The surest way to be happy is to seek happiness for others. Martin Luther King, Jr. More Quotes by Martin Luther King, Jr. More Quotes From Martin Luther King, Jr. The white poor also suffer deprivation and the humiliation of poverty if not of color. They are chained by the weight of discrimination though its badge of degradation does not mark them. It corrupts their lives, frustrates their opportunities and withers their education. In one sense it is more evil for them because it has confused so many by prejudice that they have supported their own oppressors. Martin Luther King, Jr. confusedcoloropportunity Love is creative and redemptive. Love builds up and unites; hate tears down and destroys. The aftermath of the ‘fight with fire’ method...is bitterness and chaos, the aftermath of the love method is reconciliation and creation of the beloved community...Yes , love-which means understanding, creative, redemptive goodwill, even for one’s enemies-is the solution Martin Luther King, Jr. hatefightingmean There are some things concerning which we must always be maladjusted if we are to be people of good will. We must never adjust ourselves to racial segregation. We must never adjust ourselves to religious bigotry. We must never adjust ourselves to economic conditions that take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few. Martin Luther King, Jr. luxuryreligiouspeople We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy Martin Luther King, Jr. luxuryrealamerica The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice. Martin Luther King, Jr. arcsjusticelong It is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard. Martin Luther King, Jr. alternativestonightattention One day the absurdity of the almost universal human belief in the slavery of other animals will be palpable. We shall then have discovered our souls and become worthier of sharing this planet with them. Martin Luther King, Jr. one-daysoulanimal The labor movement was the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress. Martin Luther King, Jr. despairprogressmovement And one day we must ask the question, "Why are there forty million poor people in America?" And when you begin to ask that question, you are raising questions about the economic system, about a broader distribution of wealth. When you ask that question, you begin to question the capitalistic economy. Martin Luther King, Jr. one-dayamericapeople I am convinced that love is the most durable power in the world. It is not an expression of impractical idealism, but of practical realism. Far from being the pious injunction of a Utopian dreamer, love is an absolute necessity for the survival of our civilization. To return hate for hate does nothing but intensify the existence of evil in the universe. Someone must have sense enough and religion enough to cut off the chain of hate and evil, and this can only be done through love. Martin Luther King, Jr. hatewarpeace The greatest purveyor of violence in the world : My own Government, I can not be Silent. Martin Luther King, Jr. governmentinspirationalpeace If you succumb to the temptation of using violence in the struggle, unborn generations will be the recipients of a long and desolate night of bitterness, and your chief legacy to the future will be an endless reign of meaningless chaos. Martin Luther King, Jr. inspiringinspirationalpeace We must be concerned not merely about who murdered them, but about the system, the way of life, the philosophy which produced the murderers . Martin Luther King, Jr. brilliantphilosophyway I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. Martin Luther King, Jr. our-worldindependentway Hate begets hate; violence begets violence; toughness begets a greater toughness. We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love. Martin Luther King, Jr. power-of-loveviolencehate Join with the Earth and each other, to bring new life to the land, to restore the waters, to refresh the air, to renew the forests, to care for the plants, to protect the creatures, to celebrate the seas, to rejoice in the sunlight, to sing the song of the stars, to recall our destiny, to renew our spirits, to reinvigorate our bodies, to recreate the human community, to promote justice and peace, to love our children and love one another, to join together as many and diverse expressions of one loving mystery, for the healing of the Earth and the renewal of all life. Martin Luther King, Jr. starssongchildren Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Martin Luther King, Jr. hatestarskings Black Power is a nihilistic philosophy born out of the conviction that the Negro can't win... the view that American society is so hopelessly corrupt and enmeshed in evil that there is no possibility of salvation from within. Martin Luther King, Jr. viewswinningphilosophy We have no alternative but to protest. For many years we have shown an amazing patience... But we come here tonight to be saved from that patience that makes us patient with anything less than freedom and justice. Martin Luther King, Jr. alternativesjusticeyears We will never have peace in the world until men everywhere recognize that ends are not cut off from means, because the means represent the ideal in the making, and the end in process, and ultimately you can't reach good ends through evil means, because the means represent the seed and the end represents the tree. Martin Luther King, Jr. cuttinglifemean
