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It is hardly a moral act to encourage others patiently to accept injustice which he himself does not endure.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Advocating for justice should not be hypocritical; one must also face injustice personally if expecting others to do so.

This quote by Martin Luther King, Jr. emphasizes the moral obligation of individuals to stand against injustice. It conveys the idea that it is not fair to encourage others to tolerate wrongs and suffering that you, yourself, would not agree to endure. True leadership and morality require personal commitment to the cause of justice and equity.

Themes

InjusticeMoralityLeadershipCourageCommitment

In practice

Example use cases

During a speech on social justice, this quote could be used to emphasize the importance of personal integrity.

More from Martin Luther King, Jr.

This business of burning human beings with napalm, of filling our nation's homes with orphans and widows, of injecting poisonous drugs of hate into veins of peoples normally humane, of sending men home from dark and bloody battlefields physically handicapped and psychologically deranged, cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice and love.
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We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.
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One of the greatest casualties of the war in Vietnam is the Great Society... shot down on the battlefield of Vietnam.
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