---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What you get with violence can be…"
description: "\"What you get with violence can be maintained only with violence\" — Martin Luther King, Jr"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a16/martin-luther-king-jr-127_crime_what-you-get-with-violence-can-be-mainta_1726212.png"
---

#  What you get with violence can be maintained only with…

![“What you get with violence can be maintained only with violence” quote by Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a16/martin-luther-king-jr-127_crime_what-you-get-with-violence-can-be-mainta_1726212.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a16/martin-luther-king-jr-127_crime_what-you-get-with-violence-can-be-mainta_1726212.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a16/martin-luther-king-jr-127_crime_what-you-get-with-violence-can-be-mainta_1726212.png)

> “What you get with violence can be maintained only with violence”

[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.

Violence be be sustained only by reciprocal force; non‑violence breaks the cycle.

**In simple terms:** Violence breeds more violence; choose non‑violence.

Key Takeaway

Embrace peaceful resistance.

Themes

non‑violence justice conflict

Mood

determined inspirational

Type

political philosophical

When to use this quote

- civil rights protests
- peaceful negotiations
- community organizing

Key Concepts

ethical philosophy social movements

Questions to Reflect On

- Can you maintain peace under threat?
- What alternatives exist when dialogue fails?

A Different Perspective

Non‑violence may be less effective against ruthless aggression.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/)

## Related quotes

> [Violence can only be concealed by a lie, and the lie can only be maintained by violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/violence-can-only-be-concealed-by-a-lie-and-the-lie-can-only-be-2/)

[Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/)

> [Violence can only be concealed by a lie, and the lie can only be maintained by violence. Any man who has once proclaimed violence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/violence-can-only-be-concealed-by-a-lie-and-the-lie-can-only-be/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I have consistently preached that nonviolence demands that the means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-have-consistently-preached-that-nonviolence-demands-that-the-means/)

[Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/)

> [If you succumb to the temptation of using violence in the struggle, unborn generations will be the recipients of a long and desolate night…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/if-you-succumb-to-the-temptation-of-using-violence-in-the-struggle/)

[Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/)

> [And violence is impractical, because the old eye for an eye philosophy ends up leaving everybody blind .. It is immoral because it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/and-violence-is-impractical-because-the-old-eye-for-an-eye-philosophy/)

[Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/)

> [A lot of people head into courtship looking for fireworks. Don't pass up a chance by dumping someone after a first date because you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fisher/a-lot-of-people-head-into-courtship-looking-for-fireworks-don-t-pass/)

[Helen Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fisher/)

> [I have maintained that the people of India are ahead of their governments. The people of India are at least 10 to 15 years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-chidambaram/i-have-maintained-that-the-people-of-india-are-ahead-of-their/)

[P. Chidambaram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-chidambaram/)

> [Software as an asset isn't stable over time; it needs to be maintained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-behlendorf/software-as-an-asset-isn-t-stable-over-time-it-needs-to-be-maintained/)

[Brian Behlendorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-behlendorf/)

> [I grew up listening to my father argue politics into the night and taking trips every Saturday to the Hood River library where my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-t-mortensen/i-grew-up-listening-to-my-father-argue-politics-into-the-night-and/)

[Dale T. Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-t-mortensen/)

> [In cricket, my superhero is Sachin Tendulkar. He has always been my hero and will continue to remain so. Apart from him and outside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virat-kohli/in-cricket-my-superhero-is-sachin-tendulkar-he-has-always-been-my/)

[Virat Kohli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virat-kohli/)

> [In truth, every American administration since that of Franklin D. Roosevelt has maintained close ties with the Saudi rulers, and for a single, simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/in-truth-every-american-administration-since-that-of-franklin-d/)

[Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/)

> [I have always maintained the importance of Aunts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/i-have-always-maintained-the-importance-of-aunts/)

[Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/)

