Love His Famous Quotes But Read Less Popular Ones Too – The Voice of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Most of us have heard this famous quote from Martin Luther King, Jr.:
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”
It’s a beautiful truth.
Dr. King’s words are as powerful in our decade as they were in the 1960s.
Yet King said many more things than the few famous quotes we hear the third Monday of every January. I pass along a challenge to you that was given to me some years ago: read more of King’s original works.
One of my favorites is a collection of his sermons in Strength to Love. Many of the quotes below are from that book.
You can find King’s words online and in print quite easily. If you want to further the cause of equality and love in our country, read some of these inspired words.
And then use what you read by loving those around you.
- Whoever they are.
- Whatever they look like.
- Whatever they believe.
We’re all in this together.
“We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope. Only in this way shall we live without the fatigue of bitterness and the drain of resentment.”
– Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength to Love
And if you need to hear Dr. King’s voice again, listen here.
[If you can’t see the video, watch here]
Quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“We must learn that passively to accept an unjust system is to cooperate with that system, and thereby to become a participant in its evil.”
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“It should now be apparent that sincerity and conscientiousness in themselves are not enough. History has proven that these noble virtues may degenerate into tragic vices. Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”
~ * ~
“Our most fruitful course is to stand firm with courageous determination, move forward nonviolently amid obstacles and setbacks, accept disappointments, and cling to hope.”
~ * ~
“Courage, therefore, is the power of the mind to overcome fear. Unlike anxiety, fear has a definite object which may be faced, analyzed, attacked, and, if need be, endured.”
~ * ~
“We say that war is a consequence of hate, but close scrutiny reveals this sequence: first fear, then hate, then war, and finally deeper hatred.”
~ * ~
“Is there a cure for these annoying fears that pervert our personal lives? Yes, a deep and abiding commitment to the way of love.”
~ * ~
“Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a better person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in.”
~ * ~
“We need leaders not in love with money but in love with justice. Not in love with publicity but in love with humanity.”
* * *
Have you read any of Dr. King’s writings? His “I have a dream” speech? Please share in the comments.
revised from the archives
Related:
He was a giant of a man whose words still ring out in our present times. He made this world a better place, and I will always remember his impact on America. Blessings, Lisa!
Thank you for sharing this, Lisa. Of late, I’ve been discovering less well-known quotes from MLK. I love that video you’ve shared! I want to be maladjusted too. ♥
I have not read any of his writings, but this post has inspired me to want to do so. Thanks, Lisa!
Thanks for this gentle warning against flattening out a character from history, making him or her all about one thing or one string of words.
Lisa, you make such a good point. We hear the same quotes of the famous often but what about the lesser known ones? I had never heard or read this one – “Our most fruitful course is to stand firm with courageous determination, move forward nonviolently amid obstacles and setbacks, accept disappointments, and cling to hope.” Hope, it never disappoints.
Thank you for sharing this, Lisa. I definitely needed to read these quotes again.
lots of wisdom. Yet lots of suffering too. He took lots of risks and courage to walk the life he did. May we do also.
Thank you for sharing these less known quotes! So many truths woven into his words… and they are as relevant today as they were when he first said them!
MLK’s darkness quote is one of my favorite quotes of all time. But he really has so many and each one is great. I appreciate how he could articulate in a sentence or two so much hope and call to action. Thank you for sharing this, Lisa!
Lisa, such a wonderful post! Thank you for sharing at the Crazy Little Lovebirds link party. I hope you will join us again soon.