--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There may be times when we are powerless…" description: "\"“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest. -Elie Wiesel, writer, Nobel lau..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/949/elie-wiesel-341_justice_there-may-be-times-when-we-are-powerless_2566516.png" --- # There may be times when we are powerless to prevent… ![“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest. -Elie Wiesel, writer, Nobel laureate (b. 1928) You can't do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth. -H.L. Mencken, writer…” quote by Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/949/elie-wiesel-341_justice_there-may-be-times-when-we-are-powerless_2566516.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/949/elie-wiesel-341_justice_there-may-be-times-when-we-are-powerless_2566516.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/949/elie-wiesel-341_justice_there-may-be-times-when-we-are-powerless_2566516.png) > ““There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest. -Elie Wiesel, writer, Nobel laureate (b. 1928) You can't do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth. -H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic (1880-1956)”” [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even when powerless against injustice, we must always protest; personal agency shapes life's breadth, not its length **In simple terms:** Protest always; shape life's depth Key Takeaway Never stay silent; expand life's meaning Themes justice activism personal responsibility Mood determined reflective Type ethical motivational When to use this quote - civil rights protests - community organizing - personal growth - confronting oppression Key Concepts ethical duty existential agency Questions to Reflect On - How can you protest safely? - What does “width and depth” mean to you? A Different Perspective Protest can be risky and may not change systemic issues ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/there-may-be-times-when-we-are-powerless-to-prevent-injustice-but/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [You can't do anything about the length of your life,but you can do something about it's width and depth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nix/you-can-t-do-anything-about-the-length-of-your-life-but-you-can-do-2/) [Nix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nix/) > [You can't do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/you-can-t-do-anything-about-the-length-of-your-life-but-you-can-do/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“I would rather have a short life with width rather than a narrow one with length.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avicenna/i-would-rather-have-a-short-life-with-width-rather-than-a-narrow-one/) [Avicenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avicenna/) > [I was just as anxious to prevent injustice as to cause justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-spark/i-was-just-as-anxious-to-prevent-injustice-as-to-cause-justice/) [Muriel Spark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-spark/) > [“The purpose of government, and therefore of law, is not to cause justice to prevail, but rather, to prevent injustice from reigning. Justice is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-befumo/the-purpose-of-government-and-therefore-of-law-is-not-to-cause/) [Joseph Befumo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-befumo/) > [ We're both \[with Elie Wiesel\] a long way from the position of the so-called Biblical minimalists. Some of them see no history in the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/we-re-both-with-elie-wiesel-a-long-way-from-the-position-of-the-so/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [“Luz Castro "And then i explain that the world did know and remained silent. and that is why I swore never to be silent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/luz-castro-and-then-i-explain-that-the-world-did-know-and-remained/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [“When you die and go to heaven our maker is not going to ask, 'why didn't you discover the cure for such and such?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/when-you-die-and-go-to-heaven-our-maker-is-not-going-to-ask-why-didn/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [“When a person doesn’t have gratitude, something is missing in his or her humanity. A person can almost be defined by his or her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/when-a-person-doesn-t-have-gratitude-something-is-missing-in-his-or-2/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Part of the appeal was that Medawar was not only a Nobel Laureate, but he seemed like a Nobel Laureate; he was everything one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/part-of-the-appeal-was-that-medawar-was-not-only-a-nobel-laureate-but/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [How can we speak of right and justice if we take an innocent creature and shed its blood? How can we pray to God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-bashevis-singer/how-can-we-speak-of-right-and-justice-if-we-take-an-innocent-creature/) [Isaac Bashevis Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bashevis-singer/) > [Funny thing about Bob Dylan, the newest Nobel laureate in literature: He's been a master of self-invention for more than 50 years, creating personae,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/funny-thing-about-bob-dylan-the-newest-nobel-laureate-in-literature/) [Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) > [Too many American authors have a servile streak where their backbone should be. Where's our latest Nobel laureate? More than likely you'll find him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/too-many-american-authors-have-a-servile-streak-where-their-backbone/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [The literature Nobel laureate of this year has said that an author can do anything as long as his readers believe him.A scientist cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sune-bergstrom/the-literature-nobel-laureate-of-this-year-has-said-that-an-author/) Sune Bergstrom ## More by Elie Wiesel > [A religious person answers to God, not to the elected or non-elected official.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/a-religious-person-answers-to-god-not-to-the-elected-or-non-elected/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [One more stab to the heart, one more reason to hate. One less reason to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/one-more-stab-to-the-heart-one-more-reason-to-hate-one-less-reason-to/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [“What all these victims need above all is to know that they are not alone; that we are not forgetting them, that when their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/what-all-these-victims-need-above-all-is-to-know-that-they-are-not/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [I feel that books, just like people, have a destiny. Some invite sorrow, others joy, some both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-feel-that-books-just-like-people-have-a-destiny-some-invite-sorrow/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [ \[Chinese\] are a huge empire now, you'll soon be - in a few years two billion people in the world. So, you should be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/chinese-are-a-huge-empire-now-you-ll-soon-be-in-a-few-years-two/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Did I write it so as not to go mad or, on the contrary, to go mad in order to understand the nature of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/did-i-write-it-so-as-not-to-go-mad-or-on-the-contrary-to-go-mad-in/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Take the story of Cain and Abel. Why were we given that story? Scientifically, you may have an explanation for it, but I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/take-the-story-of-cain-and-abel-why-were-we-given-that-story/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Mankind must remember that peace is not God's gift to his creatures; peace is our gift to each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/mankind-must-remember-that-peace-is-not-god-s-gift-to-his-creatures/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [The world? The world is not interested in us. Today, everything is possible, even the crematoria...