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
Non-violent resistance implies the very opposite of weakness. Defiance combined with non-retaliatory acceptance of repression from one's opponents is active, not passive. It requires strength, and there is nothing automatic or intuitive about the resoluteness required for using non-violent methods in political struggle and the quest for Truth.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Non-violent resistance requires strength and determination to confront oppression without resorting to violence.
Mahatma Gandhi emphasizes that non-violent resistance should not be mistaken for weakness; rather, it is an active form of defiance that demands immense inner strength and resolve. The quote suggests that true courage lies in the ability to withstand oppression without retaliation, pursuing justice and truth through peaceful means, which is far from the instinctive or easy choice in the face of aggression.
Themes
Non-ViolenceStrengthResistanceCourageOppression
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a speech advocating for peaceful protests during a civil rights rally.
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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