--- 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" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/199/elie-wiesel-341_injustice_there-may-be-times-when-we-are-powerless_1861676.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.” quote by Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/199/elie-wiesel-341_injustice_there-may-be-times-when-we-are-powerless_1861676.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/199/elie-wiesel-341_injustice_there-may-be-times-when-we-are-powerless_1861676.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/199/elie-wiesel-341_injustice_there-may-be-times-when-we-are-powerless_1861676.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](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 we cannot stop wrongdoing, we must always speak out against it. **In simple terms:** Protest is essential despite powerlessness. Key Takeaway Never stay silent in the face of injustice. Themes ethics activism justice Mood determined hopeful Type activist motivational When to use this quote - protests - social media campaigns - community organizing Key Concepts moral duty civil responsibility Questions to Reflect On - What forms of protest are most effective? - How do you balance safety with speaking out? A Different Perspective Protest can be risky and may not change outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fail Protest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fail-protest-1653701/) [Injustice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/injustice/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Prevent Injustice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prevent-injustice-1373143/) [Protest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protest/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Times Powerless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/times-powerless-2510531/) ## 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. -Elie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/there-may-be-times-when-we-are-powerless-to-prevent-injustice-but-2/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [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/) > [I rarely speak about God. To God yes. I protest against Him. I shout at Him. But open discourse about the qualities of God,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-rarely-speak-about-god-to-god-yes-i-protest-against-him-i-shout-at/) [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/) > [ \[Christian rebellion\] arises from the doctrine of mankind made in the image of God, and therefore protests against all forms of dehumanization. It sets… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/christian-rebellion-arises-from-the-doctrine-of-mankind-made-in-the/) [John Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stott/) > [In the face of suffering, one has no right to turn away, not to see. In the face of injustice, one may not look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/in-the-face-of-suffering-one-has-no-right-to-turn-away-not-to-see-in/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [“I am aware that many object to the severity of my language; but is there not cause for severity? 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With this creed, revenge never worries my heart, degradation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/life-appears-to-me-too-short-to-be-spent-in-nursing-animosity-or/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [Nothing better protects a human being against the stupidity of prejudice, racism, religious or political sectarianism, and exclusivist nationalism than this truth that invariably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/nothing-better-protects-a-human-being-against-the-stupidity-of/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) > [Progress is the injustice each generation commits with regard to its predecessors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/progress-is-the-injustice-each-generation-commits-with-regard-to-its/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [There is no perfect justice, just as there is no absolute in ethics. But there is perfect injustice, and we know it when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/there-is-no-perfect-justice-just-as-there-is-no-absolute-in-ethics/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) ## 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. 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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 Injustice quotes > [“Don't let cycles of violent crimes, uncontrollable, rising cases of bloody impunity, evil puppets in a crippled judiciary, marionettes in a corrupted legislative system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelica-hopes/don-t-let-cycles-of-violent-crimes-uncontrollable-rising-cases-of/) [Angelica Hopes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelica-hopes/) > [There is no perfect justice, just as there is no absolute in ethics. 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Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [And I've never taken up a sport just because it was a social fad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinah-shore/and-i-ve-never-taken-up-a-sport-just-because-it-was-a-social-fad/) [Dinah Shore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinah-shore/) > [Nothing better protects a human being against the stupidity of prejudice, racism, religious or political sectarianism, and exclusivist nationalism than this truth that invariably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/nothing-better-protects-a-human-being-against-the-stupidity-of/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) > [Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity, or registering wrongs. With this creed, revenge never worries my heart, degradation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/life-appears-to-me-too-short-to-be-spent-in-nursing-animosity-or/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [“Rather than being incensed by the nature of the bruise, maybe we should be inspired by the possibilities in the bruise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/rather-than-being-incensed-by-the-nature-of-the-bruise-maybe-we/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [When we struggle for human rights, for freedom, for dignity, when we feel that it is a ministry of the church to concern itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-we-struggle-for-human-rights-for-freedom-for-dignity-when-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I cannot accept being silent in the face of injustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine-crockett/i-cannot-accept-being-silent-in-the-face-of-injustice/) [Jasmine Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine-crockett/) > [A perpetually new and lively world, but a dangerous one, full of tragedy and injustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-cary/a-perpetually-new-and-lively-world-but-a-dangerous-one-full-of/) [Joyce Cary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-cary/) > [I actually recommend as little actual counting as possible in a life partnership. 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Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-p-christ/) [Browse all 2,138 Injustice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/injustice/) ```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.", "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/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Injustice" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/there-may-be-times-when-we-are-powerless-to-prevent-injustice-but/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/199/elie-wiesel-341_injustice_there-may-be-times-when-we-are-powerless_1861676.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/199/elie-wiesel-341_injustice_there-may-be-times-when-we-are-powerless_1861676.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/199/elie-wiesel-341_injustice_there-may-be-times-when-we-are-powerless_1861676.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/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/there-may-be-times-when-we-are-powerless-to-prevent-injustice-but/#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 } } ] } ```