Original artwork, not a still
Peace begins with a smile.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
A tiny instruction at the scale of a face: if peace is worth wanting, start with how you greet the next person. It fits her message because she preached small acts done with love, which is why a paraphrase could be pinned on her so easily. Posters and social media captions have made it one of her most repeated lines.
Context reviewed
In context
May contain spoilersShow the scene
No source found for this exact sentence. It circulates on quote sites and in books under Mother Teresa's name without a speech, interview or book given. The closest documented words are in her Nobel Peace Prize lecture, delivered in Oslo on 11 December 1979, where she says it is hard for people to smile at each other even at home and that the smile is the beginning of love, urging everyone to meet each other with a smile. The wording in the quote, with peace as the result, appears to be a later paraphrase.
Sources (1)
- Mother Teresa, Nobel Lecture, 11 December 1979Closing section of the lectureReference checked
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