About this quote

In Conquering Self-Centeredness (1957), King uses a focused ethical claim to examine compassion, with attention to symbol, movement. The practical center is the relationship between leadership and symbol and movement, giving readers a specific lens for judgment and action.

When to use it

• A community organizer builds a meeting around symbol before participants choose one measurable action related to compassion.
• A teacher pairs the passage from Conquering Self-Centeredness (1957) with a primary-source exercise about leadership and public responsibility.
• A team leader uses the tension between movement and movement to discuss conduct under pressure.