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When one’s ideas are not challenged, one’s ability to defend them weakens.

John Stuart Mill

The price paid for intellectual pacification is the sacrifice of the entire moral courage of the human mind.
JOHN STUART MILL

Courage Human Intellectual Mindset Pay Price
In all intellectual debates, both sides tend to be correct in what they affirm, and wrong in what they deny.
JOHN STUART MILL

Affirmation Correct Debate Intellectual Wrong
There is the greatest difference between presuming an opinion to be true, because, with every opportunity for contesting it, it has not been refuted, and assuming its truth for the purpose of not permitting its refutation.
JOHN STUART MILL

Assumption Difference Greatness Opinion Purpose
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.
JOHN STUART MILL

Accomplishment Finding Hands Instrument Man Order Purpose State
He who does anything because it is the custom, makes no choice.
JOHN STUART MILL

Choice Custom Himself
All political revolutions, not affected by foreign conquest, originate in moral revolutions. The subversion of established institutions is merely one consequence of the previous subversion of established opinions.
JOHN STUART MILL

Establishment Moral Opinion Politics Revolution
A great statesman is he who knows when to depart from traditions, as well as when to adhere to them.
JOHN STUART MILL

Greatness Known Tradition
So Long as we do not harm others we should be free to think, speak, act, & live as we see fit, without molestation from individuals, law, or gov’t.
JOHN STUART MILL

Freedom Government Harm Law Live Thinking
Human beings are no longer born to their place in life…but are free to employ their faculties and such favorable chances as offer, to achieve the lot which may appear to them as desirable.
JOHN STUART MILL

Achievement Appearance Born Chance Desire Freedom Human Life Place
The most cogent reason for restricting the interference of government is the great evil of adding unnecessarily to its power.
JOHN STUART MILL

Government Necessary Power Reason Restriction
Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness; wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. By happiness is intended pleasure and the absence of pain.
JOHN STUART MILL

Absence Action Happiness Pain Pleasure Proportion Reverse Right
The despotism of custom is everywhere the standing hindrance to human advancement.
JOHN STUART MILL

Advancement Custom Despotism Human
No slave is a slave to the same lengths, and in so full a sense of the word, as a wife is.
JOHN STUART MILL

Marriage Perspective Slave Wife Word
Human nature is not a machine to be built after a model, and set to do exactly the work prescribed for it, but a tree, which requires to grow and develop itself on all sides, according to the tendency of the inward forces which make it a living thing.
JOHN STUART MILL

Development Force Human Live Machine Nature Requirement Tree
All ideas need to be heard, because each idea contains one aspect of the truth. By examining that aspect, we add to our own idea of the truth. Even ideas that have no truth in them whatsoever are useful because by disproving them, we add support to our own ideas.
JOHN STUART MILL

Aspect Examination Ideas Ourselves Support Truth
Men do not desire to be rich, but to be richer than other men.
JOHN STUART MILL

Desire Man Rich

When one’s ideas are not challenged, one’s ability to defend them weakens.

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When one’s ideas are not challenged, one’s ability to defend them weakens.

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