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Gandhi redefined courage for the modern age. He argued that nonviolence is not for the weak, but for the truly brave. 'Nonviolence is the summit of bravery,' he wrote. He taught that physical strength is not the measure of courage; rather, it is the 'indomitable will' to face injustice without fear and without retaliation. Gandhi challenges us to find the courage to love our enemies and to stand for truth even when facing certain defeat.
"Self-respect knows no considerations."
"Truth stands, even if there be no public support. It is self-sustained."
"Non-cooperation with evil is as much a duty as is cooperation with good."
"Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man."
"The only tyrant I accept in this world is the 'still small voice' within me. And even though I have to face the prospect of being a minority of one, I humbly believe I have the courage to be in such a hopeless minority." Speech at the Kingsley Hall, London, 4 October 1931, in The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 48, p. 340."
"Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes."
"Strength of numbers is the delight of the timid. The valiant in spirit glory in fighting alone."
"The only tyrant I accept in this world is the "still small voice" within me. And even though I have to face the prospect of being a minority of one, I humbly believe I have the courage to be in such a hopeless minority. In Young India (2 March 1922). Quoted in The Essential Gandhi: An Anthology of His Writings on His Life, Work, and Ideas edited by Louis Fischer (2002), p. 160."
"Non-violence requires a double faith, faith in God and also faith in man."
"The brave meet death with a smile on their lips, but they are able to do so only if they have lived their lives for a cause."
"The sword of the Satyagrahi is love."
"Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth."
"A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave."
"May God give power to every word of mine. In his name I began to write this, and in His name I close it. May your statesman have the wisdom and courage to respond to my appeal. I am telling His Excellency the Viceroy that my services are at the disposal of His Majesty's Government, should they consider them of any practical use in advancing the object of my appeal."
"Silence becomes cowardice when occasion demands speaking out the whole truth and acting accordingly."
"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."
"Truth never damages a cause that is just."
"Manliness consists not in bluff, bravado or lordliness. It consists in daring to do the right thing and facing consequences."
"A 'No' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'Yes' merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble."
"Non-violence is the summit of bravery."
"Fear has its use but cowardice has none."
"In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place."
"The time for action is now."
"Bravery is not a quality of the body, it is of the soul."
"Non-violence requires more courage than violence."
"Cowardice is perhaps the greatest vice of a person."
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