--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A free society cherishes nonconformity…" description: "\"“A free society cherishes nonconformity. It knows that from the non-conformist, from the eccentric, have come many of the great ideas of freedom. A fre..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c7/henry-steele-commager-16894_classical-liberalism_a-free-society-cherishes-nonconformity-i_352059.jpg" --- # A free society cherishes nonconformity. It knows that from… ![“A free society cherishes nonconformity. It knows that from the non-conformist, from the eccentric, have come many of the great ideas of freedom. A free society fertilizes the soil in which non-conformity and dissent and individualism can grow.” quote by Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c7/henry-steele-commager-16894_classical-liberalism_a-free-society-cherishes-nonconformity-i_352059.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c7/henry-steele-commager-16894_classical-liberalism_a-free-society-cherishes-nonconformity-i_352059.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c7/henry-steele-commager-16894_classical-liberalism_a-free-society-cherishes-nonconformity-i_352059.jpg) > ““A free society cherishes nonconformity. It knows that from the non-conformist, from the eccentric, have come many of the great ideas of freedom. A free society fertilizes the soil in which non-conformity and dissent and individualism can grow.”” [Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A free society values nonconformists because they generate innovative ideas and protect liberty. **In simple terms:** Nonconformists drive freedom and progress. Key Takeaway Encourage dissent and individuality. Themes freedom individualism innovation diversity Mood thoughtful inspired Type philosophical political When to use this quote - education reform - policy making - community building - artistic expression Key Concepts social theory political philosophy creative disruption Questions to Reflect On - How can institutions nurture dissent? - What safeguards prevent conformity? A Different Perspective Nonconformity can be marginalized if not protected by law. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cherishes Nonconformity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cherishes-nonconformity-303427/) [Classical liberalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/classical-liberalism/) [Conformity Dissent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conformity-dissent-3248970/) [Dissent Individualism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dissent-individualism-3248969/) [Free market](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-market/) [Free society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-society/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Great ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-ideas/) [Liberalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberalism/) [Libertarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/libertarian/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Nonconformity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nonconformity/) ## Related quotes > [A free society cherishes nonconformity. It knows from the non-conformist, from the eccentric, have come many of the great ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/a-free-society-cherishes-nonconformity-it-knows-from-the-non/) [Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/) > [“How little one is justified in speaking in this connection of "optimism" and "pessimism" and how much the characterization of liberalism as "optimistic" aims…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/how-little-one-is-justified-in-speaking-in-this-connection-of/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [“It is illogical to say, as many etatists do, that liberalism is hostile to or hates the state, because it is opposed to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/it-is-illogical-to-say-as-many-etatists-do-that-liberalism-is-hostile/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [“When, thirty-five years ago, I tried to give a summary of the ideas and principles of that social philosophy that was once known under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/when-thirty-five-years-ago-i-tried-to-give-a-summary-of-the-ideas-and/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [“I mean, contrary to the contemporary version of it, classical liberalism (which remember was pre-capitalist, and in fact, anti-capitalist) focused on the right of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-mean-contrary-to-the-contemporary-version-of-it-classical/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“The safest way to make laws respected is to make them respectable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-safest-way-to-make-laws-respected-is-to-make-them-respectable/) [Frédéric Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [“These ideas grew out of the Enlightenment; their roots are in Rousseau’s Discourse on Inequality, Humboldt’s Limits of State Action, Kant’s insistence, in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/these-ideas-grew-out-of-the-enlightenment-their-roots-are-in-rousseau/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [ Against what is stupid, nonsensical, erroneous, and evil, \[classical\] liberalism fights with the weapons of the mind, and not with brute force and repression. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/against-what-is-stupid-nonsensical-erroneous-and-evil-classical/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [“The search for liberty is simply part of the greater search for a world where respect for the rule of law and human rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/the-search-for-liberty-is-simply-part-of-the-greater-search-for-a/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) > [... an essential feature of a decent society, and an almost defining feature of a democratic society, is relative equality of outcome - not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/an-essential-feature-of-a-decent-society-and-an-almost-defining/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“The free market system of capitalism enhances freedom in three ways. Traditionally freedom of exchange has been seen as a basic form of individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cudd-holmstrom/the-free-market-system-of-capitalism-enhances-freedom-in-three-ways/) [Cudd/Holmstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cudd-holmstrom/) > [“Despite Gentile’s disagreement with Marx about historical inevitability, he has at this point clearly broken with modern conservatism and classical liberalism and revealed himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinesh-d-souza/despite-gentile-s-disagreement-with-marx-about-historical/) [Dinesh D'Souza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinesh-d-souza/) > [“John Locke says that whatever other tasks a government undertakes—whether humanitarian or otherwise—its primary duty is to protect its own citizens from foreign and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinesh-d-souza/john-locke-says-that-whatever-other-tasks-a-government-undertakes/) [Dinesh D'Souza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinesh-d-souza/) > [Classical liberalism is the idea that individual freedom and limited government are the best way for humans to form a free society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-rubin/classical-liberalism-is-the-idea-that-individual-freedom-and-limited/) [Dave Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-rubin/) > [The program of liberalism if condensed into a single word, would have to read: property, that is, private ownership of the means of production.