Noncooperation Quotes

Resistance to conscription [in WWI] was quite strong. By the end of the war, the ranks of noncooperators were stunningly large. Roughly 3 million eligible men never registered, in violation of the law — compared with the 24 million who did. And some 338,000 who did register either failed to obey an induction notice or deserted after they joined the ranks .... Altogether, a higher percentage of American men successfully resisted conscription during World War I than during the Vietnam War half a century later.

Henceforth, I shall never serve any government anywhere.

An uprising would punish only the country, and that is out of the question. But there is yet another approach, the most effectiveform of resistance: contemptuous compliance.

The only true resistance to this Government... [is] to cease to co-operate with it.

Civil disobedience is a preparation for mute suffering.

His response was to fight it with the only weapons at hand—passive resistance and open displays of contempt.

You tell me what to do and I'll do the opposite.

Passive resistance is a sport for gentleman (and ladies)-just like the pursuit of war, a heroic enterprise for the ruling classes but a grievous burden on the rest.

Passive resistance is the resistance which does not resist.

I quietly declare war with the State, after my fashion, though I will still make use and get advantage of her as I can, as is usual in such cases.

Do not resist the evil-doer and take no part in doing so, either in the violent deeds of the administration, in the law courts, the collection of taxes, or above all in soldiering, and no one in the world will be able to enslave you.

Disobedience to be civil has to be open and nonviolent.

A boycott is the most peaceful and passive kind of protest there is and can be. We do not say we hate you or even say that you are wrong. We just say that we don’t want to ride your bus.

I only take a half share in the civil war; I am willing to die, I am not willing to kill.

Since I couldn't actuate the things that I wanted to do, the only weapon I had was to say no.

Gandhi once declared that it was his wife who unwittingly taught him the effectiveness of nonviolence. Who better than women should know that battles can be won without resort to physical strength? Who better than we should know all the power that resides in noncooperation?

I have repeatedly stated that satyagraha never fails and that one perfect satyagrahi is enough to vindicate Truth.

I'll flip a stupid tire. But I ain't running.

Without proper, careful organisation of the spinning wheel and khaddar, there is absolutely no civil disobedience.

Lack of compliance is hindering the investigation.

It is my hope that as the Negro plunges deeper into the quest for freedom and justice he will plunge even deeper into the philosophy of non-violence. The Negro all over the South must come to the point that he can say to his white brother: "We will match your capacity to inflict suffering with our capacity to endure suffering. We will meet your physical force with soul force. We will not hate you, but we will not obey your evil laws. We will soon wear you down by pure capacity to suffer".

When you violate a pact, there's no way I can ever work with you again.

I became convinced that noncooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is cooperation with good.