Supporting info from Perplexity.AI search engine 7/10/2024:
The above quote is often attributed to Martin Luther King Jr., but it’s important to note that it’s not an exact quote from his speeches or writings. The commonly cited version is:
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”[1][2]
However, this is actually a paraphrase of a more complex thought that Dr. King expressed in a sermon delivered in Selma, Alabama on March 8, 1965, the day after “Bloody Sunday.” The original passage from which this idea is derived is as follows:
“Deep down in our non-violent creed is the conviction there are some things so dear, some things so precious, some things so eternally true, that they’re worth dying for. And if a man happens to be 36 years old, as I happen to be, some great truth stands before the door of his life — some great opportunity to stand up for that which is right. A man might be afraid his home will get bombed, or he’s afraid that he will lose his job, or he’s afraid that he will get shot, or beat down by state troopers, and he may go on and live until he’s 80. He’s just as dead at 36 as he would be at 80. The cessation of breathing in his life is merely the belated announcement of an earlier death of the spirit. He died when he refused to stand up for right. He died when he refused to stand up for truth. He died when he refused to stand up for justice.”[2]
This original passage conveys a similar sentiment to the popularized quote, emphasizing the importance of speaking out and taking action for what is right, even in the face of danger or adversity. While the shorter version captures the essence of Dr. King’s message, it’s more accurate to present it as a paraphrase rather than a direct quote.
Citations:
[1] https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/6407-our-lives-begin-to-end-the-day-we-become-silent
[2] https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/mlk-our-lives-begin-to-end/