--- title: "4 Conformity Quotes By John Stuart Mill" description: "4 Conformity quotes by John Stuart Mill. Plus more from John Stuart Mill and more Conformity sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a5/john-stuart-mill-477_age_in-this-age-the-mere-example-of-non-conf_638790.png" --- > [In this age, the mere example of non-conformity, the mere refusal to bend the knee to custom, is itself a service. Precisely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/in-this-age-the-mere-example-of-non-conformity-the-mere-refusal-to/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a5/john-stuart-mill-477_age_in-this-age-the-mere-example-of-non-conf_638790.png) > [No longer enslaved or made dependent by force of law, the great majority are so by force of property; they are still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/no-longer-enslaved-or-made-dependent-by-force-of-law-the-great-2/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/225/john-stuart-mill-477_accidents_no-longer-enslaved-or-made-dependent-by_1513777.jpg) > [In this age, the mere example of non-conformity, the mere refusal to bend the knee to custom, is itself a service. Precisely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/in-this-age-the-mere-example-of-non-conformity-the-mere-refusal-to-2/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60f/john-stuart-mill-477_age_in-this-age-the-mere-example-of-non-conf_2070241.jpg) > [ “\[People\] ask themselves, what is suitable for my position? What is usually done by persons of my station and percuniary circumstances? Or… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/people-ask-themselves-what-is-suitable-for-my-position-what-is/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/310/john-stuart-mill-477_conformity_people-ask-themselves-what-is-suitable-f_2309783.jpg) ## Other authors on Conformity - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b011/author-henry-david-thoreau-41473.jpg) Henry David Thoreau 28 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conformity/henry-david-thoreau/) - [Ralph Waldo Emerson 27 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conformity/ralph-waldo-emerson/) - [Mokokoma Mokhonoana 15 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conformity/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) - [Aristotle 11 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conformity/aristotle/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b021/author-rumi-81702.jpg) Rumi 6 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conformity/rumi/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b018/author-noam-chomsky-71799.jpg) Noam Chomsky 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conformity/noam-chomsky/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b013/author-jeremy-limn-48923.jpg) Jeremy Limn 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conformity/jeremy-limn/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b010/author-george-orwell-37887.jpg) George Orwell 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conformity/george-orwell/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b010/author-friedrich-nietzsche-36363.jpg) Friedrich Nietzsche 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conformity/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## More by John Stuart Mill > [The average condition of the people improving or deteriorating, depends upon whether population is advancing faster than improvement, or improvement than population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-average-condition-of-the-people-improving-or-deteriorating/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Liberty lies in the rights of that person whose views you find most odious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/liberty-lies-in-the-rights-of-that-person-whose-views-you-find-most/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Truth emerges from the clash of adverse ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/truth-emerges-from-the-clash-of-adverse-ideas/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [“No longer enslaved or made dependent by force of law, the great majority are so by force of poverty; they are still chained to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/no-longer-enslaved-or-made-dependent-by-force-of-law-the-great/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [All acts suppose certain dispositions, and habits of mind and heart, which may be in themselves states of enjoyment or of wretchedness, and which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/all-acts-suppose-certain-dispositions-and-habits-of-mind-and-heart/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Unfortunately for the good sense of mankind, the fact of their fallibility is far from carrying the weight in their practical judgement, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/unfortunately-for-the-good-sense-of-mankind-the-fact-of-their/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [“In history, as in traveling, men usually see only what they already had in their own minds; and few learn much from history, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/in-history-as-in-traveling-men-usually-see-only-what-they-already-had/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [All errors which a man is likely to commit against advice are far outweighed by the evil of allowing others to constrain him for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/all-errors-which-a-man-is-likely-to-commit-against-advice-are-far/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Every great movement must experience three stages: ridicule, discussion, adoption.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/every-great-movement-must-experience-three-stages-ridicule-discussion/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [The successful conduct of an industrial enterprise requires two quite distinct qualifications: fidelity and zeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-successful-conduct-of-an-industrial-enterprise-requires-two-quite/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [ “\[For people\] to refuse a hearing to an opinion, because they are sure that it is false, is to assume that their certainty is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/for-people-to-refuse-a-hearing-to-an-opinion-because-they-are-sure/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [This is what writers mean when they say that the notion of cause involves the idea of necessity. If there be any meaning which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/this-is-what-writers-mean-when-they-say-that-the-notion-of-cause/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [“Protection, therefore, against tyranny of the magistrate is not enough: there needs protection also against the tyranny of the prevailing opinion and feeling; against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/protection-therefore-against-tyranny-of-the-magistrate-is-not-enough/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Landlords grow rich in their sleep without working, risking or economizing. The increase in the value of land, arising as it does from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/landlords-grow-rich-in-their-sleep-without-working-risking-or/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [There is one characteristic of the present direction of public opinion, peculiarly calculated to make it intolerant of any marked demonstration of individuality. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/there-is-one-characteristic-of-the-present-direction-of-public/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conformity/john-stuart-mill/#itemlist", "name": "4 Conformity Quotes By John Stuart Mill", "numberOfItems": 4, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In this age, the mere example of non-conformity, the mere refusal to bend the knee to custom, is itself a service. 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 which it contained. 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That this is an evil equal to almost any of those against which mankind have hitherto struggles, the poor are not wrong in believing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Stuart Mill" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/no-longer-enslaved-or-made-dependent-by-force-of-law-the-great-2/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/225/john-stuart-mill-477_accidents_no-longer-enslaved-or-made-dependent-by_1513777.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/225/john-stuart-mill-477_accidents_no-longer-enslaved-or-made-dependent-by_1513777.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/225/john-stuart-mill-477_accidents_no-longer-enslaved-or-made-dependent-by_1513777.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“No longer enslaved or made dependent by force of law, the great majority are so by force of property; they…” — John Stuart Mill", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In this age, the mere example of non-conformity, the mere refusal to bend the knee to custom, is itself a service. 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What is usually done by persons of my station and percuniary circumstances? Or (worse still) what is usually done by persons of a station and circumstances superior to mine? I do not mean that they choose what is customary in preference to what suits their own inclinations. It does not occur to them to have any inclination, except for what is customary. Thus the mind itself is bowed to the yoke: even in what people do for pleasure, conformity is the first thing thought of; they like in crowds; they exercise choice only among things that are commonly done: peculiarity of taste, eccentricity of conduct, are shunned equally with crimes: until by dint of not following their own nature they have no nature to follow: their human capacities are withered and starved: they become incapable of any strong wishes or native pleasures, and are generally without either opinions or feelings of home growth, or properly their own.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Stuart Mill" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/people-ask-themselves-what-is-suitable-for-my-position-what-is/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/310/john-stuart-mill-477_conformity_people-ask-themselves-what-is-suitable-f_2309783.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/310/john-stuart-mill-477_conformity_people-ask-themselves-what-is-suitable-f_2309783.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/310/john-stuart-mill-477_conformity_people-ask-themselves-what-is-suitable-f_2309783.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“[People] ask themselves, what is suitable for my position? 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