> [Without resolving Kashmir dispute, lasting peace cannot be maintained in the region.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shehbaz-sharif/without-resolving-kashmir-dispute-lasting-peace-cannot-be-maintained/)

[Shehbaz Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shehbaz-sharif/)

> [The sanctity of law can be maintained only so long as it is the expression of the will of the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhagat-singh/the-sanctity-of-law-can-be-maintained-only-so-long-as-it-is-the/)

[Bhagat Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhagat-singh/)

> [Sporting events like the Olympics have developed and maintained a clear message of promoting gender equality as an essential criterion in the success of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-attias/sporting-events-like-the-olympics-have-developed-and-maintained-a/)

[Richard Attias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-attias/)

## 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 Crime quotes

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [“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/)

> [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/)

[Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/)

> [“The jailers, the Court, everyone in that building – it wasn’t about justice; it was about obedience and intimidation…about maintaining order. Fear accomplished that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-allan/the-jailers-the-court-everyone-in-that-building-it-wasn-t-about/)

[Jay Allan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-allan/)

> [Taking notes while watching Forensic Files and Snapped. I don't want to make the same mistakes the criminals do! ;)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/taking-notes-while-watching-forensic-files-and-snapped-i-don-t-want/)

[Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/)

> [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/)

[Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/)

> [Nations sometimes flourish by denying the crimes that brought them into being. Only when the original invasion, occupation, extermination or usurpation has been safely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/nations-sometimes-flourish-by-denying-the-crimes-that-brought-them/)

[Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/)

> [The danger that may really threaten (crime fiction) is that soon there will be more writers than readers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/the-danger-that-may-really-threaten-crime-fiction-is-that-soon-there/)

[Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/)

> [“a crime to fell a tree and light it on fire, where coals of hardened shit warmed and stunk up homes,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/a-crime-to-fell-a-tree-and-light-it-on-fire-where-coals-of-hardened/)

[Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/)

> [A great read; an exciting, frightening account of organized crime today. But like all important works of nonfiction, it goes further… This book is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/le-ly-hayslip/a-great-read-an-exciting-frightening-account-of-organized-crime-today/)

[Le Ly Hayslip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/le-ly-hayslip/)

> [History is the study of the world's crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/history-is-the-study-of-the-world-s-crime/)

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

> [If it comes to a question of law, the charges they brought against me - the Espionage Act - is called the quintessential political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-it-comes-to-a-question-of-law-the-charges-they-brought-against-me/)

[Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/)

> [Too much virtue can be criminal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-racine/too-much-virtue-can-be-criminal/)

[Jean Racine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-racine/)

> [The federal prison population increased by almost 800 percent between 1980 and 2013, often at a far faster rate than the Bureau of Prisons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-yates/the-federal-prison-population-increased-by-almost-800-percent-between/)

[Sally Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-yates/)

> [ \[P\]rogress, however, has not sufficiently infiltrated the Interior Ministry, affording protection to those who participated in the Bytyqi murders and other egregious Milosevic-era crimes. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avis-bohlen/p-rogress-however-has-not-sufficiently-infiltrated-the-interior/)

Avis Bohlen

[Browse all 8,359 Crime quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "What you get with violence can be maintained only with violence",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Martin Luther King, Jr"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/what-you-get-with-violence-can-be-maintained-only-with-violence/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Crime"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/what-you-get-with-violence-can-be-maintained-only-with-violence/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a16/martin-luther-king-jr-127_crime_what-you-get-with-violence-can-be-mainta_1726212.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a16/martin-luther-king-jr-127_crime_what-you-get-with-violence-can-be-mainta_1726212.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a16/martin-luther-king-jr-127_crime_what-you-get-with-violence-can-be-mainta_1726212.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“What you get with violence can be maintained only with violence” — Martin Luther King, Jr",
                "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": "Martin Luther King, Jr",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "What you get with violence can...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/what-you-get-with-violence-can-be-maintained-only-with-violence/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/what-you-get-with-violence-can-be-maintained-only-with-violence/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
