"No one is an exception. But at some point, you have to make a choice. Sometimes you have to choose either to live, but not like a person, without value or bones, like a traitor, cheating one's friends. But what meaning is there in that kind of life? Sometimes you have to make the choice: I would rather die than cheat my friends or live without meaning. People sometimes need to make this kind of choice."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
PrisonersNon-fiction authors from ChinaFree speech activistsHuman rights activistsDemocracy activists
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Imported from EN Wikiquote
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Wei_Jingsheng
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Wei Jingsheng
Wei Jingsheng (Chinese: éŹäş¬ç”ź) (born 20 May 1950) is a Chinese human rights activist and dissident. He is most prominent for having authored the essay "The Fifth Modernization", which was posted on the Democracy Wall in Beijing in 1978. As punishment for writing his manifesto, Wei was arrested and convicted of "counter-revolutionary" activities, and he was detained as a political prisoner from 1979 to 1993. Briefly released in 1993, Wei continued to engage in his dissident activities by speaking t
30 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Wei Jingsheng →
Related Quotes
"Human rights are shared by all people of the world and if some people still suffer without them, then nobody has them…"
"When I was living in China, people don't have anything to eat. There's people living in such poverty that it's imposs…"
"I have waited decades for this chance to exercise my right to free speech, but the Chinese people have been waiting f…"
"I consider my release to be only a small victory for human rights and democracy."
"For human beings, there is no difficulty that cannot be overcome. Rely on yourself, and you can overcome anything."
"If there were normal relationships between the two partners, there would be no problem. But China is a dysfunctional …"
"My overall impression is that politicians really like to change their positions and really like to forget about some …"
"Many Western experts are beginning to think about a dictatorial system being more efficient and functional than democ…"
"When I talk with American politicians, and they ask me if they should begin talking about human rights again, I reply…"
"If you want to speak the truth, you will definitely pay a price. It's the same everywhere, but speaking out under com…"