You and your husband have, I think, been very fortunate to…
““You and your husband have, I think, been very fortunate to know so little, by experience, in your own case or in that of your friends, of the wicked recklessness with which people repeat things to the disadvantage of others, without a thought as to whether they have grounds for asserting what they say. I have met with a good deal of utter misrepresentation of that kind. And another result of my experience is the conviction that the opinion of "people" in general is absolutely worthless as a test of right and wrong. The only two tests I now apply to such a question as the having some particular girl-friend as a guest are, first, my own conscience, to settle whether I feel it to be entirely innocent and right, in the sight of God; secondly, the parents of my friend, to settle whether I have their full approval for what I do. You need not be shocked at my being spoken against. Anybody, who is spoken about at all, is sure to be spoken against by somebody: and any action, however innocent in itself, is liable, and not at all unlikely, to be blamed by somebody. If you limit your actions in life to things that nobody can possibly find fault with, you will not do much””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Personal conscience and trusted approval should guide actions more than public opinion, which is often unreliable.
In simple terms: Follow conscience and trusted advice, not crowds.
Prioritize inner moral compass over societal judgment.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- personal decisions
- social interactions
- public statements
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What internal standards guide you?
- When is public opinion useful?
May ignore valuable feedback from community.