When Good People Do Nothing Or Stay Quiet

We can all tell stories of people who were lured into an addiction, a dangerous investment, a bad relationship, an abortion, or infidelity. We see the warning signs. We even mention it to our other friends. But in the end, we regret that we didn’t say something to the one teetering on the edge of failure before it became a huge issue.

Next time you’re asked to contribute to a discussion or stand up for someone, don’t hesitate.

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PLEASE NOTE: The quote is attributed to Edmund Burke.

“The world suffers a lot. Not because of the violence of bad people. But because of the silence of good people.” – Napoleon

One could argue that not only did Napoleon not say it, he also didn’t abide by it. The Napoleonic Wars tore Europe apart and caused hundreds of thousands of deaths. The French general’s brutal repression of his enemies caused the world and the good people in it to “suffer a lot.” If there’s one thing worse than a fraud, it’s a hypocritical fraud. A pat variation on “the only thing necessary for evil men to triumph is good men to do nothing,” there’s no record of Napoleon writing or saying this to anyone at any time. Numerous well-sourced lists of Napoleon quotes are out there, and not a single one includes this quote, nor does any searchable Napoleon biography.

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” – Edmund Burke.