80 phrases of Gandhi to understand his philosophy of life
Mahatma Gandhi was one of the most important historical personalities of the 20th century and one of the most valued Indian thinkers of modernity.
His thought, his pacifist philosophy and his religiosity were expressed in his numerous books and writings of reflection , but to familiarize yourself with your way of thinking it is also very useful to go to your famous quotes and phrases to remember.
Gandhi phrases to understand his vision of the world
Then You can find a list with many of the most important Gandhi phrases .
1. The action expresses the different priorities.
Gandhi believed that each person's philosophy is expressed through their actions and that it is at times when personal values collide when the choice of one over another defines us.
2. Man is the product of his thoughts.
This and several other phrases by Gandhi refer to one of the characteristics of his way of thinking: the importance of focusing on the mental sphere, and not so much in the analysis of the context and the environment in which one lives.
3. The weak can never forgive.
Gandhi believed that the easiest option is the one that has to do with anger and revenge.
4. Violence is the fear of the ideals of the other.
This is one of Mahatma Gandhi's phrases in which a very simple idea is expressed: fear of what other people believe is a symptom of the weakness of their own way of thinking.
5. My life is the message.
Once again, it is clear that this Indian thinker did not distinguish between theory and action.
6. Nonviolence and truth are inseparable.
According to Gandhi the firmness in what is believed can never be expressed violently.
7. An eye for an eye and the whole world will be blind.
An analysis of the consequences of war and the spirals of violence.
8. Anger and intolerance are enemies of knowledge.
For Gandhi, wisdom is born from dialogue.
9. An ounce of action is worth more than tons of preaching.
Another one of those phrases of Gandhi in which the necessity of not separating the ideals from the way of life is emphasized.
10. Be the change you would want to see in the world.
For this thinker, progress is based on small individual and daily decisions.
11. No one can hurt me without my permission.
Mental fortitude was a property much claimed by Gandhi.
12. Truth never harms a cause that is just.
The solidity of the ideas translates into its solidity, also, before the evidences.
13. Those who know how to think do not need teachers.
Gandhi shows in this quote that thought is based on the autonomy of each one.
14. The future depends on what you do today.
The small details of the day to day are, according to the thought of Mahatma Gandhi, what will shape the future.
15. Fear has its use, but cowardice does not.
In this quote from Gandhi, the idea that the important thing is to focus on the objectives related to good and truth is embodied.
16. Poverty is the worst form of violence.
For Gandhi poverty is also a form of oppression by the powerful, (although it is disguised as possibilities to choose one's own destiny and theoretically it seems simple to get out of precariousness), because it does not give options to make decisions and to improve ones own quality of life.
17. No culture can live if it tries to be exclusive.
This quote reflects the high value that Gandhi had for dialogue and mutual understanding between various types of societies.
18. When faith becomes blind, it dies.
Gandhi was a religious person, but he believed that faith has to go hand in hand with reason and the questioning of dogmas.
19. The good human being is a friend of everything that lives.
Gandhi thus expressed a widespread idea in several non-Western cultures: human beings are not the only life forms that must be respected.
20. The truth remains even if it does not have public support.
In this sentence, Gandhi refers to the self-sufficiency of truth as something that does not depend on the opinions of the human being.
Other phrases by Gandhi on politics, friendship and peace
We continue with other famous quotes from the Indian leader.
21. Where there is love there is also life.
Love is the main source of good vibrations.
22. The essence of all religions is the same, only their approaches change.
A positioning that shows its discontent towards the dogmas and the function of some religions.
23. Faith is not something that is grasped, but something that is lived.
His heterodox religiosity is fantastically reflected in this opinion.
24. Disagreement is often a sign of progress.
Democracy implies discrepancy, and discrepancy leads to better and renewed ideas and ways of acting.
25. God has no religion.
A phrase to think and reflect. Maybe God is above certain symbols and creeds, right?
26Even if you are in a minority, the truth is the truth.
The truth has only one way, reality is objective and palpable. A lie a thousand times repeated will never become true.
27. The glory lies in aspiring to a goal and not finishing it.
On the road is the important part, and not the goal.
28. Happiness appears when what you think, what you say and what you do is in harmony.
An antidote against hypocrisy and against sadness: act as we feel.
29. Hate sin, love the sinner.
A way to show that peace must prevail, in spite of everything.
30. Believing in something and not living it is fundamentally dishonest.
Gandhi championed the need to pursue the destiny that each one feels in life.
31. Live simply so that others can simply live.
Against materialism and the desire to accumulate possessions and riches.
32. Death is nothing more than a dream and an oblivion.
Phrase to free interpretation.
33. Live as if you were going to die tomorrow. Learn as if you'll live forever.
A classic of Gandhi. Carpe diem, do what you should do, otherwise you will regret it.
34. You can not give a handshake with fists.
Another famous quote about peace and how to reach consensus with other people or groups.
35. Behavior is the mirror that shows our image.
The behavior of each one is what best defines his personality and essence.
36. Every house is a university and parents are teachers.
Education, that great forgotten.