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/the-world-the-world-is-not-interested-in-us-today-everything-is/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [every question possessed a power that was lost in the answer . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/every-question-possessed-a-power-that-was-lost-in-the-answer/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [I think this century more than any other really has seen the phenomenon of people being uprooted in such numbers, such a degree. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-think-this-century-more-than-any-other-really-has-seen-the/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [His cold eyes stared at me. At last, he said wearily: "I have more faith in Hitler than in anyone else. He alone has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/his-cold-eyes-stared-at-me-at-last-he-said-wearily-i-have-more-faith/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [As you know, I describe Shirat ha-Yam as part of an epic story that has qualities of history and which also has qualities of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/as-you-know-i-describe-shirat-ha-yam-as-part-of-an-epic-story-that/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Every Jew, somewhere in his being, should set apart a zone of hate -healthy virile hate- for what the German personifies and for what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/every-jew-somewhere-in-his-being-should-set-apart-a-zone-of-hate/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [“Did hope help us to survive, or not? Too many families clung to it all through the war, thus falling into the enemy's trap.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/did-hope-help-us-to-survive-or-not-too-many-families-clung-to-it-all/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) [Explore all 662 Elie Wiesel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) ## More Justice quotes > [Never fight on the wrong side; you might win but the burden of guilt is more than a loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilian-salan/never-fight-on-the-wrong-side-you-might-win-but-the-burden-of-guilt/) [Lilian Salan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilian-salan/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [“Crime and punishment can be summed up in two classifications: there are bad people and there are people who get into bad situations. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnie-dent-jr/crime-and-punishment-can-be-summed-up-in-two-classifications-there/) [Johnnie Dent Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnie-dent-jr/) > [In the battle for police reform, accountability and justice, Americans don't have to re-invent the wheel. We just have to revoke the thing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/in-the-battle-for-police-reform-accountability-and-justice-americans/) [Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/) > [“Why do so many people do nothing? I think it’s because most of us look at the evils and injustice around us, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/why-do-so-many-people-do-nothing-i-think-it-s-because-most-of-us-look/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [“The jailers, the Court, everyone in that building – it wasn’t about justice; it was about obedience and intimidation…about maintaining order. Fear accomplished that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-allan/the-jailers-the-court-everyone-in-that-building-it-wasn-t-about/) [Jay Allan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-allan/) > [Civilized nations are ones that simply can't endure wrongs or injustice except at home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-anderson/civilized-nations-are-ones-that-simply-can-t-endure-wrongs-or/) Joseph Anderson > [Time often serves to justify a deed which seems at first unjustifiable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-p-ryan/time-often-serves-to-justify-a-deed-which-seems-at-first-unjustifiable/) Donald P. Ryan > [This cold weather has set all the young Folks to providing Bedfellows. I have signed two or three Licences every Day \[as a Fairfax…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/this-cold-weather-has-set-all-the-young-folks-to-providing-bedfellows/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [May God bless each of us in our calls to serve. May our faith strengthen as we serve in righteousness, faithfully keeping the commandments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/may-god-bless-each-of-us-in-our-calls-to-serve-may-our-faith/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) > [At minimum, we must recognize that there are legitimate, unanswered questions about whether the Obama Justice Department involved themselves in a political project targeting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-meadows/at-minimum-we-must-recognize-that-there-are-legitimate-unanswered/) [Mark Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-meadows/) > [We need to incorporate that age-old concept of redemption into the work that we do in the criminal justice system in California.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamala-harris/we-need-to-incorporate-that-age-old-concept-of-redemption-into-the/) [Kamala Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamala-harris/) > [There is no freedom without justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-wiesenthal/there-is-no-freedom-without-justice/) [Simon Wiesenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-wiesenthal/) > [“The absence of judgment becomes a catalyst and an enabler for greater injustice. Contrary to popular thought, judgment is a GOOD thing when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-chace-gordon/the-absence-of-judgment-becomes-a-catalyst-and-an-enabler-for-greater/) [J. Chace Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-chace-gordon/) > [The function of the law is not to provide justice or to preserve freedom. The function of the law is to keep those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-spence/the-function-of-the-law-is-not-to-provide-justice-or-to-preserve/) [Gerry Spence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-spence/) [Browse all 13,527 Justice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest. -Elie Wiesel, writer, Nobel laureate (b. 1928) You can't do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth. -H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic (1880-1956)”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elie Wiesel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/there-may-be-times-when-we-are-powerless-to-prevent-injustice-but-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Justice" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/there-may-be-times-when-we-are-powerless-to-prevent-injustice-but-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/949/elie-wiesel-341_justice_there-may-be-times-when-we-are-powerless_2566516.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/949/elie-wiesel-341_justice_there-may-be-times-when-we-are-powerless_2566516.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/949/elie-wiesel-341_justice_there-may-be-times-when-we-are-powerless_2566516.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail…” — Elie Wiesel", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Elie Wiesel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“There may be times when we...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/there-may-be-times-when-we-are-powerless-to-prevent-injustice-but-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/there-may-be-times-when-we-are-powerless-to-prevent-injustice-but-2/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```