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Martin Luther King, Jr. Quotes about Heart

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Without love, there is no reason to know anyone, for love will in the end connect us to our neighbors, our children and our hearts.

Without love, there is no reason to know anyone, for love will in the end connect us to our neighbors, our children and our hearts.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Children, Heart, Reason

Morality cannot be legislated, but behavior can be regulated. Judicial decrees may not change the heart, but they can restrain the heartless.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Heart, Political, May
Speech, Nashville, Tenn., 27 Dec. 1962

The question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be... The nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Heart, Creativity, Creative
Martin Luther King (Jr.) (1968). “I Have a Dream: The Quotations of Martin Luther King, Jr”

You only need a heart full of grace

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Heart, Greatness, Helping Others
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2013). “The Essential Martin Luther King, Jr.: "I Have a Dream" and Other Great Writings”, p.222, Beacon Press

At the heart of all that civilization has meant and developed is 'community' - the mutually cooperative and voluntary venture of man to assume a semblance of responsibility for his brother.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Brother, Responsibility, Heart
Martin Luther King (Jr.), Alex Ayres (1993). “The Wisdom of Martin Luther King, Jr”, Plume

One day we will learn that the heart can never be totally right when the head is totally wrong

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Heart, One Day
Martin Luther King Jr. (1963). “Strength to Love”

It is better to be the recipient of violence than the inflicter of it, since the latter only multiplies the existence of violence and bitterness in the universe, while the former may develop a sense of shame in the opponent, and thereby bring about a transformation and change of heart.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Heart, May, Opponents
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2013). “"In a Single Garment of Destiny": A Global Vision of Justice”, p.75, Beacon Press

The old law of an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind. It destroys communities and makes humanity impossible. It creates bitterness in the survivors and brutality in the destroyers... In winning our freedom, we will so appeal to you heart and conscience that we will win you in the process.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Heart, Eye, Winning

We must combine the toughness of the serpent with the softness of the dove, a tough mind and a tender heart.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Heart, Mind, Tough
Martin Luther King Jr. (1963). “Strength to Love”

The nonviolent approach does not immediately change the heart of the oppressor. It first does something to the hearts and souls of those committed to it. It gives them new self-respect; it calls up resources of strength and courage they did not know they had.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Respect, Determination, Heart
Martin Luther King (Jr.) (1968). “I Have a Dream: The Quotations of Martin Luther King, Jr”

Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. [...] You only need a heart full of grace.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Heart, Helping Others, Greatness
"The Drum Major Instinct". Sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, February 4, 1968.

I would be misleading you if I made you feel that we could win a violent campaign. It's impractical even to think about it. The minute we start, we will end up getting many more people killed unnecessarily. Now, I'm ready to die myself. Many other committed people are ready to die. If you believe in something firmly, if you believe in it truly, if you believe it in your heart, you are willing to die for it, but I'm not going to advocate a method that brings about unnecessary death.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Believe, Heart, Thinking

Segregation, as even the segregationists know in their hearts, is morally wrong and sinful. If it weren't, the white South would not be haunted as it is by a deep sense of guilt for what it has done to the Negro - guilt for patronizing him, degrading him, brutalizing him, depersonalizing him, thingifying him; guilt for lying to itself. This is the source of the schizophrenia that the South will suffer until it goes through its crisis of conscience.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Lying, Heart, White
Source: www.thedailybeast.com

It may be true that the law cannot change the heart but it can restrain the heartless.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Heart, Law, May
Methodist Student Leadership Conference Address, delivered 1964, Lincoln, Nebraska

The human heart is like a ship on a stormy sea driven about by winds blowing from all four corners of heaven.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Love, Heart, Emotional

One day we will learn that the heart can never be totally right if the head is totally wrong. Only through the bringing together of head and heart-intelligence and goodness-shall man rise to a fulfillment of his true nature.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Heart, Men, One Day
Martin Luther King Jr. (1963). “Strength to Love”

It is cheerful to God when you rejoice or laugh from the bottom of your heart.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Inspirational, Laughter, Heart

Somebody must have sense enough to meet hate with love. Somebody must have sense enough to meet physical force with soul force. If we will but try this way, we will be able to change these conditions and yet at the same time win the hearts and souls of those who have kept these conditions alive a way as old as the insights of Jesus of Nazareth, as modern as the techniques of Mohandas K. Gandhi. There is another way.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Jesus, Hate, Heart

My soul is too glad and too great to be at heart the enemy of any man

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Heart, Men, Soul

With the tough mind, there must also be a tender heart.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Heart, Mind, Tender Hearts

One day we shall win freedom, but not only for ourselves. We shall so appeal to your heart and conscience that we shall win you in the process, and our victory will be a double victory.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Peace, Heart, Winning
Martin Luther King Jr. (1963). “Strength to Love”

I oppose the war in Vietnam because I love America. I speak out against it not in anger but with anxiety and sorrow in my heart, and above all with a passionate desire to see our beloved country stand as a moral example of the world.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Country, War, Heart
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2013). “"In a Single Garment of Destiny": A Global Vision of Justice”, p.109, Beacon Press

This faith transforms the whirlwind of despair into a warm and reviving breeze of hope. The words of a motto which a generation ago were commonly found on the wall in the homes of devout persons need to be etched on our hearts: Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. There was no one there.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Wall, Home, Heart
Martin Luther King (Jr.) (2012). “A Gift of Love: Sermons from Strength to Love and Other Preachings”, p.128, Beacon Press

...we must realize that a vast majority of believers are still searching and will continue to search for the being who is the "source of human good." Those who seek with clear heads and sincere hearts will in some measure find. Of course the true seeker will realize that there is no one way to find God. To be sure, there are many possible ways of finding God.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Heart, Clear Head, Majority

Is your heart right? If your heart isn't right, fix it up today.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Heart, Today, Ifs

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