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
When nonviolence is accepted as the law of life, it must pervade the whole being and not be applied to isolated acts.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Nonviolence should be a fundamental principle in all aspects of life, not just in specific situations.
Mahatma Gandhi emphasizes that nonviolence is not merely a tactic to be used in specific instances but rather a comprehensive lifestyle that should transform an individual's entire way of being. Accepting nonviolence as a foundational principle means it should guide all actions and thoughts, influencing every interaction and decision throughout life.
Themes
NonviolencePrincipleLifeGandhiPeace
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about social justice to highlight the importance of peaceful movements.
More from Mahatma Gandhi
All quotes βLove 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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