Impunity Quote by George Eliot
““We may handle even extreme opinions with impunity while our furniture, our dinner giving, and preference for armorial bearings in our own case link us indissolubly with the established order.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Middlemarch, 1871
Even extreme opinions are tolerated, yet social customs bind us to the existing hierarchy.
In simple terms: Society tolerates extremes but maintains order.
Key Takeaway
Question the influence of tradition on freedom.
Themes
social norms
hierarchy
individualism
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- political debates
- social reform movements
Key Concepts
conformity
political tolerance
cultural tradition
Questions to Reflect On
- How do customs shape our political views?
- Can we truly separate opinion from tradition?
A Different Perspective
The quote may overstate tolerance of extreme views.
![“[W]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range of music, and will not vibrate in the least under a touch that fills others with tremulous rapture or quivering agony.” quote by George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9be/george-eliot-84_agony_w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves_12409.jpg)
