--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A satyagrahi would neither retaliate nor…" description: "\"A satyagrahi would neither retaliate nor would he submit to the criminal, but seek to cure him by curing himself.\" — Mahatma Gandhi" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abf/mahatma-gandhi-23_criminals_a-satyagrahi-would-neither-retaliate-nor_287416.jpg" --- # A satyagrahi would neither retaliate nor would he submit… ![“A satyagrahi would neither retaliate nor would he submit to the criminal, but seek to cure him by curing himself.” quote by Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abf/mahatma-gandhi-23_criminals_a-satyagrahi-would-neither-retaliate-nor_287416.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abf/mahatma-gandhi-23_criminals_a-satyagrahi-would-neither-retaliate-nor_287416.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abf/mahatma-gandhi-23_criminals_a-satyagrahi-would-neither-retaliate-nor_287416.jpg) > “A satyagrahi would neither retaliate nor would he submit to the criminal, but seek to cure him by curing himself.” [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A non‑violent activist should not retaliate or submit, but instead heal the oppressor by healing himself. **In simple terms:** Non‑violence heals both sides. Key Takeaway Practice self‑growth to transform conflict. Themes non‑violence self‑healing activism ethical conduct Mood inspirational determined Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - peaceful protest - community mediation - personal therapy - social reform Key Concepts satyagraha inner transformation conflict de‑escalation moral leadership Questions to Reflect On - Can one truly heal an oppressor? - What limits exist for non‑violent resistance? A Different Perspective Self‑healing may be difficult when oppression is severe. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Criminals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminals/) [Curing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curing/) [Disobedience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disobedience/) [Satyagraha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satyagraha/) ## Related quotes > [Some of the very greatest gifts bring an inevitable downside which you cannot "cure" without curing the gift at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-s-tolan/some-of-the-very-greatest-gifts-bring-an-inevitable-downside-which/) [Stephanie S. Tolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-s-tolan/) > [Satyagraha does not depend on outside help, it derives all its strength from within.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/satyagraha-does-not-depend-on-outside-help-it-derives-all-its/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [A satyagrahi exhausts all other means before he resorts to satyagraha.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/a-satyagrahi-exhausts-all-other-means-before-he-resorts-to-satyagraha/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Satyagraha is search for Truth, and God is Truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/satyagraha-is-search-for-truth-and-god-is-truth/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [A satyagrahi is nothing if not instinctively law-abiding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/a-satyagrahi-is-nothing-if-not-instinctively-law-abiding/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Satyagraha and civil disobedience and fasts have nothing in common with the use of force, veiled or open.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/satyagraha-and-civil-disobedience-and-fasts-have-nothing-in-common/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [A clear victory of satyagraha is impossible so long as there is ill will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/a-clear-victory-of-satyagraha-is-impossible-so-long-as-there-is-ill/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Satyagraha is a purely spiritual weapon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/satyagraha-is-a-purely-spiritual-weapon/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [For satyagraha and its offshoots, non-co-operation and civil resistance, are nothing but new names for the law of suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/for-satyagraha-and-its-offshoots-non-co-operation-and-civil/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [It is claimed for satyagraha that it is a complete substitute for violence or war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/it-is-claimed-for-satyagraha-that-it-is-a-complete-substitute-for/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [The satyagrahi should not have any hatred in his heart against the opponent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-satyagrahi-should-not-have-any-hatred-in-his-heart-against-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [There is no time limit for a satyagrahi nor is there a limit to his capacity for suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/there-is-no-time-limit-for-a-satyagrahi-nor-is-there-a-limit-to-his/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Satyagraha is a process of educating public opinion, such that it covers all the elements of the society and in the end makes itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/satyagraha-is-a-process-of-educating-public-opinion-such-that-it/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [In the code of the satyagrahi, there is no such thing as surrender to brute force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/in-the-code-of-the-satyagrahi-there-is-no-such-thing-as-surrender-to/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [You are no Satyagrahi if you remain silent or passive spectators while your enemy is being done to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/you-are-no-satyagrahi-if-you-remain-silent-or-passive-spectators/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) ## More by Mahatma Gandhi > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Devotion required by the Gita is no soft-hearted effusiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/devotion-required-by-the-gita-is-no-soft-hearted-effusiveness/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [No nation being under another nation can accept gifts, and kick at the responsibility attached to those gifts, imposed by the conquering nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/no-nation-being-under-another-nation-can-accept-gifts-and-kick-at-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [So long as we fear the outside world, we must cease to think of Swaraj.