--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had 2 choices, be silent and get…" description: "\"I had 2 choices, be silent and get killed, or speak up and be killed, I chose the second option.\" — Malala Yousafzai" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f4/malala-yousafzai-808_choice_i-had-2-choices-be-silent-and-get-killed_868814.png" --- # I had 2 choices, be silent and get killed, or speak up and… ![“I had 2 choices, be silent and get killed, or speak up and be killed, I chose the second option.” quote by Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f4/malala-yousafzai-808_choice_i-had-2-choices-be-silent-and-get-killed_868814.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f4/malala-yousafzai-808_choice_i-had-2-choices-be-silent-and-get-killed_868814.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f4/malala-yousafzai-808_choice_i-had-2-choices-be-silent-and-get-killed_868814.png) > “I had 2 choices, be silent and get killed, or speak up and be killed, I chose the second option.” [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Highlights the choice between silent compliance and outspoken defiance, choosing the latter despite danger. **In simple terms:** Choosing to speak out can be risky but shows bravery. Key Takeaway Speak up even when it’s dangerous. Themes courage activism personal sacrifice Mood inspirational defiant Type political humanitarian When to use this quote - activists facing oppression - individuals confronting injustice Key Concepts civil rights human rights political dissent Questions to Reflect On - What motivates someone to risk their life for truth? - How can societies protect outspoken individuals? A Different Perspective Risk of personal harm may deter others. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) ## Related quotes > [I had two options One was to remain silent and wait to be killed and the second was to speak up and then be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/i-had-two-options-one-was-to-remain-silent-and-wait-to-be-killed-and/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [If I was afraid of being killed, I would never speak out against the government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aung-san-suu-kyi/if-i-was-afraid-of-being-killed-i-would-never-speak-out-against-the/) [Aung San Suu Kyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aung-san-suu-kyi/) > [Lord Raoul asked me to tell you that if you get yourself killed, he will never speak to you again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamora-pierce/lord-raoul-asked-me-to-tell-you-that-if-you-get-yourself-killed-he/) [Tamora Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamora-pierce/) > [Convulsive anger storms at large; or pale And silent, settles into full revenge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tillotson/convulsive-anger-storms-at-large-or-pale-and-silent-settles-into-full/) [John Tillotson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tillotson/) > [The world is hard and cruel. We are here none knows why, and we go none knows whither. We must be very humble. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/the-world-is-hard-and-cruel-we-are-here-none-knows-why-and-we-go-none/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [In times of dread, artists must never choose to remain silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/in-times-of-dread-artists-must-never-choose-to-remain-silent/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [Cold calculation, random spots of color, mathematically exact construction (clearly shown or concealed), drawing that is now silent and now strident . . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-puccini/cold-calculation-random-spots-of-color-mathematically-exact/) [Giacomo Puccini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-puccini/) > [It is moonlight. 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No it means you should probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/if-in-the-middle-of-an-argument-i-suddenly-fall-silent-it-does-not/) [Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/) > [The silent majority is silent, and that is best for everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-kocher/the-silent-majority-is-silent-and-that-is-best-for-everybody/) [Gerhard Kocher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-kocher/) > [“A bookshop is a peaceful sanctuary of silent voices waiting to heard”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mala-naidoo/a-bookshop-is-a-peaceful-sanctuary-of-silent-voices-waiting-to-heard/) [Mala Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mala-naidoo/) > [...Gratitude transforms the torment of memory of good things now gone into silent joy. One bears what was lovely in the past not as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/gratitude-transforms-the-torment-of-memory-of-good-things-now-gone/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“SILENT LIKE SLEEP You appear by my side, silent like sleep. Soft hair, a little wild. No fear, gentle like a calm river. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-goddard/silent-like-sleep-you-appear-by-my-side-silent-like-sleep-soft-hair-a/) [Donna Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-goddard/) > [When man of slender visits you / Nothing on earth that one can do / In well he’ll hide, or watery hole / And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-goldstein/when-man-of-slender-visits-you-nothing-on-earth-that-one-can-do-in/) [Jack Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-goldstein/) > [She smiled, if he could see that, and waited for him to ask the real question. But he was silent. He wanted her to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-shinn/she-smiled-if-he-could-see-that-and-waited-for-him-to-ask-the-real/) [Sharon Shinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-shinn/) ## More by Malala Yousafzai > [I don't want to be remembered as the girl who was shot. I want to be remembered as the girl who stood up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/i-don-t-want-to-be-remembered-as-the-girl-who-was-shot-i-want-to-be/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [I speak not for myself, but so those without a voice can be heard. Those who have fought for their rights. Their right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/i-speak-not-for-myself-but-so-those-without-a-voice-can-be-heard/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [I think I have a right to live my life the way I like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/i-think-i-have-a-right-to-live-my-life-the-way-i-like/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [I want to have fun, but I don't quite know how.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/i-want-to-have-fun-but-i-don-t-quite-know-how/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [In some parts of the world, students are going to school every day. It's their normal life. But in other part of the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/in-some-parts-of-the-world-students-are-going-to-school-every-day-it/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [If one man can destroy everything, why can't one girl change it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/if-one-man-can-destroy-everything-why-can-t-one-girl-change-it/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [“We all played cricket on the street or rooftops together, but I knew as we got older the girls would be expected to stay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/we-all-played-cricket-on-the-street-or-rooftops-together-but-i-knew/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [When I was young I used to listen to other people and to try and understand what they thought and where they were coming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/when-i-was-young-i-used-to-listen-to-other-people-and-to-try-and/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [Once I had asked God for one or two extra inches in height, but instead, he made me as tall as the sky, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/once-i-had-asked-god-for-one-or-two-extra-inches-in-height-but/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [We human beings don't realize how great God is. He has given us an extraordinary brain and a sensitive loving heart. He has blessed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/we-human-beings-don-t-realize-how-great-god-is-he-has-given-us-an/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [ Education had been a great gift for him \[Ziauddin\]. He believed that lack of education was the root of all the Pakistan's problems. Ignorance… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/education-had-been-a-great-gift-for-him-ziauddin-he-believed-that/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [I was born a proud daughter of Pakistan, though like all Swatis I thought of myself first as a Swati and Pashtun, before Pakistani.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/i-was-born-a-proud-daughter-of-pakistan-though-like-all-swatis-i/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [I had two options One was to remain silent and wait to be killed and the second was to speak up and then be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/i-had-two-options-one-was-to-remain-silent-and-wait-to-be-killed-and/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [The important thing to note is that it is not important whether Malala was shot or not - Malala is not asking for personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/the-important-thing-to-note-is-that-it-is-not-important-whether/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [It's an honor to be awarded the Liberty Medal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/it-s-an-honor-to-be-awarded-the-liberty-medal/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) [Explore all 348 Malala Yousafzai quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) ## 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! 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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. 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