Skip to content

Individual Quotes by Martin Luther King, Jr

37 Individual quotes by Martin Luther King, Jr

All Individual quotes Martin Luther King, Jr’s page

Martin Luther King Jr. reminds us that both capitalism and communism hold only pieces of the truth, and that revenge never fixes a social problem. He urges every person and nation to look beyond personal gain, to care for all humanity, and to build loyalty to the whole world.

Rate this collection: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

Every nation must now develop an overriding loyalty to mankind as a whole in order to preserve the best in their individual…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

There is nothing more majestic than the determined courage of individuals willing to suffer and sacrifice for their freedom and dignity.

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be.

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

There is nothing more tragic than to find an individual bogged down in the length of life, devoid of breadth.

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

Love is creative, understanding goodwill for all men. It is the refusal to defeat any individual.

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

Individuals may see the moral light and voluntarily give up their unjust posture; but, as Reinhold Niebuhr has reminded us, groups are…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

We are challenged to develop a world perspective. No individual can live alone, no nation can live alone, and anyone who feels…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

In spite of the fact that the law of revenge solves no social problems, men continue to follow its disastrous leading. History…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

What I'm saying to you this morning is that Communism forgets that life is individual. Capitalism forgets that life is social, and…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

Normal fear protects us; abnormal fear paralyses us. Normal fear motivates us to improve our individual and collective welfare; abnormal fear constantly…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the way our…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

There's another reason why you should love your enemies, and that is because hate distorts the personality of the hater. We usually…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

Love is understanding, redemptive goodwill for all men, so that you love everybody, because God loves them. You refuse to do anything…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

Love is creative, understanding goodwill for all men. It is the refusal to defeat any individual. When you rise to the level…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

Communism forgets that life is individual. Capitalism forgets that life is social, and the kingdom of brotherhood is found neither in the…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

An individual has not begun to live until he can rise above the narrow horizons of his particular individualistic concerns to the…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

Truth is found neither in Marxism nor in traditional capitalism. Each represents a partial truth. Historically capitalism failed to see the truth…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

The potential beauty of human life is constantly made ugly by man's ever recurring song of retaliation. The oceans of history are…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

A host of positive psychological changes inevitably will result from widespread economic security. The dignity of the individual will flourish when the…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

There may come a time when it will be possible for you to humiliate your worst enemy or even to defeat him,…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

Within the best of us, there is some evil, and within the worst of us, there is some good. When we come…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

Any nation or government that deprives an individual of freedom is in that moment committing an act of moral and spiritual murder.…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, 'Love your enemies.' It is this: that love has within it…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

Truth is not to be found either in traditional capitalism or in Marxism. Each represents a partial truth. Historically, capitalism failed to…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

The time has come for an all-out war against poverty. The rich nations must use their vast resources of wealth to develop…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

As long as there is poverty in the world I can never be rich, even if I have a billion dollars. As…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

...love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. Just keep being friendly to…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

A second thing that an individual must do in seeking to love his enemy is to discover the element of good in…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

We can no longer afford to worship the God of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation. The oceans of history…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

It is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

In a world facing the revolt of ragged and hungry masses of God's children; in a world torn between the tensions of…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

I had a very depressing response because I realized that these were my own people, these were Negroes throwing eggs at me.…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

Communism forgets that life is individual. Capitalism forgets that life is social, and the kingdom of brotherhood is found neither in the…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Image

Other authors on Individual

More by Martin Luther King, Jr

The strong man holds in a living blend strongly marked opposites.

Martin Luther King, Jr

Our nation was born in genocide when it embraced the doctrine that the original American, the Indian, was an inferior race. ... We are…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Every genuine expression of love grows out of a consistent and total surrender to God.

Martin Luther King, Jr

We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only…

Martin Luther King, Jr

I’ve been to the Mountaintop

Martin Luther King, Jr

The supreme task is to organize and unite people so that their anger becomes a transforming force.

Martin Luther King, Jr

The great issue of life is to harness the drum major instinct.

Martin Luther King, Jr

Somebody must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate and the chain of evil in the universe. And…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Darkness is only driven out with light, not more darkness.

Martin Luther King, Jr

What seems so necessary today may not even be desirable tomorrow.

Martin Luther King, Jr

The Negro cannot win the respect of his oppressor by acquiescing; he merely increases the oppressor's arrogance and contempt.

Martin Luther King, Jr

The majority of the Negroes who took part in the year-long boycott of Montgomery's buses were poor and untutored; but they understood the essence…

Martin Luther King, Jr

Whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity and is for the building of humanity, it has dignity and it has worth,

Martin Luther King, Jr

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will…

Martin Luther King, Jr