--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The strength to kill is not essential for…" description: "\"The strength to kill is not essential for self-defence; one ought to have the strength to die.\" — Mahatma Gandhi" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f05/mahatma-gandhi-23_ahimsa_the-strength-to-kill-is-not-essential-fo_1364802.jpg" --- # The strength to kill is not essential for self-defence… ![“The strength to kill is not essential for self-defence; one ought to have the strength to die.” quote by Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f05/mahatma-gandhi-23_ahimsa_the-strength-to-kill-is-not-essential-fo_1364802.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f05/mahatma-gandhi-23_ahimsa_the-strength-to-kill-is-not-essential-fo_1364802.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f05/mahatma-gandhi-23_ahimsa_the-strength-to-kill-is-not-essential-fo_1364802.jpg) > “The strength to kill is not essential for self-defence; one ought to have the strength to die.” [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. True strength lies in the willingness to sacrifice life, not in the ability to kill. **In simple terms:** Strength is about dying, not killing. Key Takeaway Cultivate moral courage. Themes non‑violence ethics strength Mood reflective serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - civil rights activism - personal integrity - conflict resolution Key Concepts philosophy self‑defence Questions to Reflect On - Can you defend without harming? - When is self‑defence justified? A Different Perspective Violence may seem necessary in some threats. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ahimsa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ahimsa/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Defence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defence/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self defence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-defence/) ## Related quotes > [The strength to kill is not essential for self-defense; one ought to have the strength to die. When a man is fully ready to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-strength-to-kill-is-not-essential-for-self-defense-one-ought-to/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [For as to the strength of body, the weakest has strength enough to kill the strongest, either by secret machination or by confederacy with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hobbes/for-as-to-the-strength-of-body-the-weakest-has-strength-enough-to/) [Thomas Hobbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hobbes/) > [Individual civil disobedience was everybody's inherent right, like the right of self-defence in normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/individual-civil-disobedience-was-everybody-s-inherent-right-like-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Nonviolence becomes meaningless if violence is permitted for self-defence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/nonviolence-becomes-meaningless-if-violence-is-permitted-for-self/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [History is replete with instances of men, who, by dying with courage and compassion on their lips converted the hearts of their violent opponents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/history-is-replete-with-instances-of-men-who-by-dying-with-courage/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [The reason for Israel's blockade of Gaza is self-defence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-devine/the-reason-for-israel-s-blockade-of-gaza-is-self-defence/) [Miranda Devine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-devine/) > [Self-defence helps with your confidence, and if you ever find yourself in that type of situation, you are more physically capable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cobie-smulders/self-defence-helps-with-your-confidence-and-if-you-ever-find-yourself/) [Cobie Smulders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cobie-smulders/) > [A decent government with an effective, but not gratuitously violent, police force and a fair court system are essential. This deters and incapacitates psychopaths,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/a-decent-government-with-an-effective-but-not-gratuitously-violent/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [The balance of power is the scale of peace. The same balance would be preserved were all the world not destitute of arms, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-balance-of-power-is-the-scale-of-peace-the-same-balance-would-be/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Legitimate steps of self-defence which Israel takes in its war against Palestinian terror - actions which any sovereign state is obligated to undertake to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-sharon/legitimate-steps-of-self-defence-which-israel-takes-in-its-war/) [Ariel Sharon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-sharon/) > [The academic mind, as we know, is sometimes capable of assuming an aggressive attitude. The official mind, on the contrary, is and has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-fisher/the-academic-mind-as-we-know-is-sometimes-capable-of-assuming-an/) [Ronald Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-fisher/) > [If violent crime is to be curbed, it is only the intended victim who can do it. The felon does not fear the police,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/if-violent-crime-is-to-be-curbed-it-is-only-the-intended-victim-who/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) > [It would have been very alarming - morally, and in other ways too - if an attack of that nature, the 11 September attacks,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-would-have-been-very-alarming-morally-and-in-other-ways-too-if-an/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [All I can say is we will fully utilise our right to self-defence. No one can just do what they want on our borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-shah/all-i-can-say-is-we-will-fully-utilise-our-right-to-self-defence-no/) [Amit Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-shah/) > [“Your