-2

I have come across this very famous proverb many times that blames people who don't take a stand for bad things that happen in the world.

As far as I remember, it had something to do with the world ending and the people who had not taken a stand were to blame. However, I cannot remember the exact wording, nor can I find it anywhere on the internet.

I am open to other suggestions as well...

Improve this question
5
  • Your question is likely off-topic if there is only one such phrase that will satisfy.
    – lbf
    Commented Feb 7, 2019 at 14:18
  • There may be many which satisfy but I am looking for a very specific one. I am not sure if this is the correct forum to ask such a question but I couldn't think of a better place. Please suggest if you have any alternatives.
    – Siddharth Garg
    Commented Feb 7, 2019 at 16:02
  • 1
    If you have indeed heard it many times than you should be able to give us more to go on with. Guessing games i.e. I am thinking of a word/phrase/etc --what is it? do not go over well here.
    – Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_
    Commented Feb 7, 2019 at 17:35
  • There's also Yeats's The Second Coming: "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold ...The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate Intensity." poetryfoundation.org/poems/43290/the-second-coming
    – remarkl
    Commented Feb 8, 2019 at 5:54
  • @Chappo.. Done. Moreover one of the answers fits my use case so already selected it as correct. Thanks for the suggestion
    – Siddharth Garg
    Commented Feb 12, 2019 at 7:56

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
6

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Edmund Burke (in a letter addressed to Thomas Mercer).

Improve this answer
1
  • This does fit my use case to a certain extent however I am looking for a very specific proverb / quote that's been causing an itch in my brain. Will wait for sometime and, if I don't get the correct answer, will accept yours.
    – Siddharth Garg
    Commented Feb 7, 2019 at 16:11
4

I don't know about a proverb, but just in case we've a problem with naming conventions, you may be thinking of "First they came ..." a poem written by the German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984). Further details on Wikipedia

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—
and there was no one left to speak for me.

Improve this answer
0
1

  • Broken reeds, he proclaimed, damning the people who did not take a stand!.

  • an unreliable or undependable person. (metaphor of a useless, broken reed in an instrument.) You can't rely on Jim's support. He's a broken reed. Mr. Smith is a broken reed. His deputy has to make all the decisions.

This expression refers to Isaiah 36:6, in which the Assyrian general taunts King Hezekiah of Jerusalem about the latter's supposed ally, the Egyptian pharaoh: ‘Lo, thou trusteth in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt’.

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.