Martin Luther King Jr.'s 15 Greatest Quotes

Words of wisdom can always come in handy, which makes Martin Luther King Jr. quotes something you should keep in the back (or front) of your mind at all times. When advice is good, it never becomes irrelevant. And how do you get good advice? You speak the truth. If there was one man in the last century who was capable of speaking the truth, it would have to be Martin Luther King Jr.

Born in 1929, King was a minister and activist whose work during the Civil Rights Movement is something to be remembered and celebrated for the rest of time. Though his life was cut short from an assassination at only 39 years of age, his legacy will live on and on.

Though the man may be gone, his words are not. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s beliefs were powerful in their message of love, something that I'd argue to say we don't see enough of today. While I could go on and on explaining exactly what King thought could bring goodness and humanitarianism to the world, I think it's more powerful to let his quotes speak instead. That's the thing about good writing — you don't have to say much to say a lot. Take a look.

1. "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'"

2. "Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love."

3. "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

4. "We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear."

5. "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

6. "Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend."

7. "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

8. "We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."

9. "The time is always right to do what is right."

10. "The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character — that is the goal of true education."

11. "We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."

12. "The moral arc of the universe bends at the elbow of justice."

13. "I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."

14. "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

15. "If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward."

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