People ask me about what sacrifices I've made. I always answer: I've made no sacrifices, I've made choices.
Aung San Suu KyiRead
My top priority is for people to understand that they have the power to change things themselves.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes individual empowerment and the ability to effect personal or societal change.
Aung San Suu Kyi encourages individuals to recognize their inherent strength and potential to initiate change in their lives and communities. This message underscores the importance of personal agency and responsibility, reminding us that transformative actions often begin from within, and that collective improvement starts with empowered individuals taking initiative.
In practice
In a motivational speech to inspire students during their graduation.
People ask me about what sacrifices I've made. I always answer: I've made no sacrifices, I've made choices.
The struggle for democracy and human rights in Burma is a struggle for life and dignity. It is a struggle that encompasses our political, social and economic aspirations.
This was the way I was brought up to think of politics, that politics was to do with ethics, it was to do with responsibility, it was to do with service, so I think I was conditioned to think like that, and I'm too old to change now.
If you want to bring an end to long-standing conflict, you have to be prepared to compromise.
Where there is no justice there can be no secure peace.
I felt that it was my duty not to senselessly waste my time. And since I didn't want to waste my time, I tried to accomplish as much as possible.
People feel like the system is rigged against them, and here is the painful part, they're right. The system is rigged.
Sometimes there's just no way to hold back the river.
It is true that when there's a drone attack, those - that the - the terrorists are killed, it's true. But 500 and 5,000 more people rises against it, and more terrorism occurs, and more - more bomb blasts occurs.
Caught in a racial uproar, people make all sorts of promises to make amends. Whatever they do tends to be heavy on symbolism and light on lasting change.
We can't throw the worst part of racism into the dustbin of history.
Who would have thought that the girl who was forced to go to the hospital because she's so skinny would one day be called too fat?
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