--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It may well be that we will have to…" description: "\"“It may well be that we will have to repent in this generation. Not merely for the vitriolic words and the violent actions of the bad people, but for t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/755/martin-luther-king-jr-2-1523_bad-people_it-may-well-be-that-we-will-have-to-repe_747598.jpg" --- # It may well be that we will have to repent in this… ![“It may well be that we will have to repent in this generation. Not merely for the vitriolic words and the violent actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence and indifference of the good people who sit around and say, "Wait on time.” quote by Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/755/martin-luther-king-jr-2-1523_bad-people_it-may-well-be-that-we-will-have-to-repe_747598.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/755/martin-luther-king-jr-2-1523_bad-people_it-may-well-be-that-we-will-have-to-repe_747598.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/755/martin-luther-king-jr-2-1523_bad-people_it-may-well-be-that-we-will-have-to-repe_747598.jpg) > ““It may well be that we will have to repent in this generation. Not merely for the vitriolic words and the violent actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence and indifference of the good people who sit around and say, "Wait on time.”” [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The good must act, not just wait, lest they share guilt for societal . **In simple terms:** Good people must act, not just wait. Key Takeaway Act now, don't stay silent. Themes responsibility activism indifference Mood urgent reflective Type motivational ethical When to use this quote - political protest - community leadership - personal accountability Key Concepts moral duty social justice Questions to Reflect On - What injustices are you overlooking? - How can you move from waiting to acting? A Different Perspective Silence can be as harmful as wrongdoing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-people/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [Good people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-people/) [Indifference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indifference/) [Repentance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repentance/) [Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence/) [Social justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-justice/) [Social movements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-movements/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) [Vitriol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vitriol/) ## Related quotes > [We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/we-will-have-to-repent-in-this-generation-not-merely-for-the/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [“We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/we-will-have-to-repent-in-this-generation-not-merely-for-the-hateful-2/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“Not only will we have to repent for the sins of bad people; but we also will have to repent for the appalling silence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/not-only-will-we-have-to-repent-for-the-sins-of-bad-people-but-we/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“More and more I feel that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than have the people of good will.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/more-and-more-i-feel-that-the-people-of-ill-will-have-used-time-much/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [We shall have to repent in this generation , not so much for the evil deeds of the wicked people, but for the appalling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/we-shall-have-to-repent-in-this-generation-not-so-much-for-the-evil/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/history-will-have-to-record-that-the-greatest-tragedy-of-this-period/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [“We will have to repent, in this generation, not merely for the hateful words and actions of bad people, but for the appalling silence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-follett/we-will-have-to-repent-in-this-generation-not-merely-for-the-hateful/) [Ken Follett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-follett/) > [It is a strangely irrational notion that there is something in the very flow of time that will inevitably cure all ills. Actually time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/it-is-a-strangely-irrational-notion-that-there-is-something-in-the/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [“Human beings with all their faults and strengths constitute the mechanism of a social movement. They must make mistakes and learn from them, make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/human-beings-with-all-their-faults-and-strengths-constitute-the/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [On both sides of the Atlantic, politics has come to be dominated by vitriolic name-calling and pervasive dishonesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-boot/on-both-sides-of-the-atlantic-politics-has-come-to-be-dominated-by/) [Max Boot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-boot/) > [Vitriolic really is personal. I am vitriolic. I am savage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/vitriolic-really-is-personal-i-am-vitriolic-i-am-savage/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [I have reflected a great deal on that event, and continue to do so. I cannot give you a complete answer in a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-i-jenkins/i-have-reflected-a-great-deal-on-that-event-and-continue-to-do-so-i/) [John I. Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-i-jenkins/) > [A lot of the Qur'an is, frankly, cantankerous, vitriolic, man-hating stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/a-lot-of-the-qur-an-is-frankly-cantankerous-vitriolic-man-hating-stuff/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [Sometimes people are so unbelievably vitriolic on the Internet because I think that everybody wants to be heard, and the easiest way to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavi-gevinson/sometimes-people-are-so-unbelievably-vitriolic-on-the-internet/) [Tavi Gevinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavi-gevinson/) > [Feminism is a word that I identify with. The term has become synonymous with vitriolic man-hating but it needs to come back to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-lennox/feminism-is-a-word-that-i-identify-with-the-term-has-become/) [Annie Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-lennox/) ## More by Martin Luther King Jr > [We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/we-have-learned-to-fly-the-air-like-birds-and-swim-the-sea-like-fish/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [I had a dreamthat you would just shut the fuck up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/i-had-a-dreamthat-you-would-just-shut-the-fuck-up/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice; say