--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My nonviolence does recognize different…" description: "\"My nonviolence does recognize different species of violence, defensive and offensive.\" — Mahatma Gandhi" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29d/mahatma-gandhi-23_different_my-nonviolence-does-recognize-different_945102.jpg" --- # My nonviolence does recognize different species of… ![“My nonviolence does recognize different species of violence, defensive and offensive.” quote by Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29d/mahatma-gandhi-23_different_my-nonviolence-does-recognize-different_945102.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29d/mahatma-gandhi-23_different_my-nonviolence-does-recognize-different_945102.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29d/mahatma-gandhi-23_different_my-nonviolence-does-recognize-different_945102.jpg) > “My nonviolence does recognize different species of violence, defensive and offensive.” [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. Non‑violence acknowledges various forms of aggression, distinguishing defensive from offensive actions. **In simple terms:** Non‑violence sees different kinds of violence. Key Takeaway Apply defensive non‑violence wisely. Themes peace ethics conflict strategy Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - activism - personal disputes - international relations - self‑defense Key Concepts philosophy political theory Questions to Reflect On - When is defensive violence justified? - How can you maintain non‑violence under threat? A Different Perspective May be misinterpreted as passivity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Nonviolence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nonviolence/) [Peacebuilding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peacebuilding/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) ## Related quotes > [Nonviolence is the law of our species as violence is the law of the brute. The spirit lies dormant in the brute, and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/nonviolence-is-the-law-of-our-species-as-violence-is-the-law-of-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [My nonviolence does not admit of running away from danger and leaving the dear ones unprotected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/my-nonviolence-does-not-admit-of-running-away-from-danger-and-leaving/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [The cry for peace will be a cry in the wilderness, so long as the spirit of nonviolence does not dominate millions of men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-cry-for-peace-will-be-a-cry-in-the-wilderness-so-long-as-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [If what passed as nonviolence does not enable people to protect the honour of women, or if it does not enable women to protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/if-what-passed-as-nonviolence-does-not-enable-people-to-protect-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [My implicit faith in nonviolence does mean yielding to minorities when they are really weak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/my-implicit-faith-in-nonviolence-does-mean-yielding-to-minorities/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [My creed of nonviolence does not favour the punishment of thieves and dacoits and even murderers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/my-creed-of-nonviolence-does-not-favour-the-punishment-of-thieves-and/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Nonviolence is the law of our species as violence is the law of the brute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/nonviolence-is-the-law-of-our-species-as-violence-is-the-law-of-the-2/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Intolerance is a species of violence and therefore against our creed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/intolerance-is-a-species-of-violence-and-therefore-against-our-creed/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [For me to dominate the Congress in spite of these fundamental differences is almost a species of violence which I must refrain from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/for-me-to-dominate-the-congress-in-spite-of-these-fundamental/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [In the history of the world the prize has not gone to those species which specialized in methods of violence, or even in defensive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/in-the-history-of-the-world-the-prize-has-not-gone-to-those-species/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [A second basic fact that characterizes nonviolence is that it does not seek to defeat or humiliate the opponent, but to win his friendship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/a-second-basic-fact-that-characterizes-nonviolence-is-that-it-does/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Choosing nonviolence does not mean that one will never get angry or become upset with others, including the ones we love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernice-king/choosing-nonviolence-does-not-mean-that-one-will-never-get-angry-or/) [Bernice King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-king/) > [The weapon of nonviolence does not need supermen or superwomen to wield it; even beings of common clay can use it and have used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-weapon-of-nonviolence-does-not-need-supermen-or-superwomen-to/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Nonviolence does not require any outside or outward training.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/nonviolence-does-not-require-any-outside-or-outward-training/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Nonviolence does not admit of running away from danger... . Between violence and cowardly flight I can only prefer violence to cowardice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/nonviolence-does-not-admit-of-running-away-from-danger-between/) [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 Different quotes > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. 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