“We should be able to refuse to live if the price of living be the torture of sentient beings.”
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Probable attribution
This saying is widely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, but the attribution is not supported by a reliable primary source.
Likely origin: Attributed to Gandhi (on vivisection and compassion toward animals); appears in collections; no dated primary confirmed here.
About this quote
Some benefits cost too much. Drawing a line where you would rather give up a comfort than let it rest on another creature's suffering is what keeps convenience from quietly overriding conscience. The real test is whether you will actually forgo the thing.
When to use it
- Dropping a cheap product once you learn it comes from an abusive supply chain.
- A researcher who abandons a shortcut experiment because it would needlessly harm animals.
- Turning down a lucrative job whose profits depend on exploiting powerless workers.