- By Aditi Priya Singh
- Wed, 25 Jun 2025 03:23 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
30+ Peace Quotes By Famous Historical Figures: Many nations still face border conflicts, political tensions and wars in the modern world and due to this, millions of innocent people are still impacted by violence and war. Whether it is the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, Israel and Palestine, Russia and Ukraine, India-Pakistan and many, the instability in the Middle East, or the escalating tensions in Asia and Africa. These conflicts not only cause destruction, but these wars rob future generations of peace and hope. Amid such chaos, the voices of historical leaders serve as a reminder that there is a better way to peace.
The great historical leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa and many others advocated for love, harmony and non-violence. Strongly opposing war, they encouraged people all over the world to resolve conflicts peacefully and with understanding. Their words can still influence people's opinions and attitudes.
Famous Historical Figures Who Said No To War: 30+ Peace Quotes To Remember
In this article, we bring you 30+ peace quotes by famous historical personalities who said no to war. These quotes are filled with wisdom and hope. They remind us that even during the darkest times, peace is always possible if we choose it. Let their words guide us toward a more peaceful and united world.
1. "An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind." – Mahatma Gandhi (Indian freedom fighter and peace leader)
2. "Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal." – Martin Luther King Jr. (American civil rights leader)
3. "War does not determine who is right — only who is left." – Bertrand Russell (British philosopher and pacifist)
4. "Older men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die." – Herbert Hoover (31st President of the United States)
5. "I am not only a pacifist but a militant pacifist. I am willing to fight for peace." – Albert Einstein (Theoretical physicist and peace activist)
6. "You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist." – Indira Gandhi (Former Prime Minister of India)
7. "Peace begins with a smile." – Mother Teresa (Catholic missionary and Nobel Peace Prize laureate)
8. "Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind." – John F. Kennedy (35th President of the United States)
9. "The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war." – Norman Schwarzkopf (U.S. Army General)
10. "The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend." – Abraham Lincoln (16th President of the United States)
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11. "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." – Jimi Hendrix (American rock guitarist and singer)
12. "Imagine all the people living life in peace." – John Lennon (British musician and peace activist)
13. "Only the dead have seen the end of war." – George Santayana (Spanish American Philosopher and writer)
14. "War is over... if you want it." – Yoko Ono (Japanese Artist and peace activist)
15. "There is no path to peace. Peace is the path." – Mahatma Gandhi (Indian freedom fighter and peace leader)
16. "Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding." – Albert Einstein (Theoretical physicist and peace activist)
17. "If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there’d be peace." – John Lennon (British musician and peace activist)
18. "Wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows." – Martin Luther King Jr. (American civil rights leader)
19. "Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime." – Ernest Hemingway (American author and journalist)
20. "We seek peace, knowing that peace is the climate of freedom." – Dwight D. Eisenhower (34th President of the United States)
21. "Peace is its own reward." – Mahatma Gandhi (Indian freedom fighter and peace leader)
22. "The day the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace." – Sri Chinmoy (Indian spiritual leader and peace advocate)
23. "To reach peace, teach peace." – Pope John Paul II (Former head of the Catholic Church)
24. "We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other’s children." – Jimmy Carter (39th President of the United States)
25. "If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other." – Mother Teresa (Catholic missionary and Nobel Peace Prize laureate)
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26. "There never was a good war or a bad peace." – Benjamin Franklin (Founding Father of the United States)
27. "Peace is liberty in tranquillity." – Marcus Tullius Cicero (Roman philosopher and politician)
28. "War is only a cowardly escape from the problems of peace." – Thomas Mann (German novelist and Nobel laureate)
29. "Peace cannot be achieved through violence; it can only be attained through understanding." – Ralph Waldo Emerson (American philosopher and poet)
30. "It is not enough to win a war; it is more important to organise the peace." – Aristotle (Greek philosopher)
31. "Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity." – George Carlin (American stand-up comedian and social critic)
32. "Victory at the expense of peace is not victory at all." – Barack Obama (44th President of the United States)
33. "Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means." – Ronald Reagan (40th President of the United States)
34. "Peace does not mean an absence of conflicts; differences will always be there. Peace means solving these differences through peaceful means." – Dalai Lama (Tibetan spiritual leader)
35. "In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons." – Herodotus (Ancient Greek historian)