Barbara Deming Quotes

“Vengeance is not the point change is. But the trouble is that in most people's minds the thought of victory and the thought of punishing the enemy coincide. ”

“Our task, of course, is to transmute the anger that is affliction into the anger that is determination to bring about change. I think, in fact, that one could give that as a definition of revolution.”

“We learn best to listen to our own voices if we are listening at the same time to other women-whose stories for all our differences turn out if we listen well to be our stories also.”

“I think the only choice that will enable us to hold to our vision is one that abandons the concept of naming enemies and adopts a concept familiar to the nonviolent tradition: naming behavior that is oppressive”

“It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.”

“Whenever there is fear, you will get wrong figures.”

“You should not ask questions without knowledge.”

“Lack of knowledge... that is the problem.”

“All anyone asks for is a chance to work with pride.”

“It is not enough to do your best; you must know what to do, and then do your best.”