Speaking up takes courage. It’s the voice that claims justice, the whisper that sparks change. These words have the power to transform silence into action.
Quotes about speaking up can inspire us. They remind us of the strength found in our own voices. In this article, we’ve gathered the best “Speak Up Quotes” to motivate and empower your journey.
Speak up Quotes for Everyday Courage
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” – Alice Walker
“we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“Do not be silent; there is no limit to the power that may be released through you.” – Howard Thurman
“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” – Winston Churchill
“Your silence gives consent.” – Plato
“Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes.” – Maggie Kuhn
“The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.” – Gloria Steinem
“Words have power. Use them wisely.” – Anon
“Raise your words, not voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.” – Rumi
“He who does not have the courage to speak up for his rights cannot earn the respect of others.” – René G. Torres
“If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” – Alexander Hamilton
“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” – Malala Yousafzai
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” – Edmund Burke
“Speak up, because the day you don’t speak up for the things that matter to you is the day your freedom truly ends.” – Anon
“Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly—they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced.” – Aldous Huxley
“We can’t be afraid to speak up, because silence is what keeps us in chains.” – Anon
“A right delayed is a right denied.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela
“Strong people stand up for themselves, but stronger people stand up for others.” – Chris Gardner
“Say what you feel, it’s not being rude; it’s being real.” – Anon
“The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.” – Albert Einstein
“If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place.” – Nora Roberts
“Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect.” – Zoey Sayward
“Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.” – Max Ehrmann
“To sin by silence, when we should protest, makes cowards out of men.” – Ella Wheeler Wilcox
“It is far better to be silent than merely to increase the quantity of bad books.” – Voltaire
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
“Sometimes it takes only one act of bravery to begin something that sets a whole nation free.” – Anon
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
“One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.” – Malala Yousafzai
Quotes on Speaking up in the Workplace
“we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” – Alice Walker
“Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes.” – Maggie Kuhn
“Raise your words, not voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.” – Rumi
“Silence is the true friend that never betrays.” – Confucius
“Your silence will not protect you.” – Audre Lorde
“The loudest voice is not always the clearest.” – Old Proverb
“Don’t be afraid to speak up for yourself. Keep fighting for your dreams!” – Gabby Douglas
“Stand up for what is right, even if you stand alone.” – Suzy Kassem
“It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.” – André Gide
“Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence.” – Leonardo Da Vinci
“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” – Winston Churchill
“The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.” – Ida B. Wells
“Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.” – Suzy Kassem
“Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.” – Simon Sinek
“Never regret raising your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed.” – William Faulkner
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“He who does not have the courage to speak up for his rights cannot earn the respect of others.” – René G. Torres
“Be strong, be fearless, be beautiful. And believe that anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you.” – Misty Copeland
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” – Maya Angelou
“The silence of the good people is more dangerous than the brutality of the bad people.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“To sin by silence, when we should protest, makes cowards out of men.” – Ella Wheeler Wilcox
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“Words are like keys. If you choose them right, they can open any heart and shut any mouth.” – Unknown
“A single voice can be more powerful than a thousand unspoken thoughts.” – Anonymous
“Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” – Elie Wiesel
“Speak up even if your voice is small.” – Unknown
“You have to speak your mind, but without being cruel.” – Len Goodman
“A lion does not lose sleep over the opinion of sheep.” – Anonymous
“To speak and to speak well are two things. A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks.” – Ben Jonson
“There is a voice that doesn’t use words. Listen.” – Rumi
Empowering Quotes to Speak Your Truth
“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” – Alan Watts
“Raise your words, not voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.” – Rumi
“Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes.” – Maggie Kuhn
“To share your weakness is to make yourself vulnerable; to make yourself vulnerable is to show your strength.” – Criss Jami
“The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.” – Gloria Steinem
“Your silence will not protect you.” – Audre Lorde
“Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway.” – Mother Teresa
“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” – Carl Jung
“In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” – George Orwell
“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” – Winston Churchill
“You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” – Winston Churchill
“It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.” – Lewis Carroll
“Freedom is the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” – George Orwell
“Let the world know why you’re here, and do it with passion.” – Wayne Dyer
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” – Albert Camus
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” – Oscar Wilde
“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.” – Coco Chanel
“Don’t keep your truth hidden. Shout it from the rooftops.” – Original
“Better to speak an inconvenient truth than to say what people want to hear.” – Original
“Say what you feel; it’s not being rude, it’s being real.” – Original
“I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship.” – Louisa May Alcott
“What you’re supposed to do when you don’t like a thing is change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. Don’t complain.” – Maya Angelou
“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic.” – J.K. Rowling
“Do not be silent; there is no limit to the power that may be released through you.” – Howard Thurman
“Stand up for what is right, even if you stand alone.” – Suzy Kassem
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” – Maya Angelou
“The world belongs to those who express themselves openly and honestly.” – Original
“Let your voice be heard, even if it’s a whisper in a storm.” – Original
“Sometimes it’s better to react with no reaction.” – Original
“Truth is a deep kindness that teaches us to be content in our everyday life and to share with the people the same happiness.” – Kahlil Gibran
“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” – Mark Twain
Motivational Quotes for Advocacy
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes.” – Maggie Kuhn
“Raise your words, not voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.” – Rumi
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” – Edmund Burke
“You have a voice. Don’t be afraid to use it.” – Jennifer McCloud
“Sometimes it is better to lose and do the right thing than to win and do the wrong thing.” – Tony Blair
“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” – Winston Churchill
“Do not raise your voice; improve your argument.” – Desmond Tutu
“Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed.” – William Faulkner
“To remain silent is to be complicit.” – Martin Luther
“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” – Dolly Parton
“We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim.” – Elie Wiesel
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” – Alice Walker
“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” – Malala Yousafzai
“Truth never damages a cause that is just.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“Your silence gives consent.” – Plato
“You have to be unique and different and shine in your own way.” – Lady Gaga
“Our silence is another word for complicity.” – Morgan Freeman
“A single voice can change the world.” – Kingman Brewster Jr.
