Angry Quote by Greg Lukianoff
“John Stuart Mill, in his wonderful 1859 book On Liberty, talks about civility. And this is why you should always be concerned about calls for civility. He points out that civility ends up getting defined by the people who are in charge. And you'll notice that when people argue for civility, they tend to actually believe that whatever they say is civil. And if they're angry about it, it's righteous rage. But if you say it and it's kind of sharp or mean, then it's incivil. ... And sometimes, disagreement-to be productive-can't be all that civil.”
About This Quote
Source Book: On Liberty by John Stuart Mill, 1859 (cited in discussion)
Civility can be weaponized by those in power, limiting genuine dissent and framing criticism as incivility
In simple terms: Power can define civility to silence opposition
Key Takeaway
Question who defines civility and why
Themes
civility
power
free speech
Mood
critical
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- public debate
- academic discourse
- online forums
- activism
Key Concepts
political theory
social control
Questions to Reflect On
- Who benefits from labeling speech incivil?
- When is harsh truth more valuable than politeness?
A Different Perspective
Civility may suppress necessary conflict
