--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We will have to repent in this generation…" description: "\"“We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good peo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/martin-luther-king-jr-2-1523_bad-people_we-will-have-to-repent-in-this-generatio_3143732.jpg" --- # We will have to repent in this generation not merely for… ![“We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.” quote by Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/martin-luther-king-jr-2-1523_bad-people_we-will-have-to-repent-in-this-generatio_3143732.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/martin-luther-king-jr-2-1523_bad-people_we-will-have-to-repent-in-this-generatio_3143732.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/martin-luther-king-jr-2-1523_bad-people_we-will-have-to-repent-in-this-generatio_3143732.jpg) > ““We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.”” [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 not stay silent when evil occurs; inaction is as culpable as wrongdoing. **In simple terms:** Silence of the good is complicit. Key Takeaway Speak up against injustice. Themes justice responsibility morality Mood determined urgent Type ethical inspirational When to use this quote - protests - community meetings - online activism - public statements Key Concepts civil rights ethical duty social activism Questions to Reflect On - What would you risk to break silence? - How can you support others to speak out? 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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. 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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. 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