Actions are right in proportion as they promote happiness, wrong as the produce the reverse.
A man 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.
- Topic: Purpose
- Photo: Jeffrey Benjamin
More Quotes from John Stuart Mill
In this age, the man who dares to think for himself and to act independently does a service to his race.
The individual is not accountable to society for his actions, insofar as these concern the interests of no person but himself.
He who lets the world, or his own portion of it, choose his plan of life for him, has no need of any other faculty than the ape-like one of imitation.
There is no such thing as absolute certainty, but there is assurance sufficient for the purposes of human life.
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.
More on Purpose
To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly; to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart; to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never. In a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common. This is to be my symphony.
Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.
First, have a definite, clear practical ideal; a goal, an objective. Second, have the necessary means to achieve your ends; wisdom, money, materials, and methods. Third, adjust all your means to that end.
Have regular hours for work & play; make each day both useful & pleasant and prove you understand the worth of time by employing it well.
Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though sometimes it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that setbacks and griefs which endure help us in our march forward.
When a person can't find a deep meaning, they distract themselves with pleasure.
Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease to exist at death.
