19 powerful activist quotes to inspire the change-maker in you
Unsplash/Rod Long: Prague street art. “If not us then who, if not now then when?’
Can motivational quotes be an accessory for change? Hell yes.
Motivational quotes can be powerful. With just a few well-crafted words, we can feel empowered, enlightened and inspired, and at times, even propelled into action. Their effect on our emotions is a key part of why they’re so popular.
If you’re active on social media, particularly Instagram, you’ll know how popular. (Here you’ll find well over 50 million tags for #motivationalquotes.) But let’s face it, quality can vary… significantly. And corniness and cliqué is RIFE.
That said, when quotes are good, they can become synonymous with moments in history and cultural movements.
Take for example Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, amid the American Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Or Lincoln’s rhetoric on a “government of the people, by the people, for the people” in his 1863 Gettysburg Address.
Speakers, leaders and activists know well the importance and value of language. Political rhetoric has been used as an accessory for driving change and inspiring audiences for time immemorial.
Famous speeches from the likes of Roosevelt and Churchill have given us quotes that help alleviate fears (“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”), fight for equality (“We should all be feminists”), and believe in the possibility of change (“The wind of change is blowing”).
Some people find quotes so poignant and integral to how they want to live, they emblazon them across their bodies to bond themselves to the sentiment forever. That’s how much we feel they can serve us.
Here are 19 favourites from an array of inspirational people, ranging from policy-makers to celebrated poets to rising change-makers of the moment.
Embrace them as a source of strength throughout the day, and to help with any ethical living intentions you might have…
“Speak the truth, even if your voice shakes.”
— Daphne Caruana Galizia
This quote comes from the Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was murdered by a bomb that exploded beneath the driver’s seat of her car. She founded an enormously popular blog called Running Commentary, which covered the darker side of Maltese politics.
2. “We are the change that we seek.”
— Barack Obama
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”
Former US President Barack Obama has made some powerful speeches over the past two decades, this quote is one of his most memorable.
3. “I refuse to believe you cannot be both compassionate and strong.”
— Jacinda Ardern
“One of the criticisms I've faced over the years is that I'm not aggressive enough or assertive enough, or maybe somehow, because I'm empathetic, it means I'm weak. I totally rebel against that. I refuse to believe that you cannot be both compassionate and strong.”
Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand Prime Minister.
4. “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
— Viktor Frankl
In psychiatrist Viktor Frankl’s memoir Man’s Search for Meaning — which captures the experiences and spiritual lessons he acquired as a survivor of the Holocaust — he argues that we cannot avoid suffering but instead choose how to cope with it, adapting ourselves to find meaning, and renewed purpose.
5. The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.”
— Paul Coelho
Paul Coelho is the Brazilian author of The Alchemist and Veronika Decides to Die.
6. “Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.”
— Buddha
Buddha’s famous quote serves as an important reminder that every day anything is possible. There’s always hope with new beginnings; something we can all embrace throughout our lives.
7. “A life spent in making mistakes is not only more honourable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.”
— George Bernard Shaw
Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw has a number of great quotes attributed to him, but this is one of my personal favourites, reminding us that mistakes are part of a journey and a process that ultimately moves us forwards.
8. “Great minds have purpose, others have wishes. Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortunes; but great minds rise above them.”
— Washington Irving
9. “People will forget what you said… what you did… but will never forget how you made them feel.”
— Maya Angelou
If you ever beat yourself up for not conducting yourself exactly how you’d like in social situations, this is an excellent quote to remember. First and foremost comes kindness to others, and that’s generally what sticks in the mind.
10. “Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned.”
— Peter Marshall
“Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned.”
— Peter Marshall
11. “Change takes courage.”
— Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez
12. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts."
— Winston Churchill
13. “The attention you give to any action should be in due proportion to its worth.”
— Marcus Aurelius
“It is essential to remember that the attention you give to any action should be in due proportion to its worth, for then you won't tire and give up, if you aren't busying yourself with lesser things beyond what should be allowed."
From Meditations
14. “The time is always right to do what is right.”
— Martin Luther King Jr.
“The time is always right to do what is right. What does that mean? It means that it's never too late to stand up for justice, against what you consider is wrong.”
— Martin Luther King Jr.
15. “All we have to do is wake up and change.”
— Greta Thunberg
“We already have all the facts and solutions. All we have to do is to wake up and change.”
— Greta Thunberg
16. “The future depends entirely on what each of us does every day; a movement is only people moving.”
— Gloria Steinem
17. "We realise the importance of our voices only when we are silenced."
— Malala Yousafzai
The inspirational Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, who at the age of 16, founded the Malala Fund to champion every girl’s right to 12 years of safe, free, quality education.
18. “You are either part of the solution or part of the problem.”
— Eldridge Cleaver
“You are either part of the solution or part of the problem.”— Eldridge Cleaver