Community quotes can help you think differently about how to strengthen your most cherished communities.
Communities are an important part of life, and they can come in any number of forms. Our church communities, friendship circles, sports teams, academic circles – these are all communities. They help shape who we are, and they bring into our lives some of our most cherished relationships. However, any community is only as strong as the ties that bind it. The relationships therein must therefore be healthy for the community to remain healthy. Sometimes, we take the communities in our lives for granted, and need to be reminded just how important they are. We might believe that they will be there forever. There are times when they are, and there are other times they are not. Either way, some good community quotes from some very wise people can help us all appreciate the communities in our own lives, and those around us as well.
Community Quotes You Need to Read
Community quotes ignite the spirit of unity in us and those whom we interact with on a daily basis. Read these community quotes to keep the fire burning brightly:
1. The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.– Coretta Scott King
Coretta Scott King was, of course, the wife of iconic civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. This is a woman who changed history in some seriously profound ways, and made the world a better place. Most importantly, she helped America in its march toward the more perfect union that the Founders envisioned. But, Coretta Scott King could not have accomplished all that she accomplished without the support of a strong, solid community that propelled that movement forward.
While most of us could only dream of having the kind of impact on the nation and world that Coretta Scott King has had, we can still apply her wisdom to our own personal communities, and to our national and global community. We can love one another, be kind to one another, and work toward the greater good. This is one of the best community quotes ever, and it comes from an amazing and historic source. Were it not for the compassion and justice for which the civil rights community stood for, we would not be where we are today.
2. This world of ours… must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be, instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect.– Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight Eisenhower was, of course, one of America’s great presidents. Famously, he was the General who led the forces that went on to defeat what is seen as the worst evil in the modern world: Adolf Hitler and the Nazis during World War II. That defeat, to this day, represents and amazing triumph over fear and hate that led to the genocide of many people based solely on who they are in unimaginably cruel, torturous, and deplorable conditions. Eisenhower’s heroism in that world-threatening situation set the world on a path to reject the forces that would ever unleash such horrors again. This is one of the most important community quotes on this list, because sometimes history repeats itself if we are not careful.
Human beings are tribal creatures by nature. We create our own communities around shared interests, and often shared identities. This can lead to an “us versus them” mentality that sends the message that people not belonging to certain communities are somehow our enemies. Eisenhower understands that this is dangerous. Fear leads to hate, and hate leads to violence. We must always remember this, and not participate in creating an environment in which history could repeat itself. We should always cherish our communities, but, in doing so, remember that we are all a part of a much more important community: The human community. We are always human beings first, and dehumanizing one another leads to the kinds of situations that Eisenhower had to fight. This is one of the most important community quotes ever, because the one community we must always preserve and protect is the global human community.
3. Communication leads to community, that is, to mutual understanding, intimacy, and mutual understanding.-Rollo May
Rollo Reese May was born in 1909, and arguably a man far ahead of his time. He was an American psychotherapist, and one of the first to abandon Freudian psychological theories. May also embraced Humanist philosophies, which were not popular at the time. However, he was a notable and brilliant mental health professional, and a generally wise man. Therefore, this profound quote from Rollo May definitely belongs on this list of community quotes.
Rollo May makes the case here for communicating within our communities. Often, in our quest to protect our circles, we push down issues that could lead to heated conflict, or even minor disagreement. Instead, He makes the case for honest communication. Do not confuse communication with confrontation. True friends, family, and communities can talk to one another. Even as communities with shared interests, we are all individuals. We have our own eccentricities, opinions, and agendas, but that is not a problem. It simply calls for honesty and understanding. These are concepts that build true communities, and if you communicate your concerns, your angst, or your grievance, it will not tear your cherished communities apart. It will make them stronger and more humane, and that is what makes communities into chosen families.
4. I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law.– Martin Luther King Jr.
After Coretta Scott King, of course we must have in our list of community quotes her husband, Martin Luther King Jr. Of course, Dr. King is one of America’s most iconic civil rights icons. A minister and a fixture in the Black Church that led the organization efforts that made the successes of the Civil Rights Movement possible, Dr. King was truly a man who embodied wisdom, compassion, and community. He understood that nothing was won alone, and that we need our communities and allies to help ensure justice and to unseat the status quo. Tragically, Dr. King was assassinated for what he chose to do with his life, and he was arrested many times. His famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is a document that is still taught in higher education classrooms today. The rest of us could only hope to have such a lasting impact on society.
But, again, we don’t have to be Coretta Scott King or Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to be influential. However, there are plenty of people who go to jail in modern times for what they believe in. It is what Congressman John Lewis (D-GA), who was arrested repeatedly during the Civil Rights Movement and badly beaten on the Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma, Alabama, would call “good trouble.” When your community members get into “good trouble” to make the nation, the world, or even just your community a better place, please support them. They might be on the wrong side of the law for right now, but, as Dr. King, John Lewis, and others epitomize, they are on the right side of history.
5. The way to change the world is through individual responsibility and taking local action in your own community.
Jeff Bridges is an amazingly successful American actor, and he is a legacy of the profession as the son of actor and actress Lloyd and Dorothy Bridges. This, of course, meant that Jeff Bridges was introduced to show business quite young – at the reported age of just six months. However, he has built his own career with his own talent, and no one can take that away from him. He is also a very good man, and one we should all listen to, which is why Mr. Bridges is on this list of community quotes.
Jeff Bridges makes the case for the idea that all change is local, and I tend to agree. Maybe you might be a loner, or a career woman, or someone who simply is not very involved. It is very easy to remedy that. The holidays are coming up. Your community – meaning, your local community – is where you should be. Volunteer at a homeless shelter or youth center. If you value your church community, volunteer to play Santa Claus. Do anything to make your community a better place. After all, it is your home.
Community quotes are important because the put things into perspective.
True communities in our lives form naturally. Some are organized, such as civic organizations and churches. Some are formed organically, such as the friends you make due to a shared major, minor, or interest at a university. But, the thing to remember is that all are important. Communities shape our lives. Whether we remain a part of the communities we form is up to each individual, and up to the circumstances of life. However, none of us can dispute the fact that communities are important in all of our lives. Hopefully, these community quotes and the people from whom they sprung can help you understand how to strengthen the ties that bind the communities you cherish together. I promise, your life will be richer for it.
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Tina Gray is a freelance journalist, theatre enthusiast and aspiring author. She has a passion for telling stories through various mediums and regularly writes for various online publications. Her short stories will soon be published in her first volume. Currently, she resides in the San Fernando Valley and is studying screenwriting.
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