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-program-of-liberalism-if-condensed-into-a-single-word-would-have/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) ## More by Henry Steele Commager > [It's awfully hard to be the son of a great man and also of a half-crazy woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/it-s-awfully-hard-to-be-the-son-of-a-great-man-and-also-of-a-half/) [Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/) > [America was born of revolt, flourished in dissent, became great through experimentation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/america-was-born-of-revolt-flourished-in-dissent-became-great-through/) [Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/) > [The American people...have a stake in non-conformity. 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It is to prevent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/the-justification-and-the-purpose-of-freedom-of-speech-is-not-to/) [Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/) > [The fact is that censorship always defeats its own purpose, for it creates, in the end, the kind of society that is incapable of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/the-fact-is-that-censorship-always-defeats-its-own-purpose-for-it/) [Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/) > [A free society cherishes nonconformity. It knows from the non-conformist, from the eccentric, have come many of the great ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/a-free-society-cherishes-nonconformity-it-knows-from-the-non/) [Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/) > [History is organized memory, and the organization is all important!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/history-is-organized-memory-and-the-organization-is-all-important/) [Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/) > [It seems fair to say that while the moral standards of the nineteenth century persisted almost unchanged into the twentieth, moral practices changed sharply,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/it-seems-fair-to-say-that-while-the-moral-standards-of-the-nineteenth/) [Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/) > [ In the long run \[censorship\] will create a generation incapable of appreciating the difference between independence of thought and subservience. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/in-the-long-run-censorship-will-create-a-generation-incapable-of/) [Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/) > [History, we can confidently assert, is useful in the sense that art and music, poetry and flowers, religion and philosophy are useful. Without it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/history-we-can-confidently-assert-is-useful-in-the-sense-that-art-and/) [Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/) > [Whether history will judge this war to be different or not we cannot say. But this we can say with certainty: A government and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/whether-history-will-judge-this-war-to-be-different-or-not-we-cannot/) [Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/) > [We cannot have a society half slave and half free; nor can we have thought half slave and half free. 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Traditionally freedom of exchange has been seen as a basic form of individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cudd-holmstrom/the-free-market-system-of-capitalism-enhances-freedom-in-three-ways/) [Cudd/Holmstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cudd-holmstrom/) > [... an essential feature of a decent society, and an almost defining feature of a democratic society, is relative equality of outcome - not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/an-essential-feature-of-a-decent-society-and-an-almost-defining/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“The search for liberty is simply part of the greater search for a world where respect for the rule of law and human rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/the-search-for-liberty-is-simply-part-of-the-greater-search-for-a/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) > [ Against what is stupid, nonsensical, erroneous, and evil, \[classical\] liberalism fights with the weapons of the mind, and not with brute force and repression. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/against-what-is-stupid-nonsensical-erroneous-and-evil-classical/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [“These ideas grew out of the Enlightenment; their roots are in Rousseau’s Discourse on Inequality, Humboldt’s Limits of State Action, Kant’s insistence, in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/these-ideas-grew-out-of-the-enlightenment-their-roots-are-in-rousseau/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“The safest way to make laws respected is to make them respectable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-safest-way-to-make-laws-respected-is-to-make-them-respectable/) [Frédéric Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [“I mean, contrary to the contemporary version of it, classical liberalism (which remember was pre-capitalist, and in fact, anti-capitalist) focused on the right of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-mean-contrary-to-the-contemporary-version-of-it-classical/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“When, thirty-five years ago, I tried to give a summary of the ideas and principles of that social philosophy that was once known under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/when-thirty-five-years-ago-i-tried-to-give-a-summary-of-the-ideas-and/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [“It is illogical to say, as many etatists do, that liberalism is hostile to or hates the state, because it is opposed to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/it-is-illogical-to-say-as-many-etatists-do-that-liberalism-is-hostile/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [The program of liberalism if condensed into a single word, would have to read: property, that is, private ownership of the means of production.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-program-of-liberalism-if-condensed-into-a-single-word-would-have/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [“Nationalism and socialism as actually lived and applied in the 20th century are the same thing (and in the 18th and 19th century, nationalism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/nationalism-and-socialism-as-actually-lived-and-applied-in-the-20th/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) [Browse all 21 Classical liberalism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/classical-liberalism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A free society cherishes nonconformity. 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