--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When faced with a choice between violence…" description: "\"When faced with a choice between violence and cowardice, always choose violence\" — Mahatma Gandhi" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b2/mahatma-gandhi-23_choice_when-faced-with-a-choice-between-violenc_768614.jpg" --- # When faced with a choice between violence and cowardice… ![“When faced with a choice between violence and cowardice, always choose violence” quote by Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b2/mahatma-gandhi-23_choice_when-faced-with-a-choice-between-violenc_768614.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b2/mahatma-gandhi-23_choice_when-faced-with-a-choice-between-violenc_768614.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b2/mahatma-gandhi-23_choice_when-faced-with-a-choice-between-violenc_768614.jpg) > “When faced with a choice between violence and cowardice, always choose violence” [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. Choosing violence over cowardice is advocated, contradicting Gandhi’s known philosophy. **In simple terms:** Advocates violence over fear. Key Takeaway Reject cowardice, embrace force. Themes conflict morality courage Mood controversial critical Type historical philosophical When to use this quote - political struggle - personal defense - social unrest Key Concepts violence vs non‑violence ethical dilemmas Questions to Reflect On - When is violence justified? - What are alternatives to violence? A Different Perspective Inconsistent with Gandhi’s pacifism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Cowardice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cowardice/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [Non-violence and cowardice are contradictory terms. Non-violence is the greatest virtue, cowardice the greatest vice. Non-violence springs from love, cowardice from hate. Non-violence always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/non-violence-and-cowardice-are-contradictory-terms-non-violence-is/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [We no longer have a choice between violence and non-violence. The choice of today stands between nonviolence or non-existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/we-no-longer-have-a-choice-between-violence-and-non-violence-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [We must choose between the violence of adults and the smiles of children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/we-must-choose-between-the-violence-of-adults-and-the-smiles-of/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [“When we choose to stay down, we are in reality confusing wisdom with cowardice. When we choose to stand back up, we are using…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/when-we-choose-to-stay-down-we-are-in-reality-confusing-wisdom-with/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [We must choose between the violence of adults and the smiles of children. Between the ugliness of hate and the will to oppose it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/we-must-choose-between-the-violence-of-adults-and-the-smiles-of-2/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [As a woman, you accept the situation, adapt to it, and do your best, whereas men would choose violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asne-seierstad/as-a-woman-you-accept-the-situation-adapt-to-it-and-do-your-best/) [Asne Seierstad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asne-seierstad/) > [“It seemed sensible to crave safety, to crave shelter from the bombs and the Birds and the daily depravity of war. But somewhere deep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-el-akkad/it-seemed-sensible-to-crave-safety-to-crave-shelter-from-the-bombs/) [Omar El Akkad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-el-akkad/) > [The choice is not between violence and nonviolence but between nonviolence and nonexistence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-choice-is-not-between-violence-and-nonviolence-but-between/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [“Humans have terrible passions that can go either way: create or destroy, it all depends on where they emerge. Art is not a tranquil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-zafra/humans-have-terrible-passions-that-can-go-either-way-create-or/) [Jessica Zafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-zafra/) > [“Was he evil? I've spent a lot of time wrestling with that question. In the end, I don't think he was. Most people believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-klebold/was-he-evil-i-ve-spent-a-lot-of-time-wrestling-with-that-question-in/) [Sue Klebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-klebold/) > [I do believe that where there is a choice between cowardice and non-violence I would advise violence. Thus when my eldest son asked me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-believe-that-where-there-is-a-choice-between-cowardice-and-non/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Bullies are always to be found where there are cowards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/bullies-are-always-to-be-found-where-there-are-cowards/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [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/) > [No police or military in the world can protect people who are cowards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/no-police-or-military-in-the-world-can-protect-people-who-are-cowards/) [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 Choice quotes > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [“That’s all! Now either leave us alone or join us as a father rather than a receiver of sacrifices. You have the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/that-s-all-now-either-leave-us-alone-or-join-us-as-a-father-rather/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“Exactly. So, what can't you take? Decide which of the two options is harder, and do the other. That way, no matter how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/exactly-so-what-can-t-you-take-decide-which-of-the-two-options-is/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [“too—I realized that my only hope was to give up the life that had been, in order to make room for the life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/too-i-realized-that-my-only-hope-was-to-give-up-the-life-that-had/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [There has always been a feeling with people that they love my singing but not always the choice of material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/there-has-always-been-a-feeling-with-people-that-they-love-my-singing/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [I have too many options when it comes to guitars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-nielsen/i-have-too-many-options-when-it-comes-to-guitars/) [Rick Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-nielsen/) > [“Amazing how a small choice can change your life forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-c-dockens/amazing-how-a-small-choice-can-change-your-life-forever/) Randy C. Dockens > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Since I don't outline my books very much, I feel like sometimes I don't have a choice in what the characters do; they just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-todd/since-i-don-t-outline-my-books-very-much-i-feel-like-sometimes-i-don/) [Anna Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-todd/) > [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [Words can only have an effect on you if you choose to listen to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/words-can-only-have-an-effect-on-you-if-you-choose-to-listen-to-them/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) [Browse all 8,092 Choice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When faced with a choice between violence and cowardice, always choose violence", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mahatma Gandhi" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/when-faced-with-a-choice-between-violence-and-cowardice-always-choose/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Choice" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/when-faced-with-a-choice-between-violence-and-cowardice-always-choose/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b2/mahatma-gandhi-23_choice_when-faced-with-a-choice-between-violenc_768614.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b2/mahatma-gandhi-23_choice_when-faced-with-a-choice-between-violenc_768614.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b2/mahatma-gandhi-23_choice_when-faced-with-a-choice-between-violenc_768614.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When faced with a choice between violence and cowardice, always choose violence” — 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": "When faced with a choice between...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/when-faced-with-a-choice-between-violence-and-cowardice-always-choose/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/when-faced-with-a-choice-between-violence-and-cowardice-always-choose/#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 } } ] } ```