Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi or “Mahatma” Gandhi is a name that remains synonymous with nonviolent protest. A method he used to push for India’s independence from under British rule.

More than 70 years after his death, followers still practice Gandhi’s teachings. His words inspired notable activists and leaders, including Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., and James Lawson.

On the 152nd anniversary of Gandhi’s birth, look back at some of the most inspirational quotes from the leader and activist, compiled from Brainy Quote and Biography.

  • “An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.”
  • “Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.”
  • “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”
  • “Love is the strongest force the world possesses.”
  • “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”
  • “Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory.”
  • “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
  • “Change yourself – you are in control.”
  • “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
  • “The greatness of humanity is not in being human, but in being humane.”
  • “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”
  • “There is a higher court than courts of justice and that is the court of conscience. It supersedes all other courts.”
  • “We need not wait to see what others do.”
  • “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
  • “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”
  • “You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.”
  • “A ‘No’ uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a ‘Yes’ merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble.”

Mohandas 'Mahatma' Gandhi

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