that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/yes-if-you-want-to-say-that-i-was-a-drum-major-say-that-i-was-a-drum/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/we-must-forever-conduct-our-struggle-on-the-high-plane-of-dignity-and/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/it-may-be-true-that-the-law-cannot-make-a-man-love-me-but-it-can-stop/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“Privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/privileged-groups-seldom-give-up-their-privileges-voluntarily/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [God has set the type of marriage everywhere throughout the creation. Every creature seeks its perfection in another. The very heavens and earth picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/god-has-set-the-type-of-marriage-everywhere-throughout-the-creation/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [A nation that continues to produce soft-minded men purchases its own spiritual death on the installment plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/a-nation-that-continues-to-produce-soft-minded-men-purchases-its-own/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“It is not enough to say, 'We must not wage war.' It is necessary to love peace and sacrifice for it. We must concentrate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/it-is-not-enough-to-say-we-must-not-wage-war-it-is-necessary-to-love/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“When, for decades, you have been able to make a man compromise his manhood by threatening him with a cruel and unjust punishment, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/when-for-decades-you-have-been-able-to-make-a-man-compromise-his/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [The question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/the-question-is-not-whether-we-will-be-extremists-but-what-kind-of/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“Deep in our history of struggle for freedom, Canada was the North star”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/deep-in-our-history-of-struggle-for-freedom-canada-was-the-north-star/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“And he's allowed me to go to the mountain. And I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land! I may not get there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/and-he-s-allowed-me-to-go-to-the-mountain-and-i-ve-looked-over-and-i/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/we-know-through-painful-experience-that-freedom-is-never-voluntarily/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/returning-hate-for-hate-multiplies-hate-adding-deeper-darkness-to-a/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) [Explore all 219 Martin Luther King Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) ## More Bad people quotes > [“Crime and punishment can be summed up in two classifications: there are bad people and there are people who get into bad situations. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnie-dent-jr/crime-and-punishment-can-be-summed-up-in-two-classifications-there/) [Johnnie Dent Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnie-dent-jr/) > [“Any discussion of money and success would be lacking if I did not state that money is neither good nor bad. 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You're destiny is never tied to anyone who leaves you, and it doesn't mean they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-people-walk-away-from-you-let-them-go-you-re-destiny-is-never/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If you have the ability and the opportunity to help someone, but you don't do anything just because you're scared or it's inconvenient or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bree-despain/if-you-have-the-ability-and-the-opportunity-to-help-someone-but-you/) [Bree Despain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bree-despain/) > [Really bad people around the world, because of the genius of American innovation, use our products and infrastructure for their emails, for their communications.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-comey/really-bad-people-around-the-world-because-of-the-genius-of-american/) [James Comey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-comey/) > [“If you sought to leave the world, don’t go alone. Since there are too many bad people you can take them too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/if-you-sought-to-leave-the-world-don-t-go-alone-since-there-are-too/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [“To feel someone’s life drain from their body by your hands . . . bad, bad people who need to be plucked from this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tillie-cole/to-feel-someone-s-life-drain-from-their-body-by-your-hands-bad-bad/) [Tillie Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tillie-cole/) > [“I just can't get with this idea that literature is a 12-step program. If someone wants to read a book to see good people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/china-mi-ville/i-just-can-t-get-with-this-idea-that-literature-is-a-12-step-program/) [China Miéville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/china-mi-ville/) > [“Deterrents properly placed can help. But that is not enough. We are one society, and as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-booker/deterrents-properly-placed-can-help-but-that-is-not-enough-we-are-one/) [Cory Booker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-booker/) > [“Plato argued that good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will always find a way around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-howard/plato-argued-that-good-people-do-not-need-laws-to-tell-them-to-act/) [Philip K. Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-howard/) > [Too bad all the people who know how to run this country are busy running taxicabs or cutting hair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/too-bad-all-the-people-who-know-how-to-run-this-country-are-busy/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [“was my first indication that the policies of Mamaw’s “party of the working man”—the Democrats—weren’t all they were cracked up to be. Political scientists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance/was-my-first-indication-that-the-policies-of-mamaw-s-party-of-the/) [J.D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance/) > [The truth is that Africa is like everywhere else. There are poor areas, there are rich areas, there is a middle class. Some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masai-ujiri/the-truth-is-that-africa-is-like-everywhere-else-there-are-poor-areas/) [Masai Ujiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masai-ujiri/) > [I'm a very placid human being. I don't want to kill anyone. I guess I have played a lot of bad people in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-mays/i-m-a-very-placid-human-being-i-don-t-want-to-kill-anyone-i-guess-i/) [Daniel Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-mays/) > [We do not come to God as bad people trying to become good people; we come as rebels to lay down our arms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/we-do-not-come-to-god-as-bad-people-trying-to-become-good-people-we/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) [Browse all 703 Bad people quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It may well be that we will have to repent in this generation. 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