37. Loneliness is a catalyst for creativity.
When you are alone, it is easier to look in your own world for ways to escape from reality and create new ideas and artifacts.
38. Selfishness is blind.
Selfishness does not see from afar, it is limited to going the easy way, which sometimes may not lead to good destiny.
39. There is no god greater than the truth.
Another phrase about the truth and about the need for human beings to be honest.
40. Love is the most powerful force that exists.
Love moves mountains.
41. For a non-violent person, everyone is his family
The idea of community with which affective ties are established, for the pacifist, has no borders.
42. Western civilization? well, it would be an excellent idea
One of Gandhi's phrases in which his criticism of the inconsistency of Western values is expressed.
43. The cause of freedom becomes a mockery if the price to pay is the destruction of those who should enjoy freedom
Freedom is understood by Gandhi as an absolute, not something relative.
44. The most atrocious of the bad things of bad people is the silence of good people.
Inaction can reach an instrument of oppression.
45. One minute that passes is unrecoverable. Knowing this, how can we waste so many hours?
A reflection on the way in which we take advantage of time.
46. The sadness of separation and death is the greatest of deceptions
Gandhi laughed in life beyond death and considered that not to do so was to fall into an intellectual trap.
47. The victory achieved by violence is equivalent to a defeat, because it is momentary
For this reference of pacifism, means and ends are inseparable.
48. Impure media flows into impure ends
In the line of other phrases of Gandhi, this emphasizes the need to use strategies consistent with that to which it aspires.
49. My best weapon is the silent prayer
In the spiritual restiro and the introspection a tool of social progress can exist.
50. Gold shackles are much worse than iron shackles
Oppression disguised as freedom is perverse.
51. Rivers of blood will flow before we conquer our freedom, but that blood must be ours
Another one of the most inspiring phrases about pacifism.
52. We gain justice more quickly if we do justice to the opposing party
Gandhi points out that what we want for ourselves we must apply to others.
53. To change the world, start by transforming yourself
The collective and social change begins with oneself.
54. Man does not have the power to create life. Therefore, it does not have the right to destroy it either
A way to justify pacifism by reason.
55. A coward is not capable of showing love; doing so is reserved only for the brave
Expressing affection is an act of courage.
56. When everyone abandons you, God stays with you
Gandhi finds in the figure of God a spiritual refuge.
57. Do not let the sun die without your grudges having died
One of Gandhi's phrases about hatred and its limiting nature.
58. I am a practical dreamer and I want to turn my dreams into reality
Gandhi was not satisfied with fantasizing about a better world, he wanted to create it.
59. We must not lose faith in humanity, since it is like the ocean: it does not get dirty because some of its drops are corrupted
A reflection on the potential of humanity to do good.
60. Birth and death are not two distinct states, but two aspects of the same state
Gandhi saw life as a path that can be traveled in two directions.
61He who retains something he does not need is equal to a thief
A reflection on the need to share.
62. I am humble, but at the same time an enthusiastic seeker of truth
A phrase of Gandhi that reflects his philosophy of life.
63. Religion is a question that has to do with the heart; no physical evil can get me away from it
This pacifist was a great defender of the idea that religions have a common root.
64. Everyone prays to their god from their own light
In the line of the previous reflection, Gandhi points out that even in private beliefs there is something in common.
65. I'm ready to die, but there's no reason why I should be prepared to kill
Death is part of life, but not murder.
66. The best way to find oneself is to lose yourself in helping others
A reflection on how social relationships based on love serve to build an identity of their own.
67. The prayer is the key of the morning and the lock of sunset
One of the most poetic phrases of Gandhi, about his way of understanding prayer.
68. Morality is the foundation of things and truth is the substance of all morality
This reflection establishes a direct relationship between morality and what is true.
69. If I had no sense of humor, I would have committed suicide long ago
A surprising statement about one's life and, at the same time, a way of emphasizing the importance of a sense of humor.
70. The satisfaction lies in the effort, not in what you get
Gandhi reflects on the nature of satisfaction.
71. Self-respect knows no considerations
Maintaining dignity is an unquestionable principle, according to the philosophy of this thinker.
72. In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart
Another of Gandhi's phrases about prayer understood as something to be expressed in feelings.
73. Jesus is pure and perfect, but you Christians are not like him
A scathing remark about the Christian community.
74. The culture of a nation resides in the heart and soul of its people
This leader of pacifism understood culture as something alive and dynamic present in the great masses and not in palaces or museums.
75. Peace is your own reward
Peaceful initiatives are valuable in themselves.
76. The search for truth does not admit violence against the adversary
Another phrase that could be taken as a motto of pacifism.
77. All religions, although differing in some aspects, point out unanimously that nothing lives in this world beyond the Truth
Another example of Gandhi's ideology in regard to the universality of religions.
78. Morality is contraband in war
A critique of cynicism with which morals are invoked in wars.
79. I have worshiped women as the embodiment of sacrifice and the helpful spirit
Gandhi refers here to the gender roles traditionally associated with women.
80. Everyone can hear the inner voice; it is within all
A way to point out the importance of introspection.
