--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: On some positions, cowardice asks the…" description: "\"On some positions, cowardice asks the question, is it expedient? And then expedience comes along and asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/martin-luther-king-jr-127_conscience_on-some-positions-cowardice-asks-the-que_1635488.jpg" --- # On some positions, cowardice asks the question, is it… ![“On some positions, cowardice asks the question, is it expedient? And then expedience comes along and asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? Conscience asks the question, is it right? There comes a time when one must take the position that is neither safe nor…” quote by Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/martin-luther-king-jr-127_conscience_on-some-positions-cowardice-asks-the-que_1635488.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/martin-luther-king-jr-127_conscience_on-some-positions-cowardice-asks-the-que_1635488.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/martin-luther-king-jr-127_conscience_on-some-positions-cowardice-asks-the-que_1635488.jpg) > “On some positions, cowardice asks the question, is it expedient? And then expedience comes along and asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? Conscience asks the question, is it right? There comes a time when one must take the position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must do it because conscience tells him it is right.” [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Conscience demands action that may be unsafe, unpopular, or politically inconvenient, but is morally right. **In simple terms:** Do what is right despite risks or popularity. Key Takeaway Act on conscience, not convenience. Themes morality courage politics integrity Mood determined reflective serious Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - activism - leadership - policy decisions - personal dilemmas Key Concepts ethical duty civil disobedience moral courage Questions to Reflect On - What would you do when rightness conflicts with safety? - How can you support those who choose the difficult moral path? A Different Perspective May face backlash, isolation, or failure if others oppose. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) [Conscience Asks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience-asks-520961/) [Conscience Tells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience-tells-436252/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Cowardice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cowardice/) [Cowardice Asks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cowardice-asks-520963/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Position](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/position/) [Question Politic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/question-politic-520962/) [Safe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/safe/) [There comes a time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/there-comes-a-time/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Truth Seeking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-seeking/) [Vanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vanity/) [Vanity Asks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vanity-asks-520964/) ## Related quotes > [Cowardice asks the question, is it safe? Expediency asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? But conscience asks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/cowardice-asks-the-question-is-it-safe-expediency-asks-the-question-2/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [“Cowardice asks the question, 'Is it safe?' Expediency asks the question, 'Is it politic?' Vanity asks the question, 'Is it popular?' But, conscience asks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/cowardice-asks-the-question-is-it-safe-expediency-asks-the-question/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [On some positions, Cowardice asks the question, 'Is it safe?' Expediency asks the question, 'Is it politic?' And Vanity comes along and asks the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/on-some-positions-cowardice-asks-the-question-is-it-safe-expediency/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [“On some positions, Cowardice asks the question, “Is it safe?” Expediency asks the question, “Is it politic?” And Vanity comes along and asks the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/on-some-positions-cowardice-asks-the-question-is-it-safe-expediency-2/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [My father said, Politics asks the question: Is it expedient? Vanity asks: Is it popular? But conscience asks: Is it right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dexter-scott-king/my-father-said-politics-asks-the-question-is-it-expedient-vanity-asks/) [Dexter Scott King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dexter-scott-king/) > [Cowardice asks: Is it safe? Expediency asks: Is it politic? But Conscience asks: Is it right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morley-punshon/cowardice-asks-is-it-safe-expediency-asks-is-it-politic-but/) [William Morley Punshon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morley-punshon/) > [There comes a time when one must take the position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must do it because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/there-comes-a-time-when-one-must-take-the-position-that-is-neither/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [There comes a time when a moral man can't obey a law which his conscience tells him is unjust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/there-comes-a-time-when-a-moral-man-can-t-obey-a-law-which-his/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Vanity asks, is it popular? Politics ask, will it work? But conscience and morality ask, is it right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/vanity-asks-is-it-popular-politics-ask-will-it-work-but-conscience/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Cowardice asks the question, is it safe?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/cowardice-asks-the-question-is-it-safe/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/an-individual-who-breaks-a-law-that-conscience-tells-him-is-unjust/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-submit-that-an-individual-who-breaks-a-law-that-conscience-tells-2/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [One who breaks an unjust law that conscience tells him is unjust ... is in reality expressing the highest respect for law ... We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/one-who-breaks-an-unjust-law-that-conscience-tells-him-is-unjust-is/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I'm just doing what my conscience asks me to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-guangcheng/i-m-just-doing-what-my-conscience-asks-me-to-do/) [Chen Guangcheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-guangcheng/) > [“Courage is an inner resolution to go forward despite obstacles; Cowardice is submissive surrender to circumstances. Courage breeds creativity; Cowardice represses fear and is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/courage-is-an-inner-resolution-to-go-forward-despite-obstacles-2/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) ## More by Martin Luther King, Jr > [The strong man holds in a living blend strongly marked opposites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-strong-man-holds-in-a-living-blend-strongly-marked-opposites/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Our