Reply #37: with strength! what is strength? here are a couple of ideas... [View All]

[Jeffersons Ghost]

Aside from physical attributes like muscles and armored-weapons of war; what is strength?


The Trumpet of Conscience (1968)
"We must move past indecision to action. We must find new ways to speak for peace in _____ and for justice throughout the developing world, a world that borders on our doors. If we do not act, we shall surely be dragged down the long, dark, and shameful corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without compassion, might without morality, and strength without sight."

Two primary attributes of real strength are courage and patience

on violence:
"What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy? It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of nonviolence to cover impotence. I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent. Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. I cannot teach you violence, as I do not myself believe in it. I can only teach you not to bow your heads before any one -- even at the cost of your life."

on patience:
"An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching. First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win. One needs to be slow to form convictions, but once formed they must be defended against the heaviest odds." <JG note: indeed, let us not judge or act too quickly but is doing nothing an option?> "Indolence is a delightful but distressing state; we must be doing something to be happy. Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it. When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it--always. You must be the change you want to see in the world."

on courage:
"Better far than cowardice is killing and being killed in battle. A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history. Adaptability is not imitation. An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it. Breach of promise is a base surrender of truth. It means power of resistance and assimilation. A 'No' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'Yes' merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble. A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave."

on strength:
"Whenever you are confronted with an opponent, conquer him with love. They cannot take away our self-respect if we do not give it to them. 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. Nonviolence is a weapon of the strong. Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."

~Mahatma Gandhi~


--Martin Luther King, Jr.


Pilgrimage to Nonviolence in Strength to Love (1958)

"More recently I have come to see the need for the method of nonviolence in international relations. Although I was not yet convinced of its efficacy in conflicts between nations, I felt that while war could never be a positive good, it could serve as a negative good by preventing the spread and growth of an evil force. War, horrible as it is, might be preferable to surrender to a totalitarian system. But now I believe that the potential destructiveness of modern weapons totally rules out the possibility of war ever again achieving a negative good. If we assume that mankind has a right to survive then we must find an alternative to war and destruction. Don't ever let anyone pull you so low as to hate them. We must use the weapon of love. We must have the compassion and understanding for those who hate us. We must realize so many people are taught to hate us that they are not totally responsible for their hate. But we stand in life at midnight; we are always on the threshold of a new dawn."
--Martin Luther King, Jr.