Wisdom of John Stuart Mill

John Stuart Mill (May 20, 1806 – May 7, 1873) was an English economist, philosopher, politician and civil servant. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy called him "the most influential English-speaking philosopher of the nineteenth century." He greatly influenced classical liberalism and championed the freedom of the individual.

Below we list some words of wisdom from John Stuart Mill.

“In the long-run, the best proof of a good character is good actions.”

“There are many truths of which the full meaning cannot be realized until personal experience has brought it home.”

“Truths are known to us in two ways: some are known directly, and of themselves; some through the medium of other truths. The former are the subject of Intuition, or Consciousness; the latter, of Inference; the latter of Inference. The truths known by Intuition are the original premises, from which all others are inferred.”

“All good things which exist are the fruits of originality.”

“It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied. And if the fool, or the pig, are of a different opinion, it is because they only know their own side of the question.”

“There is always hope when people are forced to listen to both sides.”

“I have learned to seek my happiness by limiting my desires, rather than in attempting to satisfy them.”

“Those only are happy who have their minds fixed on some object other than their own happiness.”

“Ask yourself whether you are happy and you cease to be so. The only chance is to treat not happiness, but some end external to it, as the purpose of life.”

“Most persons have but a very moderate capacity of happiness. Expecting...in marriage a far greater degree of happiness than they commonly find, and knowing not that the fault is in their own scanty capability of happiness.”

“Solitude in the presence of natural beauty and grandeur is the cradle of thought and aspirations which are not only good for the individual, but which society can ill do without.”

“Strong impulses are but another name for energy. Energy may be turned to bad uses; but more good may always be made of an energetic nature, than of an indolent and impassive one.”

“So Long as we do not harm others we should be free to think, speak, act, and live as we see fit, without molestation from individuals, law, or government.”

“Popular opinions, on subjects not palpable to sense, are often true, but seldom or never the whole truth.”

“All attempts by the State to bias the conclusions of its citizens on disputed subjects, are evil.”

"The sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection…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.”

“Persons of genius, it is true, are, and are always likely to be, a small minority; but in order to have them, it is necessary to preserve the soil in which they grow.”

“The love of power and the love of liberty are in eternal antagonism.”

“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 now dare to be eccentric marks the chief danger of the time.”

“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.”

“Whatever crushes individuality is despotism.”

Copyright © Scott Petullo, Stephen Petullo