John Stuart Mill

A people may prefer a free government, but if, from indolence, or carelessness, or cowardice, or want of public spirit, they are unequal to the exertions necessary for preserving it; if they will not fight for it when it is directly attacked; if they can be deluded by the artifices used to cheat them out of it; if by momentary discouragement, or temporary panic, or a fit of enthusiasm for an individual, they can be induced to lay their liberties at the feet even of a great man, or trust him with powers which enable him to subvert their institutions; in all these cases they are more or less unfit for liberty: and though it may be for their good to have had it even for a short time, they are unlikely long to enjoy it.

Precisely because the tyranny of opinion is such as to make eccentricity a reproach, it is desirable, in order to break through that tyranny, that people should be eccentric. Eccentricity has always abounded when and where strength of character has abounded; and the amount of eccentricity in a society has generally been proportional to the amount of genius, mental vigor, and moral courage it contained. That so few dare to be eccentric marks the chief danger of the time.

War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling that thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.

If mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.

The dictum that truth always triumphs over persecution is one of those pleasant falsehoods which men repeat after one another till they pass into commonplace, but which all experience refutes.

The worth of a State, in the long run, is the worth of the individuals composing it.

All good things which exist are the fruits of originality.

That so few now dare to be eccentric marks the chief danger of our time."

A state which dwarfs its men, in order that they may be more docile instruments in its hands even for beneficial purposes, will find that with small men no great thing can really be accomplished

He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that.

Ci tylko są szczęśliwi, których myśli są skierowane ku jakiemuś przedmiotowi innemu niż własna szczęśliwość.

Struktura każdego zdania jest lekcją logiki.

Uczeń, od którego nigdy nie wymaga się nic takiego, czego zrobić nie może, nigdy nie zrobi tego, co może.

The pupil who is never required to do what he cannot do, never does what he can do.

To, co wydaje się szczytem absurdu w jednym pokoleniu, często staje się szczytem mądrości w następnym.

That which seems the height of absurdity in one generation often becomes the height of wisdom in the next.

The only freedom which deserves the name, is that of persuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or impede their efforts to obtain it.

We can never be sure that the opinion we are endeavoring to stifle is a false opinion; and if we were sure, stifling it would be an evil still.

Ask yourself whether you are happy, and you cease to be so.

The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant.

Precisely because the tyranny of opinion is such as to make eccentricity a reproach, it is desirable, in order to break through that tyranny, that people should be eccentric. Eccentricity has always abounded when and where strength of character has abounded; and the amount of eccentricity in a society has generally been proportional to the amount of genius, mental vigor, and moral courage it contained. That so few dare to be eccentric marks the chief danger of the time.

Jedna osoba, która w coś święcie wierzy, jest równa 99, które mają tylko interesy.

One person with a belief is equal to 99 who have only interests.