self-defense becomes a self-defeat when you are doing it for selfish reasons! It's not about you and your pocket alone; let it be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/your-self-defense-becomes-a-self-defeat-when-you-are-doing-it-for/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) ## 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 Ahimsa quotes > [Ahimsa can be practiced only towards those that are inferior to you in every way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/ahimsa-can-be-practiced-only-towards-those-that-are-inferior-to-you/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Whatever strength the masses have is due entirely to ahimsa, however imperfect or defective its practice might have been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/whatever-strength-the-masses-have-is-due-entirely-to-ahimsa-however/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Which religion gives the greatest joy to God? That which inspires human beings to practice Ahimsa and compassion to all creatures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vallabha-acharya/which-religion-gives-the-greatest-joy-to-god-that-which-inspires/) Vallabha Acharya > [Ahimsa is not mere negative non-injury. It is positive, cosmic love. It is the development of a mental attitude in which hatred is replaced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sivananda/ahimsa-is-not-mere-negative-non-injury-it-is-positive-cosmic-love-it/) [Sivananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sivananda/) > [Ahimsa is an attribute of the brave. Cowardice and ahimsa don't go together any more that water and fire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/ahimsa-is-an-attribute-of-the-brave-cowardice-and-ahimsa-don-t-go/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Strictly speaking, no activity and no industry is possible without a certain amount of violence, no matter how little. Even the very process of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/strictly-speaking-no-activity-and-no-industry-is-possible-without-a/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [If our ahimsa is not of the brave but of the weak, and if it will bend the knee before himsa, Gandhism deserves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/if-our-ahimsa-is-not-of-the-brave-but-of-the-weak-and-if-it-will-bend/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Khadi has been conceived as the foundation and the image of ahimsa. A real khadi-wearer will not utter an untruth. A real khadi-wearer will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/khadi-has-been-conceived-as-the-foundation-and-the-image-of-ahimsa-a/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Dharma is one and one only. Ahimsa means moksha, and moksha is the realization of Truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/dharma-is-one-and-one-only-ahimsa-means-moksha-and-moksha-is-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [It is against the spirit of ahimsa to overawe even one person into submission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/it-is-against-the-spirit-of-ahimsa-to-overawe-even-one-person-into/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Hinduism with its message of ahimsa is to me the most glorious religion in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/hinduism-with-its-message-of-ahimsa-is-to-me-the-most-glorious/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Ahimsa means infinite love, which again means infinite capacity for suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/ahimsa-means-infinite-love-which-again-means-infinite-capacity-for/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [To his enemies the householder must be a hero. Them he must resist. That is the duty of the householder. He must not sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/to-his-enemies-the-householder-must-be-a-hero-them-he-must-resist/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [A votary of ahimsa always prays for ultimate deliverance from the bondage of the flesh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/a-votary-of-ahimsa-always-prays-for-ultimate-deliverance-from-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [ If you kill me, you kill yourself." \[...\] He only wanted to convey to Janegg the truth of ahimsa, which is that all beings… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/if-you-kill-me-you-kill-yourself-he-only-wanted-to-convey-to-janegg/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) [Browse all 138 Ahimsa quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ahimsa/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The strength to kill is not essential for self-defence; one ought to have the strength to die.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mahatma Gandhi" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-strength-to-kill-is-not-essential-for-self-defence-one-ought-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ahimsa" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-strength-to-kill-is-not-essential-for-self-defence-one-ought-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f05/mahatma-gandhi-23_ahimsa_the-strength-to-kill-is-not-essential-fo_1364802.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f05/mahatma-gandhi-23_ahimsa_the-strength-to-kill-is-not-essential-fo_1364802.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f05/mahatma-gandhi-23_ahimsa_the-strength-to-kill-is-not-essential-fo_1364802.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The strength to kill is not essential for self-defence; one ought to have the strength to die.” — Mahatma Gandhi", "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": "Mahatma Gandhi", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The strength to kill is not...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-strength-to-kill-is-not-essential-for-self-defence-one-ought-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-strength-to-kill-is-not-essential-for-self-defence-one-ought-to/#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 } } ] } ```