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Quotations by Mahatma Gandhi

Freedom to make mistakes - Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.

Be the change - We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.

Unwise to be too sure of ones own wisdom - It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err.

You can chain me, you can torture me - You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind.

Men often become what they believe - Men often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn't have it in the beginning.

Live as if you were to die. . . - Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.

Law of the majority - In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place.

Happiness is when. . . - Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.

It's the action, not the fruit of the action - It's the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there'll be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.

To call woman the weaker sex - To call woman the weaker sex is a libel; it is man's injustice to woman. If by strength is meant brute strength, then, indeed, is woman less brute than man. If by strength is meant moral power, then woman is immeasurably man's superior. Has she not greater intuition, is she not more self-sacrificing, has she not greater powers of endurance, has she not greater courage? Without her, man could not be. If nonviolence is the law of our being, the future is with woman. Who can make a more effective appeal to the heart than woman?

Worry wastes the body - There is nothing that wastes the body like worry, and one who has any faith in God should be ashamed to worry about anything whatsoever.

All religions were true and all had some error - I came to the conclusion long ago that all religions were true and that also that all had some error in them, and while I hold by my own religion, I should hold other religions as dear as Hinduism. So we can only pray, if we were Hindus, not that a Christian should become a Hindu; but our innermost prayer should be that a Hindu should become a better Hindu, a Muslim a better Muslim, and a Christian a better Christian.

Freedom and slavery are mental states - The moment the slave resolves that he will no longer be a slave, his fetters fall. He frees himself and shows the way to others. Freedom and slavery are mental states.

Treatment of animals - The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.

Give pleasure to a single heart - To give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.

Assisting an evil system - You assist an evil system most effectively by obeying its orders and decrees. An evil system never deserves such allegiance. Allegiance to it means partaking of the evil. A good person will resist an evil system with his or her whole soul.

Things that will destroy us - The things that will destroy us are: politics without principle; pleasure without conscience; wealth without work; knowledge without character; business without morality; science without humanity; and worship without sacrifice.

The democracy I envision - In the democracy which I have envisaged, a democracy established by non-violence, there will be equal freedom for all. Everybody will be his own master. It is to join a struggle for such democracy that I invite you today. Once you realize this you will forget the differences between the Hindus and Muslims, and think of yourselves as Indians only, engaged in the common struggle for independence.

The strength of forgiveness - What is true of individuals is true of nations. One cannot forgive too much. The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.

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