It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of non-violence to cover impotence. Violence is any day preferable to impotence. There is hope for a violent man to become non-violent. There is no such hope for the impotent.

Summary

This quote, attributed to Indian politician and activist Mahatma Gandhi, suggests that it is ultimately more honest to express violence if it exists within us rather than pretending to be non-violent out of a sense of powerlessness. Gandhi argues that violence can, with effort, be transformed into non-violence, whereas those who lack strength or power will remain impotent, having no hope of change. It reflects Gandhi's belief in the potential for personal transformation through the exercise of willpower and the pursuit of active change rather than passive acceptance.

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