You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.
Indira GandhiRead
If I die a violent death, as some fear and a few are plotting, I know that the violence will be in the thought and the action of the assassins, not in my dying.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses that the true violence lies in the intentions of those who commit acts of violence, not in the act of dying itself.
Indira Gandhi's quote reflects on the nature of violence and the mindset of those who perpetrate it. She implies that even in the face of potential death from violence, what matters more is the moral and ethical implications of the actions taken by those who plot harm. This perspective empowers individuals to confront fear with courage, asserting that one's dignity in death is influenced more by their principles than by the brutality of their demise.
Themes
ViolenceDeathAssassinsCourageIntention
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about overcoming fear during turbulent political times.
More from Indira Gandhi
All quotes →All my games were political games; I was, like Joan of Arc, perpetually being burned at the stake.
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The power to question is the basis of all human progress.
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My father was a statesman, I'm a political woman. My father was a saint. I'm not.
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People with clenched fists can not shake hands.
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A nation' s strength ultimately consists in what it can do on its own, and not in what it can borrow from others.
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