The world has had many great leaders over the course of history. Leaders that have earned our respect for being able to think strategically and make the right decisions in times of trouble. However, the ones that we love the most are the ones who not only talked about peace, but actually did whatever they could to maintain it.
But making this world a better place is not a one man job, no matter how great he is. We all have to contribute in some way in order to make our world a safer and less chaotic place. And the first step would be to become better individuals ourselves.
Peace starts with you, when you act from a place of kindness and understanding. When you learn to say ‘sorry’ because you’ve made a mistake. When you are able to accept that others can have different opinions and not take that as a personal attack.
Peace starts when you become a voice for the ones that are not heard. When you no longer ignore people that are marginalized or left out because they’re not ‘your problem’.
Here are 27 peace quotes to make you strive for a better world:
When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.
JIMI HENDRIX
Peace is more important than all justice; and peace was not made for the sake of justice, but justice for the sake of peace.
MARTIN LUTHER
World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not just mere absence of violence. Peace is, I think, the manifestation of human compassion.
DALAI LAMA (more Dalai Lama quotes)
Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding.
RALPH WALDO EMERSON
There is no ‘way to peace,’ there is only ‘peace.'
MAHATMA GANDHI (more Mahatma Gandhi quotes)
Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures.
JOHN F. KENNEDY
Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.
NELSON MANDELA (more Nelson Mandela quotes)
It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it.
ELEANOR ROOSEVELT
Peace can become a lens through which you see the world. Be it. Live it. Radiate it out. Peace is an inside job.
WAYNE DYER
When you do the right thing, you get the feeling of peace and serenity associated with it. Do it again and again.
ROY T. BENNETT
We do not need guns and bombs to bring peace, we need love and compassion.
MOTHER TERESA (more Mother Teresa quotes)
Forgiveness equals inner peace -- more peaceful people equals more world peace.
RICHARD BRANSON
Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.
RONALD REAGAN
You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.
MALCOLM X (more Malcolm X quotes)
We must restore hope to young people, help the old, be open to the future, spread love. Be poor among the poor. We need to include the excluded and preach peace.
POPE FRANCIS
Non-violence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him.
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR (more Martin Luther King Jr. quotes)
The lessons from the peace process are clear; whatever life throws at us, our individual responses will be all the stronger for working together and sharing the load.
QUEEN ELIZABETH II
Do not be afraid to take a chance on peace, to teach peace, to live peace…Peace will be the last word of history.
POPE JOHN PAUL II
Peace does not mean an absence of conflicts; differences will always be there. Peace means solving these differences through peaceful means; through dialogue, education, knowledge; and through humane ways.
DALAI LAMA
Be a peacemaker in everyday life. Display peace in everything you do. Be peace. Live in peace.
BUDDHIST PROVERB
Peace demands the most heroic labor and the most difficult sacrifice. It demands greater heroism than war. It demands greater fidelity to the truth and a much more perfect purity of conscience.
THOMAS MERTON
It is not enough to say we must not wage war. It is necessary to love peace and sacrifice for it.
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
Peace and friendship with all mankind is our wisest policy, and I wish we may be permitted to pursue it.
THOMAS JEFFERSON
The most valuable possession you can own is an open heart. The most powerful weapon you can be is an instrument of peace.
CARLOS SANTANA
Peace has to be created, in order to be maintained. It will never be achieved by passivity and quietism.
DOROTHY THOMPSON
While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart.
ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI
Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.
ALBERT EINSTEIN
Military Dad Defends His 4 Little Daughters When Strangers Make This Rude Remark
Military Dad of 4 Daughters Defends His Girls When Strangers Make This Rude Remark
Austin von Letkemann is the military officer strangers feel "sorry" for — and the reason is infuriating.
Whenever the devoted father leaves the house with his four children, strangers can't help but notice the officer in uniform is holding hands with 4 adorable little girls. They will tell the traditionally "masculine" and "all American" dad they feel sorry for him, because he has no sons. This dad makes one thing very clear: They are his daughters, they aren't a burden.
In a passionate video, von Letkemann took to Instagram to share with his followers that the only thing that's "difficult" about being a girl dad — is clapping back to these sexist remarks over and over again.
They Mock His Daughters To Their Face
When strangers approach Austin von Letkemann and his four daughters, they don't always realize that their comments are being overheard. They seem oblivious to the fact that his girls understand every word. Von Letkemann describes how people will approach him and, without thinking, make remarks like "I'm sorry" or even joke about his lack of sons. What they don't realize is that these comments, intended to be light-hearted or humorous, can be deeply hurtful to his daughters. These strangers are not just disrespecting von Letkemann's choices as a father; they're also sending a message to his daughters that their presence is something to be pitied. It’s a message that von Letkemann won't stand for, and he's speaking out to defend his girls from these insensitive remarksSaying "Get Your Shotgun" Isn't Funny — It's Sexist
Another common comment that Austin von Letkemann encounters is the old "better get your shotgun ready" trope, often delivered with a smirk or a wink. This line is typically intended to suggest that a father with daughters should be on high alert to protect them from potential "suitors," implying that they are objects to be guarded rather than individuals with agency.
Von Letkemann finds this line of thinking outdated and sexist. In his viral Instagram video, he points out that these jokes are not just stale — they're damaging.
By suggesting that his daughters require armed protection, the joke reinforces the idea that women are inherently vulnerable and need to be shielded from men. Von Letkemann argues that instead of promoting this narrative, society should focus on teaching respect and consent, challenging these sexist tropes at their source.
Watch Austin von Letkemann's Video:
"If I Had A Fifth Child, I'd HOPE It Was A Girl" — One Dad's Message For Other Parents
Despite the constant remarks about his lack of sons, Austin von Letkemann is clear: He wouldn't trade his daughters for anything.
In fact, he told his Instagram followers that if he were to have a fifth child, he would hope for another girl. This declaration isn't just about doubling down on his pride in his family — it's a pointed response to those who see fathering daughters as a misfortune.
Von Letkemann's stance is a powerful one, rejecting the notion that a family is incomplete without sons. He encourages others to question the assumptions behind these comments and to appreciate the joy and fulfillment that his daughters bring. By sharing his story, von Letkemann hopes to create a more inclusive perspective on fatherhood, one that values daughters just as much as sons.