nation was born in genocide when it embraced the doctrine that the original American, the Indian, was an inferior race. ... We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/our-nation-was-born-in-genocide-when-it-embraced-the-doctrine-that/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somewhere-somebody-must-have-some-sense-men-must-see-that-force/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Every genuine expression of love grows out of a consistent and total surrender to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/every-genuine-expression-of-love-grows-out-of-a-consistent-and-total/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/we-must-remember-that-intelligence-is-not-enough-intelligence-plus/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I’ve been to the Mountaintop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-ve-been-to-the-mountaintop/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The supreme task is to organize and unite people so that their anger becomes a transforming force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-supreme-task-is-to-organize-and-unite-people-so-that-their-anger/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The great issue of life is to harness the drum major instinct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-great-issue-of-life-is-to-harness-the-drum-major-instinct/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Somebody must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate and the chain of evil in the universe. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somebody-must-have-sense-enough-and-morality-enough-to-cut-off-the/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Darkness is only driven out with light, not more darkness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/darkness-is-only-driven-out-with-light-not-more-darkness/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [What seems so necessary today may not even be desirable tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/what-seems-so-necessary-today-may-not-even-be-desirable-tomorrow/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The Negro cannot win the respect of his oppressor by acquiescing; he merely increases the oppressor's arrogance and contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-negro-cannot-win-the-respect-of-his-oppressor-by-acquiescing-he/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The majority of the Negroes who took part in the year-long boycott of Montgomery's buses were poor and untutored; but they understood the essence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-majority-of-the-negroes-who-took-part-in-the-year-long-boycott-of/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity and is for the building of humanity, it has dignity and it has worth,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/whenever-you-are-engaged-in-work-that-serves-humanity-and-is-for-the/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-have-a-dream-that-one-day-even-the-state-of-mississippi-a-desert/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) [Explore all 1,210 Martin Luther King, Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## More Conscience quotes > [Self-respect and a clear conscience are powerful components of integrity and are the basis for enriching your relationships with others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-waitley/self-respect-and-a-clear-conscience-are-powerful-components-of/) [Denis Waitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-waitley/) > [“Knowledge without conscience is but the ruin of the soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabelaise/knowledge-without-conscience-is-but-the-ruin-of-the-soul/) [Rabelaise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabelaise/) > [Writing adds up to the conscience of our times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-firrell/writing-adds-up-to-the-conscience-of-our-times/) [Martin Firrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-firrell/) > [My conscience is really active. So I feel bad about spending excess amount of money on things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/my-conscience-is-really-active-so-i-feel-bad-about-spending-excess/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) > [Let us be thankful for health and competence, and, above all, for a quiet conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izaak-walton/let-us-be-thankful-for-health-and-competence-and-above-all-for-a/) [Izaak Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/izaak-walton/) > [Making money doesn't oblige people to forfeit their honor or their conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-rothschild/making-money-doesn-t-oblige-people-to-forfeit-their-honor-or-their/) [Guy de Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-rothschild/) > [“If we cannot be happy and powerful and prey on others, we invent conscience and prey on ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/if-we-cannot-be-happy-and-powerful-and-prey-on-others-we-invent/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [The God in whose hands are all our days and ways, did cast into my hand one day a book of Martin Luthers; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/the-god-in-whose-hands-are-all-our-days-and-ways-did-cast-into-my/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [My morals are important to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-parrish/my-morals-are-important-to-me/) [Hunter Parrish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-parrish/) > [Being tolerant does not mean that I share another ones belief. But it does mean that I acknowledge another ones right to believe, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/being-tolerant-does-not-mean-that-i-share-another-ones-belief-but-it/) [Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/) > [Never can true courage dwell with them, Who, playing tricks with conscience, dare not look At their own vices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/never-can-true-courage-dwell-with-them-who-playing-tricks-with/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/) [John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/) > [I've worked with people who are much further to the left than I am and much further to the right than I am. At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hanks/i-ve-worked-with-people-who-are-much-further-to-the-left-than-i-am/) [Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/) > [If all the world hated you and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved of you and absolved you from guilt, you would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/if-all-the-world-hated-you-and-believed-you-wicked-while-your-own/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [ \[D\]on't grow old. With age comes caution, which is another name for cowardice… Whatever else you do in life, don't cultivate a conscience. Without… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesketh-pearson/d-on-t-grow-old-with-age-comes-caution-which-is-another-name-for/) [Hesketh Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesketh-pearson/) [Browse all 3,490 Conscience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "On some positions, cowardice asks the question, is it expedient? And then expedience comes along and asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? Conscience asks the question, is it right? 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