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
Just as a man would not cherish living in a body other than his own, so do nations not like to live under other nations, however noble and great the latter may be.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Nations value their independence and sovereignty just as individuals value their own identity.
This quote by Mahatma Gandhi emphasizes the importance of national sovereignty and the intrinsic desire of people to govern themselves. Just as a person would not want to live in a body that isn’t their own, nations resist external control, regardless of how noble or powerful the dominating nation might be, highlighting the fundamental need for autonomy and self-determination.
Themes
SovereigntyIndependenceAutonomyIdentityGovernance
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of self-governance and identity in global relations.
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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