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/so-long-as-we-fear-the-outside-world-we-must-cease-to-think-of-swaraj/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [I do not want a kingdom, or heaven; what I want is to remove the trouble of the oppressed, the poor, and the needy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-a-kingdom-or-heaven-what-i-want-is-to-remove-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Religions are not for separating men from one another, they are meant to bind them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/religions-are-not-for-separating-men-from-one-another-they-are-meant/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [I hold flesh-food to be unsuited to our species. We err in copying the lower animal world if we are superior to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-hold-flesh-food-to-be-unsuited-to-our-species-we-err-in-copying-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was only in South Africa that I got over this shyness, though I never completely overcame it. It was impossible for me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/it-was-only-in-south-africa-that-i-got-over-this-shyness-though-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“Where there is life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/where-there-is-life/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [If it was wrong to seek God in a stone, how was it right to seek Him in a book called the Gita, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/if-it-was-wrong-to-seek-god-in-a-stone-how-was-it-right-to-seek-him/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [The spirit of democracy cannot be established in the midst of terrorism, whether governmental or popular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-spirit-of-democracy-cannot-be-established-in-the-midst-of/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Champions are made from something they have deep inside of them-a desire, a dream, a vison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/champions-are-made-from-something-they-have-deep-inside-of-them-a/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [My motto is "Unite now, today if you can; fight if you must. But in every case avoid British intervention."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/my-motto-is-unite-now-today-if-you-can-fight-if-you-must-but-in-every/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [I have no disciples, being myself an aspirant after discipleship and in search of a guru.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-have-no-disciples-being-myself-an-aspirant-after-discipleship-and/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Man becomes not the lord and master of all creation but he is its servant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/man-becomes-not-the-lord-and-master-of-all-creation-but-he-is-its/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) [Explore all 3,284 Mahatma Gandhi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) ## More Criminals quotes > [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/) > [They're criminals, they brutalized Afghanistan, they killed our people, they destroyed our land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamid-karzai/they-re-criminals-they-brutalized-afghanistan-they-killed-our-people/) [Hamid Karzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamid-karzai/) > [There are over 500,000 registered sex offenders across the country, and statistics have shown that the recidivism rate for those criminals is high.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-sensenbrenner/there-are-over-500-000-registered-sex-offenders-across-the-country/) [Jim Sensenbrenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-sensenbrenner/) > [Discovering witnesses is just as important as catching criminals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-wiesenthal/discovering-witnesses-is-just-as-important-as-catching-criminals/) [Simon Wiesenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-wiesenthal/) > [The proliferation of right-to-carry laws throughout the states has drawn plaintive complaints from the criminal element. They feel that it makes their profession too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/the-proliferation-of-right-to-carry-laws-throughout-the-states-has/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) > [What most needs explanation is not why some people are criminals, but why most people are not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-q-wilson/what-most-needs-explanation-is-not-why-some-people-are-criminals-but/) [James Q. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-q-wilson/) > [A criminal trial is never about seeking justice for the victim. If it were, there could be only one verdict: guilty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/a-criminal-trial-is-never-about-seeking-justice-for-the-victim-if-it/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [There's some criminals that wear badges. Guess what? There's some criminals that work in the media. There's some criminals that are football coaches. 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The criminal has his virtues,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/humanity-is-not-perfect-in-any-fashion-no-more-in-the-case-of-evil/) [Pierre Choderlos de Laclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/) > [“criminals were all derived from the same ethnicity – scumbag”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-h-thomson/criminals-were-all-derived-from-the-same-ethnicity-scumbag/) [L.H. Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-h-thomson/) > [New Orleans food is as delicious as the less criminal forms of sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/new-orleans-food-is-as-delicious-as-the-less-criminal-forms-of-sin/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“When a doctor does go wrong, he is the first of criminals. 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