“If you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything.” – Gordon A. Eadie
“Speak out, speak often, and don’t be afraid to speak for what you believe in.” – Jesse Ventura
“Silence is the true friend that never betrays.” – Confucius
“The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable.” – James A. Garfield
“Liberty cannot be preserved without general knowledge among the people.” – John Adams
“Don’t be afraid to speak loudly and confidently about things that are important to you.” – Julie Zeilinger
“Words are powerful; speak with intention.” – Anonymous
“The greatest threat to freedom is the absence of criticism.” – Wole Soyinka
“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“Do not be silent; there is no limit to the power that may be released through you.” – Howard Thurman
“Raise your voice, embrace your power.” – Anonymous
“Silence is a powerful weapon, but your voice is a sword.” – Jennifer McCloud
“It is not enough to be compassionate. You must act.” – Dalai Lama
Speak up Quotes for Social Change
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” – Edmund Burke
“I raise up my voice—not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard.” – Malala Yousafzai
“Your silence will not protect you.” – Audre Lorde
“Nothing can dim the light that shines from within.” – Maya Angelou
“The world changes according to the way people see it. If you can alter, even by a millimeter, the way people look at reality, then you can change it.” – James Baldwin
“To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” – Nelson Mandela
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” – Alice Walker
“Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes.” – Maggie Kuhn
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” – Desmond Tutu
“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” – Desmond Tutu
“The only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from fear.” – Aung San Suu Kyi
“Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.” – Robert F. Kennedy
“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” – Maya Angelou
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” – Theodore Parker
“If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” – Malcolm X
“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” – Malala Yousafzai
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.” – Nelson Mandela
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
“Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” – Desmond Tutu
“True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“To stand up, even when standing alone, is true courage.” – Anonymous
“The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X
“Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.” – Benjamin Franklin
“Silence becomes cowardice when occasion demands speaking out the whole truth and acting accordingly.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“We must never be afraid to be a sign of contradiction for the world.” – Mother Teresa
“Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.” – Buddha
“One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen can change the world.” – Malala Yousafzai
“We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.” – Malala Yousafzai
Inspirational Quotes to Find Your Voice
“The only way to make your voice heard is to speak your truth, no matter how small it may seem.” – Maya Angelou
“Do not be silent; there is no limit to the power of your words.” – Malcolm X
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“The words you speak become the house you live in.” – Hafiz
“Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.” – Rumi
“Your voice can change the world.” – Barack Obama
“The only tyrant I accept in this world is the still voice within.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“Words have power. Speak with kindness, always.” – Mother Teresa
“Speak your mind even if your voice shakes.” – Maggie Kuhn
“Open your mouth if only to change your life.” – Freeborn John
“You have a greater voice than you know. Use it wisely.” – Stephen King
“In a world where you can be anything, be kind and let your voice echo with truth.” – Anonymous
“Every time you stay silent, a part of you dies.” – Lailah Gifty Akita
“The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear your inner voice.” – Rumi
“The greatest way to speak is to speak from the heart.” – Leo Tolstoy
“Let your words be guided by wisdom and your voice led by love.” – Unknown
“Silence is the true friend that never betrays.” – Confucius
“The things you are passionate about are not random, they are your calling. Speak up for them.” – Fabienne Fredrickson
“To find your voice, you must first learn to listen.” – Paulo Coelho
“Words can inspire. And words can destroy. Choose yours well.” – Robin Sharma
“The more you give voice to things that matter, the more significant your voice becomes.” – Michelle Obama
“Speak from your soul, and everyone will listen.” – Anonymous
“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.” – Rudyard Kipling
“When you give people a voice, they use it.” – John Green
“Speak the truth, even if your voice quakes.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
“Find your voice and let it sing your soul’s song.” – Charlotte Eriksson
“Never underestimate the power of speaking out; it can move mountains.” – Steve Maraboli
“Your voice is a gift. Use it to spread light and love.” – Unknown
“When you speak, listen with ears wide open to the echoes of your heart.” – Anaïs Nin
“One voice can start a revolution.” – The Hunger Games
“Speak up, because your silence could be hurting others as well as yourself.” – Amit Ray
In Conclusion
Wrapping up, the “Speak up Quotes” shared in this article serve as small but powerful reminders to always use your voice. Whether in personal life or at work, speaking up can make a big difference. These quotes show that courage to speak up inspires change and makes our voices matter.
By keeping these quotes in mind, you can find the strength to stand up for yourself and others. Let these words guide you in moments when staying silent feels easier. After all, each voice has the power to spark change and create new opportunities.
