When Things Get Tough

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it--always.” Mohandas Gandhi

The path of nonviolent resistance is a hard one. Leaders in movements give up security, family life, financial stability, and personal safety. They risk their lives with the expectation that they may die in the cause (and many do).

Don’t expect things to be calm and clear. In the middle of the action, it’s more likely to be chaotic, full of uncertainty and conflict. Don’t expect things to always turn out well. It will not be at all certain that an action will succeed, and many times it won’t.

Gandhi and many other leaders of nonviolence have seen sacrifice and suffering as a necessary and even desirable part of service.