Some years ago Premier Nikita Khrushchev (1894-1971) was speaking before the Supreme Soviet Assembly and was severely critical of the late Premier Joseph Stalin, who killed 9 million Russians with political purges, mass murders, and famine in the 1930’s and the 1940’s.
While he was speaking someone from the audience sent up a note: “What were YOU doing when Stalin committed all these atrocities?”
Khrushchev shouted, “Who sent up that note?” Not a person stirred.
“I’ll give him one minute to stand up!” Khrushchev shouted again. The seconds ticked off. Still no one moved.
“All right, I’ll tell you what I was doing. I was doing exactly what the writer of this note was doing – EXACTLY NOTHING! I was afraid to be counted!”
What are YOU DOING when YOU criticize and complain about what others in Public Life are doing or not doing today?
IF YOU WANT GOD TO CLOSE AND OPEN DOORS FOR YOU….THEN LET GO OF THE DOORKNOB!!
My Commentary:
This account of Nikita Khrushchev confronting his audience with their own silence is both convicting and timeless. It is easy to look back at history and condemn others for their inaction in the face of injustice.
It is much harder to admit that, placed in the same situation, fear might paralyze us as well. Khrushchev’s blunt confession – “I was afraid to be counted” – reveals the universal human struggle between moral courage and self-preservation.
The story exposes the danger of complacency. Tyranny and atrocities often thrive not simply because of the power of the oppressor but because of the silence of the many.
When no one speaks up, when no one resists, evil has fertile ground in which to grow. Yet the silence is not always born of approval; more often it is born of fear – fear of reprisal, fear of being isolated, fear of paying the cost that courage requires.
The moral challenge posed at the end of the story turns the mirror toward us. It is easy to criticize those in public life – leaders, politicians, or authorities – for their failures or compromises.
But the question remains: What am I doing? Am I content to remain silent, to complain from the sidelines, or to watch events unfold without ever taking a stand?
True courage is not merely pointing out the failures of others; it is being willing to risk one’s own comfort, reputation, or even safety for the sake of truth and justice. To be “counted” means more than holding opinions – it means being willing to bear the weight of conviction when the moment comes.
This story invites us to examine our own silence and to ask: In the face of injustice, fear, or wrongdoing – am I, too, doing “exactly nothing”?
Please have the courage to share this Message with others.
