--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We must be headlights and not taillights." description: "\"We must be headlights and not taillights.\" — John Lewis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fc/john-lewis-1310_headlights_we-must-be-headlights-and-not-taillights_1076199.jpg" --- # We must be headlights and not taillights. ![“We must be headlights and not taillights.” quote by John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fc/john-lewis-1310_headlights_we-must-be-headlights-and-not-taillights_1076199.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fc/john-lewis-1310_headlights_we-must-be-headlights-and-not-taillights_1076199.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fc/john-lewis-1310_headlights_we-must-be-headlights-and-not-taillights_1076199.jpg) > “We must be headlights and not taillights.” [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leadership should guide others forward, not merely follow; be proactive and illuminating. **In simple terms:** Lead, don’t follow. Key Takeaway Be a proactive leader. Themes leadership proactivity guidance Mood determined hopeful Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - community projects - career advancement - activism - team dynamics Key Concepts social change mentorship Questions to Reflect On - How can you become a guiding light? - What does “headlight” mean to you? A Different Perspective Leadership requires humility and listening. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Headlights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/headlights/) [Headlights Taillights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/headlights-taillights-2707864/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Must](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/must/) [Taillights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taillights-2707866/) ## Related quotes > [“I watched his taillights until they got more and more distant and then faded from view entirely. I realized, in that moment, that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-matson/i-watched-his-taillights-until-they-got-more-and-more-distant-and/) [Morgan Matson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-matson/) > [Pause! Like a red light, Im dead right! Highway to Heaven, God do you see my headlights?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/pause-like-a-red-light-im-dead-right-highway-to-heaven-god-do-you-see/) [Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/) > [The lightning-bug is brilliant, but he hasn't any mind; He stumbles through existence with his headlight on behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-fitch-ware/the-lightning-bug-is-brilliant-but-he-hasn-t-any-mind-he-stumbles/) [Eugene Fitch Ware](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-fitch-ware/) > [Real Madrid are like a rabbit in the glare of the headlights in the face of Manchester United's attacks. But this rabbit comes with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-hamilton/real-madrid-are-like-a-rabbit-in-the-glare-of-the-headlights-in-the/) [George Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-hamilton/) > [I was in a job interview and I opened a book and started reading. Then I said to the guy 'Let me ask you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/i-was-in-a-job-interview-and-i-opened-a-book-and-started-reading-then/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [He was gorgeous, and I absolutely, no question, had to be drooling. After a quick and hopefully stealthy check – big show, I wasn’t!-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/he-was-gorgeous-and-i-absolutely-no-question-had-to-be-drooling-after/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) > [People say doing a startup is like a marathon. It's actually a roadtrip at night with no headlights. You think you're going to Toledo…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-silbermann/people-say-doing-a-startup-is-like-a-marathon-it-s-actually-a/) [Ben Silbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-silbermann/) > [“The Headlights lit the path we were traveling down, but only so far. After that, the world was dark and empty, full of possibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-c-stephens/the-headlights-lit-the-path-we-were-traveling-down-but-only-so-far/) [S.C. Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-c-stephens/) > [And there is the headlight, shining far down the track, glinting off the steel rails that, like all parallel lines, will meet in infinity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-catton/and-there-is-the-headlight-shining-far-down-the-track-glinting-off/) [Bruce Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-catton/) > [Many police officers watch for vehicles without headlights because it's a telltale of a drunk driver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-james-thomson/many-police-officers-watch-for-vehicles-without-headlights-because-it/) [Robert James Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-james-thomson/) > [“I've been talking to myself a lot lately. I don't know what that's about, but my mother was the same way. She hated to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-chaon/i-ve-been-talking-to-myself-a-lot-lately-i-don-t-know-what-that-s/) [Dan Chaon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-chaon/) > [“Rush hour was under way; her car became one more pair of headlights in a glittering daisy chain of commuters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-prescott/rush-hour-was-under-way-her-car-became-one-more-pair-of-headlights-in/) [Michael Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-prescott/) > [Why is the church always a taillight rather than a headlight?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/why-is-the-church-always-a-taillight-rather-than-a-headlight/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I replaced the headlights in my car with strobe lights, so it looks like I'm the only one moving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/i-replaced-the-headlights-in-my-car-with-strobe-lights-so-it-looks/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [And he don't know...that I dug my key into the side of his pretty little souped up 4 wheel drive, carved my name into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-underwood/and-he-don-t-know-that-i-dug-my-key-into-the-side-of-his-pretty/) [Carrie Underwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-underwood/) ## More by John Lewis > [ I happen to believe that this election year \[2016\] is...one of the most important elections that we're going to face in a very long… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/i-happen-to-believe-that-this-election-year-2016-is-one-of-the-most/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [If you're not hopeful and optimistic, then you just give up. You have to take that long hard look and just believe that if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/if-you-re-not-hopeful-and-optimistic-then-you-just-give-up-you-have/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [The reward for playing jazz is playing jazz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/the-reward-for-playing-jazz-is-playing-jazz/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [I am very, very hopeful about the American South - I believe that we will lead America to what Dr. King called 'the beloved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/i-am-very-very-hopeful-about-the-american-south-i-believe-that-we/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [ \[Donald Trump's inauguration\] will be the first one that I miss since I've been in Congress. You cannot be at home with something that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/donald-trump-s-inauguration-will-be-the-first-one-that-i-miss-since-i/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [To question the legitimacy of the next United States president, you know, and you're worried about a tweet that says, hey, why don't you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/to-question-the-legitimacy-of-the-next-united-states-president-you/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [We are tired of being beaten by policemen. We are tired of seeing our people locked up in jails over and over again. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/we-are-tired-of-being-beaten-by-policemen-we-are-tired-of-seeing-our/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [Now we have black and white elected officials working together. Today, we have gone beyond just passing laws. Now we have to create a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/now-we-have-black-and-white-elected-officials-working-together-today/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [“For me, the nomination of Barack Obama as a candidate for president and his inauguration in Washington represents a brief glimpse at the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/for-me-the-nomination-of-barack-obama-as-a-candidate-for-president/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [Too many people struggled, suffered, and died to make it possible for every American to exercise their right to vote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/too-many-people-struggled-suffered-and-died-to-make-it-possible-for/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [The vote is precious. It's almost sacred, so go out and vote like you never voted before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/the-vote-is-precious-it-s-almost-sacred-so-go-out-and-vote-like-you/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [My position is very, very simple. That I fought too long and too hard against discrimination based on race and color, not to stand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/my-position-is-very-very-simple-that-i-fought-too-long-and-too-hard/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [Many of us in Nashville accepted nonviolence as a way of life, a way of living, not simply as a technique or a tactic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/many-of-us-in-nashville-accepted-nonviolence-as-a-way-of-life-a-way/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [Right now, what my job is - pardon me? Those are just words. Right now, what my - my job is right now going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/right-now-what-my-job-is-pardon-me-those-are-just-words-right-now/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [ Donald Trump has made it clear that certainly over the last few years that President \[Barack\] Obama was born in Hawaii. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/donald-trump-has-made-it-clear-that-certainly-over-the-last-few-years/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) [Explore all 258 John Lewis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) ## More Headlights quotes > [And he don't know...that I dug my key into the side of his pretty little souped up 4 wheel drive, carved my name into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-underwood/and-he-don-t-know-that-i-dug-my-key-into-the-side-of-his-pretty/) [Carrie Underwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-underwood/) > [I replaced the headlights in my car with strobe lights, so it looks like I'm the only one moving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/i-replaced-the-headlights-in-my-car-with-strobe-lights-so-it-looks/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [Why is the church always a taillight rather than a headlight?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/why-is-the-church-always-a-taillight-rather-than-a-headlight/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [“Rush hour was under way; her car became one more pair of headlights in a glittering daisy chain of commuters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-prescott/rush-hour-was-under-way-her-car-became-one-more-pair-of-headlights-in/) [Michael Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-prescott/) > [“I've been talking to myself a lot lately. I don't know what that's about, but my mother was the same way. She hated to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-chaon/i-ve-been-talking-to-myself-a-lot-lately-i-don-t-know-what-that-s/) [Dan Chaon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-chaon/) > [Many police officers watch for vehicles without headlights because it's a telltale of a drunk driver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-james-thomson/many-police-officers-watch-for-vehicles-without-headlights-because-it/) [Robert James Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-james-thomson/) > [And there is the headlight, shining far down the track, glinting off the steel rails that, like all parallel lines, will meet in infinity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-catton/and-there-is-the-headlight-shining-far-down-the-track-glinting-off/) [Bruce Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-catton/) > [“The Headlights lit the path we were traveling down, but only so far. After that, the world was dark and empty, full of possibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-c-stephens/the-headlights-lit-the-path-we-were-traveling-down-but-only-so-far/) [S.C. Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-c-stephens/) > [People say doing a startup is like a marathon. It's actually a roadtrip at night with no headlights. You think you're going to Toledo…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-silbermann/people-say-doing-a-startup-is-like-a-marathon-it-s-actually-a/) [Ben Silbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-silbermann/) > [He was gorgeous, and I absolutely, no question, had to be drooling. After a quick and hopefully stealthy check – big show, I wasn’t!-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/he-was-gorgeous-and-i-absolutely-no-question-had-to-be-drooling-after/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) > [I was in a job interview and I opened a book and started reading. Then I said to the guy 'Let me ask you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/i-was-in-a-job-interview-and-i-opened-a-book-and-started-reading-then/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [Real Madrid are like a rabbit in the glare of the headlights in the face of Manchester United's attacks. But this rabbit comes with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-hamilton/real-madrid-are-like-a-rabbit-in-the-glare-of-the-headlights-in-the/) [George Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-hamilton/) > [The lightning-bug is brilliant, but he hasn't any mind; He stumbles through existence with his headlight on behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-fitch-ware/the-lightning-bug-is-brilliant-but-he-hasn-t-any-mind-he-stumbles/) [Eugene Fitch Ware](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-fitch-ware/) > [Pause! Like a red light, Im dead right! Highway to Heaven, God do you see my headlights?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/pause-like-a-red-light-im-dead-right-highway-to-heaven-god-do-you-see/) [Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/) > [“Take care of your car in the garage, and the car will take care of you on the road.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/take-care-of-your-car-in-the-garage-and-the-car-will-take-care-of-you/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) [Browse all 69 Headlights quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/headlights/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We must be headlights and not taillights.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Lewis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/we-must-be-headlights-and-not-taillights/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Headlights" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/we-must-be-headlights-and-not-taillights/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fc/john-lewis-1310_headlights_we-must-be-headlights-and-not-taillights_1076199.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fc/john-lewis-1310_headlights_we-must-be-headlights-and-not-taillights_1076199.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fc/john-lewis-1310_headlights_we-must-be-headlights-and-not-taillights_1076199.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We must be headlights and not taillights.” — John Lewis", "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": "John Lewis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We must be headlights and not...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/we-must-be-headlights-and-not-taillights/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/we-must-be-headlights-and-not-taillights/#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 } } ] } ```