"My doctrine is this, that if we see cruelty or wrong that we have the power to stop, and do nothing, we make ourselves sharers in the guilt"

This quote by Anna Sewell talks to the concept of individual responsibility. It recommends that if we witness an act of ruthlessness or wrong and have the power to stop it, however pick not to, we become complicit in the misdeed. This implies that we have an ethical commitment to intervene when we can, and that our inaction is just as damaging as if we had actively participated in the incorrect. Sewell's quote motivates us to take a stand against injustice and to utilize our power to assist those in need. It is a suggestion that all of us have a function to play in producing a better world, and that our inaction can have serious effects.