25 Dorothea Dix Quotes on Inciting Positive Change

By Clifton Sankofa | Published July 19, 2023

Feel inspired to make a difference with these profound Dorothea Dix quotes.

Dorothea Dix was a nineteenth-century activist who significantly transformed the field of medicine during her lifetime.

Find out what makes her such an influential figure below with our Dorothea Dix quotes.

Who was Dorothea Dix?

Dorothea Dix lived a phenomenal life full of determination, empathy, and justice.

She was an advocate for fair treatment and how illness is treated.

Her work with mentally ill and indigenous populations is remembered with pride.

Check out these Dorothea Dix facts below:

Dix was not a politician but managed to get bills passed in Congress.
As a Union nurse, Dix worked to heal wounded Confederate soldiers.
Dix never wanted credit for her work; she wanted her patients well instead.

Dorothea Dix: A light in a dark place

Dix comes from a troubled household.

Many historians believe alcoholism caused her parent’s marriage to suffer.

She moved with her grandmother as a young person, reinforcing her strict religious belief systems.

How did Dorothea Dix impact the world of medicine?

Dorothea Dix was passionate about providing a voice to the voiceless and helping the helpless.

We all would love to believe that American medical practices are cutting-edge, but our medical field has a dark history.

For centuries, Indigenous populations have struggled to receive medical care in the U.S.

Additionally, people with physical or mental disabilities have fought hard for equity and equal access to treatment.

Dorothea Dix worked tirelessly to help those with mental disabilities and indigenous populations positively.

Both groups have a long history of oppression in America; Dix sought to change that.

How did Dorothea Dix evolve nursing?

Dorothea Dix was a woman who felt called to abide by the Christian beliefs of helping others in need.

She was also a brilliant nurse who created systems other nurses could follow.

She helped codify practices and set standards for nurses to uphold.

Her work resulted in cleaner facilities, less death due to preventable conditions like infection, and the saving of countless lives.

Dix set standards so that nurses cleaned patients and themselves.

She helped create industry standards for cleaning equipment and prevent the spread of germs.

While many of her standards were practical, some were out of the box.

Some of her more interesting rules about nurses required they be between the ages of 35 and 50.

They must be plain-looking and matronly and only wear plain brown, black, or gray dresses.

She also demanded they not wear any ornaments or jewelry.

To learn more about this mental health advocate and nursing genius, check out our Dorothea Dix quotes below.

Short Dorothea Dix quotes about taking life by the horns

These short quotes remind us that Dix was not afraid of anything!

1. “I may be too craving of that rich gift, the power of sharing other minds.” — Dorothea Dix

2. “Happy are those who dwell apart from the harrowing tumults of public life!” — Dorothea Dix

3. “I have drunk deeply, long, and oh! how blissfully at this fountain in a foreign clime.” — Dorothea Dix

4. “I must study alone, as I am condemned to do everything alone, I believe, in this life.” — Dorothea Dix

5. “Always remember those things that tend to strengthen and improve your understanding.” — Dorothea Dix

The top Dorothea Dix quotes about flowers and food

Check out these poetic muses from Dorothea.

6. “What greater bliss than to look back on days spent in usefulness, in doing good to those around us.” — Dorothea Dix

7. “The rose is the flower and handmaiden of love; the lily, her fair associate, is the emblem of beauty and purity.” — Dorothea Dix

8. “The duties of a teacher are neither few nor small, but they elevate the mind and give energy to the character.” — Dorothea Dix

9. “Hearts met hearts, minds joined with minds; and what were the secondary trials of pain to the enfeebled, suffering body when daily was administered the soul’s medicine and food!” — Dorothea Dix

10. “Your minds may now be likened to a garden, which will, if neglected, yield only weeds and thistles; but, if cultivated, will produce the most beautiful flowers, and the most delicious fruits.” — Dorothea Dix

Famous Dorothea Dix quotes about memory and accomplishment

Check out these insightful Dorothea Dix quotes.

11. “With care and patience, people may accomplish things which, to an indolent person, would appear impossible.” — Dorothea Dix

12. “The great benefactors of individuals and of communities are the enlightened educators: the wise-teaching, mental and moral instructors and exemplars of our times.” — Dorothea Dix

13. “You cannot learn without attention, neither retain those lessons that you have once learned without frequently reflecting upon and reviewing them in your mind.” — Dorothea Dix

14. “Jasmine, the name of which signifies fragrance, is the emblem of delicacy and elegance. It is reared with difficulty in New England, but at the South, puts forth all its graces.” — Dorothea Dix

15. “The olive branch has been consecrated to peace, palm branches to victory, the laurel to conquest and poetry, the myrtle to love and pleasure, the cypress to mourning, and the willow to despondency.” — Dorothea Dix

The best Dorothea Dix quotes about using nature as a teacher

Dix looked to the world around her for analogies and inspiration.

16. “A virtuous character is likened to an unblemished flower.” — Dorothea Dix

17. “Piety is a fadeless bud that half opens on earth and expands through eternity.” — Dorothea Dix

18. “Men need knowledge in order to overpower their passions and master their prejudices.” — Dorothea Dix

19. “Steady, firm, and kind government of prisoners is the truest humanity and the best exercise of duty.” — Dorothea Dix

20. “Sweetness of temper is the odor of fresh blooms, and the amaranth flowers of pure affection open but to bloom forever.” — Dorothea Dix

Wise Dorothea Dix quotes and sayings

Let’s close it out with some awesome Dorothea Dix quotes.

21. “Pleasures take to themselves wings and fly away; true knowledge remains forever.” — Dorothea Dix

22. “I would never suffer any exhibition of ill-temper or an arbitrary exercise of authority.” — Dorothea Dix

23. “Rules must be established and enforced, and, as numbers are increased in prisons, the necessity for vigilance increases.” — Dorothea Dix

24. “In order to do good, a man must be good; and he will not be good except he have instruction by counsel and by example.” — Dorothea Dix

25. “It is with convicts as with children: unseasonable indulgence, indiscreetly granted, leads to mischiefs which we may deplore but cannot repair.” — Dorothea Dix