--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's an ideal existence. Out in the open…" description: "\"It's an ideal existence. Out in the open. Berating the president of he United States... I'm free to thwart and torment the authorities - that is to say..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b69/benjamin-spock-9466_activism_it-s-an-ideal-existence-out-in-the-open_473452.png" --- # It's an ideal existence. Out in the open. Berating the… ![“It's an ideal existence. Out in the open. Berating the president of he United States... I'm free to thwart and torment the authorities - that is to say, I can get out my hostilities - because I'm protected in my conscience by the knowledge that what I'm doing is morally right. I've never been so…” quote by Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b69/benjamin-spock-9466_activism_it-s-an-ideal-existence-out-in-the-open_473452.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b69/benjamin-spock-9466_activism_it-s-an-ideal-existence-out-in-the-open_473452.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b69/benjamin-spock-9466_activism_it-s-an-ideal-existence-out-in-the-open_473452.png) > “It's an ideal existence. Out in the open. Berating the president of he United States... I'm free to thwart and torment the authorities - that is to say, I can get out my hostilities - because I'm protected in my conscience by the knowledge that what I'm doing is morally right. I've never been so relaxed. I've never been so happy.” [Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acting against authority feels justified when guided by personal moral conviction, leading to a sense of freedom and happiness. **In simple terms:** Moral conviction can justify defying authority, creating personal peace. Key Takeaway Align actions with personal ethics. Themes morality authority freedom conscience Mood defiant liberated Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - political protest - personal decision making - ethical dilemmas Key Concepts ethical philosophy civil disobedience psychology of happiness Questions to Reflect On - When is personal conscience insufficient for ethical decisions? - How to balance personal morality with societal laws? A Different Perspective Moral certainty may blind one to broader consequences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Activism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/activism/) [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Hostility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hostility/) [Ideals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideals/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Torment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/torment/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) ## Related quotes > [There are only two times when people hate you: ¢ When you are doing something wrong. ¢ When u're doing something morally right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/there-are-only-two-times-when-people-hate-you-when-you-are-doing/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [Fiat justitia, ruat coelum. (Do the right thing even if the heavens fall.) It's not nearly as naïve a maxim as it seems, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwynne-dyer/fiat-justitia-ruat-coelum-do-the-right-thing-even-if-the-heavens-fall/) [Gwynne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwynne-dyer/) > [“When there is only one thing, what can be added or subtracted? If there are no circles, can pi find an ideal existence? What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-l-peck-2/when-there-is-only-one-thing-what-can-be-added-or-subtracted-if-there/) [Steven L Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-l-peck-2/) > [You're not going to be perfect, you're not going to stop berating yourself, you're not going to stop the comparisons, you're not going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/you-re-not-going-to-be-perfect-you-re-not-going-to-stop-berating/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [Recognition in front of peers is the strongest motivator, and berating team members in private or public is the biggest demotivator. Check your use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-zwilling/recognition-in-front-of-peers-is-the-strongest-motivator-and-berating/) [Martin Zwilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-zwilling/) > [Many spend their time berating practitioners for not applying their method. We all need to disseminate our ideas, but most of our time should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-parnas/many-spend-their-time-berating-practitioners-for-not-applying-their/) [David Parnas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-parnas/) > [I much prefer following a lead character that is doing morally questionable things. How much do you get on board? Do like that? Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-cooke/i-much-prefer-following-a-lead-character-that-is-doing-morally/) [Christian Cooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-cooke/) > [Nothing will bring you down quicker than berating yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suman-rai/nothing-will-bring-you-down-quicker-than-berating-yourself/) [Suman Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suman-rai/) > [It would have been a hard year if I'd spent it berating myself for not working on the book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-barton/it-would-have-been-a-hard-year-if-i-d-spent-it-berating-myself-for/) [Emily Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-barton/) > [The worst thing about war was the sitting around and wondering what you were doing morally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-fussell/the-worst-thing-about-war-was-the-sitting-around-and-wondering-what/) [Paul Fussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-fussell/) > [“As a man cannot lift a mountain, and as a kindly man cannot kill an infant, so a man living the Christian life cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/as-a-man-cannot-lift-a-mountain-and-as-a-kindly-man-cannot-kill-an/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [I don't want to watch a show or a movie about the guy who doesn't have any problems, who is sort of a goodie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/i-don-t-want-to-watch-a-show-or-a-movie-about-the-guy-who-doesn-t/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [whatsoever it is morally right for a man to do, it is morally right for a woman to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-moore-grimke/whatsoever-it-is-morally-right-for-a-man-to-do-it-is-morally-right/) [Sarah Moore Grimke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-moore-grimke/) > [We need to create a mood where it is everywhere thought morally right for as many people as possible to acquire capital.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/we-need-to-create-a-mood-where-it-is-everywhere-thought-morally-right/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [When human beings are regarded as moral beings, sex, instead of being enthroned upon the summit, administering upon rights and responsibilities, sinks into insignificance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-grimke/when-human-beings-are-regarded-as-moral-beings-sex-instead-of-being/) [Angelina Grimke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-grimke/) ## More by Benjamin Spock > [The strongest rebellion may be expressed in quiet, undramatic behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/the-strongest-rebellion-may-be-expressed-in-quiet-undramatic-behavior/) [Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/) > [On the average, older parents are more flexible, tolerant, understanding, and happy in child care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/on-the-average-older-parents-are-more-flexible-tolerant-understanding/) [Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/) > [I was so afraid of being bad and being caught at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/i-was-so-afraid-of-being-bad-and-being-caught-at-it/) [Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/) > [I really learned it all from mothers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/i-really-learned-it-all-from-mothers/) [Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/) > [Can we make a better world for our children? 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During the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/when-i-was-88-years-old-i-gave-up-meat-entirely-and-switched-to-a/) [Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/) > [What is the use of physicians like myself trying to help parents to bring up children healthy and happy, to have them killed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/what-is-the-use-of-physicians-like-myself-trying-to-help-parents-to/) [Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/) > [Grandparents have the freedom to see their grandchildren uncritically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/grandparents-have-the-freedom-to-see-their-grandchildren-uncritically/) [Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/) > [A surprising number of scientific advances have been made and masterpieces of art created by individuals just on the threshold of adulthood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/a-surprising-number-of-scientific-advances-have-been-made-and/) [Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/) > [How to fold a diaper depends on the size of the baby and the diaper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/how-to-fold-a-diaper-depends-on-the-size-of-the-baby-and-the-diaper/) [Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/) > [You know more than you think you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/you-know-more-than-you-think-you-do/) [Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/) > [Most middle-class whites have no idea what it feels like to be subjected to police who are routinely suspicious, rude, belligerent, and brutal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/most-middle-class-whites-have-no-idea-what-it-feels-like-to-be/) [Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/) [Explore all 71 Benjamin Spock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/) ## More Activism quotes > [“God has a way of picking a “nobody” and turning their world upside down, in order to create a “somebody” that will remove the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/god-has-a-way-of-picking-a-nobody-and-turning-their-world-upside-down/) [Shannon L. 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And maybe we can point to one or two historical times when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-gottlieb/poetry-is-a-lousy-form-of-activism-it-doesn-t-really-change-much-and/) [Daphne Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-gottlieb/) > [There's a lot of activism that doesn't deal with empowerment, and you have to empower yourself in order to be relevant to any type…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-kweli/there-s-a-lot-of-activism-that-doesn-t-deal-with-empowerment-and-you/) [Talib Kweli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talib-kweli/) > [“Until you find a cause you can die for, you are not worthy to live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ifeanyi-enoch-onuoha/until-you-find-a-cause-you-can-die-for-you-are-not-worthy-to-live/) [Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ifeanyi-enoch-onuoha/) > [Ya'll know what you need to do? 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