--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ... our interests and our conscience…" description: "\"... our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom. And we must be a source of hope to the poor, the sick, t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/924/barack-obama-17_behalf_our-interests-and-our-conscience-compel_1508034.jpg" --- # ... our interests and our conscience compel us to act on… ![“... our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom. And we must be a source of hope to the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the victims of prejudice.” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/924/barack-obama-17_behalf_our-interests-and-our-conscience-compel_1508034.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/924/barack-obama-17_behalf_our-interests-and-our-conscience-compel_1508034.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/924/barack-obama-17_behalf_our-interests-and-our-conscience-compel_1508034.jpg) > “... our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom. And we must be a source of hope to the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the victims of prejudice.” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We are morally obliged to support those yearning for freedom and to bring hope to the vulnerable, emphasizing collective responsibility for justice. **In simple terms:** Help the oppressed and give hope to the needy. Key Takeaway Act with compassion and solidarity. Themes justice solidarity human rights Mood inspirational determined Type political humanitarian When to use this quote - humanitarian aid - policy advocacy - community organizing - public health outreach Key Concepts politics ethics activism Questions to Reflect On - What concrete steps can you take to aid the marginalized? - How can hope be sustained in prolonged crises? A Different Perspective Political constraints may limit direct action; resources can be scarce. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behalf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behalf/) [Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) [Conscience Compel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience-compel-5544716/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Interests Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interests-conscience-5544715/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Marginalized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marginalized/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Prejudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prejudice/) [Pro life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pro-life/) [Sick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sick/) [Sick Marginalized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sick-marginalized-5544717/) [Source](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/source/) [Victim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victim/) ## Related quotes > [Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan, and everything in between. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/robin-williams-was-an-airman-a-doctor-a-genie-a-nanny-a-president-a/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/some-may-still-deny-the-overwhelming-judgment-of-science/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [You and I, as citizens, have the obligation to shape the debates of our time, not only with the votes we cast, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/you-and-i-as-citizens-have-the-obligation-to-shape-the-debates-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Together we resolve that a great nation must care for the vulnerable and protect its people from life's worst hazards and misfortune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/together-we-resolve-that-a-great-nation-must-care-for-the-vulnerable/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We, the people, still believe that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-the-people-still-believe-that-every-citizen-deserves-a-basic/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What makes us exceptional, what makes us America is our allegiance to an idea articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-makes-us-exceptional-what-makes-us-america-is-our-allegiance-to-2/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We the people declare today that the most evident of truth that all of us are created equal ... that our individual freedom is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-the-people-declare-today-that-the-most-evident-of-truth-that-all/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [For we have always understood that when times change, so must we, that fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/for-we-have-always-understood-that-when-times-change-so-must-we-that/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-the-people-understand-that-our-country-cannot-succeed-when-a/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Not out of mere charity, but because peace in our time requires the constant advance of those principles that our common creed describes; tolerance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/not-out-of-mere-charity-but-because-peace-in-our-time-requires-the/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today we continue a never ending journey to bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/today-we-continue-a-never-ending-journey-to-bridge-the-meaning-of/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [That is our generation's task, to make these works, these rights, these values of life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness real for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-our-generation-s-task-to-make-these-works-these-rights-these/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We do not believe that in this country, freedom is reserved for the lucky, or happiness for the few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-do-not-believe-that-in-this-country-freedom-is-reserved-for-the/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-the-people-still-believe-that-our-obligations-as-americans-are-not-2/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [For history tells us that while these truths may be self-evident, they've never been self-executing. That while freedom is a gift from God, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/for-history-tells-us-that-while-these-truths-may-be-self-evident-they/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More by Barack Obama > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. 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I think my daughters have a pretty healthy self-awareness, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-lennox/having-children-they-re-not-your-property-they-need-to-figure-out/) [Annie Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-lennox/) > [I don't expect anybody here to cheerlead for Donald Trump. I expect us to have platforms like this, where we can fairly and effectively…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/i-don-t-expect-anybody-here-to-cheerlead-for-donald-trump-i-expect-us/) [Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/) > [Antitrust law isn't about protecting competing businesses from each other, it's about protecting competition itself on behalf of the public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/antitrust-law-isn-t-about-protecting-competing-businesses-from-each/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [We have some of the most influential Members of Congress here today, and I do hope that we can get this appropriation for these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/we-have-some-of-the-most-influential-members-of-congress-here-today/) [John F. 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