind to man and beast, it is all a sham.
Anna SewellRead
We call them dumb animals, and so they are, for they cannot tell us how they feel, but they do not suffer less because they have no words.
Anna SewellRead
What right had they to make me suffer like that?
Anna SewellRead
Why don't they cut their own children's ears into points to make them look sharp? Why don't they cut off their noses to make them look plucky? One would be just as sensible as the other. What right have they to torment and disfigure God's creatures?
Anna SewellRead
Do you know why this world is as bad as it is?... It is because people think only about their own business, and won't trouble themselves to stand up for the oppressed, nor bring the wrong-doers to light... My doctrine is this, that if we see cruelty or wrong that we have the power to stop, and do nothing, we make ourselves sharers in the guilt.
Anna SewellRead

Similar quotes

The cause doesn't have to be righteous and battle doesn't have to be winnable; but over and over again throughout history, men have chosen to die in battle with their friends rather than to flee on their own and survive.
Sebastian JungerRead
In the name of the constitution of Texas, which has been trampled upon, I refuse to take this oath. I love Texas too well to bring civil strife and bloodshed upon her.
Sam HoustonRead
The path we have chosen for the present is full of hazards, as all paths are. The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or submission.
John F. KennedyRead
To gain a crown by fighting is great, to reject it divine.
Friedrich SchillerRead
Fear is a healthy instinct, not a sign of weakness. It is a natural self-defense mechanism that is common to felines, wolves, hyenas, and most humans. Even fruit bats know fear, and I salute them for it. If you think the world is weird now, imagine how weird it would be if wild beasts had no fear.
Hunter S. ThompsonRead
I have a brain and a uterus, and I use both.
Patricia SchroederRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.