15 Inspiring Gandhi Quotes

Mahatma Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, India, and so began a life that would change the history of his country and the world for the better. After studying law, Gandhi famously advocated for the rights of Indians, ultimately becoming “Bapu,” the father of the Indian independence movement. But his non-violent activism reached far beyond his homeland, becoming a global call for the oppressed all over the world to unite and stand up for freedom and justice through peaceful protest.

Today, the power of Gandhi’s words still inspire us to change the world by changing ourselves. Here are some of his most famous quotes:

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

“The greatness of humanity is not in being human, but in being humane.”

“In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”

“Change yourself – you are in control.”

“I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.”

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”

“Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.”

“We need not wait to see what others do.”

“A ‘No’ uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a ‘Yes’ merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble.”

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

“To call woman the weaker sex is a libel; it is man’s injustice to woman.”

“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.”

“Love is the strongest force the world possesses.”

“Nonviolence is a weapon of the strong.”

“A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes.”

From the Bio Archives: This article was originally published in 2014.