Martin Luther King, Jr. Quotes

A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.

Violence as a way of achieving racial justice is both impractical and immoral. I am not unmindful of the fact that violence often brings about momentary results. Nations have frequently won their independence in battle. But in spite of temporary victories, violence never brings permanent peace.

It is not enough to say we must not wage war. It i... -Martin Luther King, Jr.

It is not enough to say we must not wage war. It is necessary to love peace and sacrifice for it.

The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood.

It is incontestable and deplorable that Negroes have committed crimes; but they are derivative crimes. They are born of the greater crimes of the white society.

Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany... -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal.

Discovering the context

This quote serves as a reminder that Adolf Hitler's actions in Germany were implemented within the legal framework of the time. It implies a cautionary message, urging vigilance against the potential for legal systems to be exploited or manipulated for immoral or oppressive purposes, even if they operate within the bounds of existing laws.

I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.

We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.

The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: 'If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?' But... the good Samaritan reversed the question: 'If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?'

War is a poor chisel to carve out tomorrow.

Discovering the context

This quote metaphorically suggests that war is an ineffective tool or approach for shaping or building a better future. It implies that war, with its destructive nature, cannot serve as a means to create a positive and prosperous tomorrow.

There can be no deep disappointment where there is... -Martin Luther King, Jr.

There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love.

Love is the only force capable of transforming an ... -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.

At the center of non-violence stands the principle... -Martin Luther King, Jr.

At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love.

We are not makers of history. We are made by histo... -Martin Luther King, Jr.

We are not makers of history. We are made by history.

Discovering the context

This quote emphasizes the role of history in shaping individuals and societies. It suggests that people are not the primary creators or architects of historical events, but rather they are shaped and influenced by the historical context in which they exist. It implies a recognition of the profound impact of historical forces and processes on individual lives and collective identity.

It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important.

There comes a time when people get tired of being pushed out of the glittering sunlight of life's July and left standing amid the piercing chill of an alpine November.

Every man lives in two realms: the internal and the external. The internal is that realm of spiritual ends expressed in art, literature, morals, and religion. The external is that complex of devices, techniques, mechanisms, and instrumentalities by means of which we live.

Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself.

Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual powe... -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.

Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, b... -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.

Pity may represent little more than the impersonal concern which prompts the mailing of a check, but true sympathy is the personal concern which demands the giving of one's soul.

Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.

Whatever your life's work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.

We must use time creatively.

We must accept finite disappointment, but never lo... -Martin Luther King, Jr.

We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.

Discovering the context

The quote advises embracing temporary setbacks or disappointments with acceptance, acknowledging their limited impact. However, it emphasizes the importance of maintaining an unwavering and boundless sense of hope, which transcends any specific setback or limitation.

We must learn to live together as brothers or peri... -Martin Luther King, Jr.

We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.

That old law about 'an eye for an eye' leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing.

Cowardice asks the question, is it safe? Expediency asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? But conscience asks the question, is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because it is right.

A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus b... -Martin Luther King, Jr.

A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.

Science investigates; religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge which is power; religion gives man wisdom which is control.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Quotes

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