--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It would be an insult on the divine…" description: "\"It would be an insult on the divine Majesty to say that he has given or allowed any man or body of men a right to make me miserable. If no man or body ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4d/john-dickinson-18449_freedom_it-would-be-an-insult-on-the-divine-maje_2797670.jpg" --- # It would be an insult on the divine Majesty to say that he… ![“It would be an insult on the divine Majesty to say that he has given or allowed any man or body of men a right to make me miserable. If no man or body of men has such a right, I have a right to be happy. If there can be no happiness without freedom, I have a right to be free. If I cannot enjoy…” quote by John Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4d/john-dickinson-18449_freedom_it-would-be-an-insult-on-the-divine-maje_2797670.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4d/john-dickinson-18449_freedom_it-would-be-an-insult-on-the-divine-maje_2797670.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4d/john-dickinson-18449_freedom_it-would-be-an-insult-on-the-divine-maje_2797670.jpg) > “It would be an insult on the divine Majesty to say that he has given or allowed any man or body of men a right to make me miserable. If no man or body of men has such a right, I have a right to be happy. If there can be no happiness without freedom, I have a right to be free. If I cannot enjoy freedom without security of property, I have a right to be thus secured.” [John Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickinson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Divine authority denies any right to cause misery; happiness requires freedom, security, and property, forming a moral basis for personal rights. **In simple terms:** Freedom and security are essential for happiness. Key Takeaway Protect liberty and property for happiness. Themes freedom property happiness rights divine authority Mood thoughtful principled Type political philosophical When to use this quote - legal frameworks - personal decisions - social contracts Key Concepts political philosophy natural rights Questions to Reflect On - How do we balance individual rights with community welfare? - What defines “right to be happy”? A Different Perspective May ignore collective needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Enjoy Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enjoy-freedom-246379/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-right/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happiness Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-freedom/) [Men Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-right-591156/) ## Related quotes > [“The secret of happiness is freedom but to be totally free you need to earn: courage, persistence and boldness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santosh-kalwar/the-secret-of-happiness-is-freedom-but-to-be-totally-free-you-need-to/) [Santosh Kalwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santosh-kalwar/) > [Every medium has its own kind of freedom. I don't want to just cross from one to the next. I want to enjoy the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takashi-miike/every-medium-has-its-own-kind-of-freedom-i-don-t-want-to-just-cross/) [Takashi Miike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takashi-miike/) > [The secret of happiness is freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/the-secret-of-happiness-is-freedom/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [Men who can both be right and sit tight are uncommon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-lauriston-livermore/men-who-can-both-be-right-and-sit-tight-are-uncommon/) [Jesse Lauriston Livermore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-lauriston-livermore/) > [The right most valued by all civilized men is the right to be left alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/the-right-most-valued-by-all-civilized-men-is-the-right-to-be-left/) [Louis D. 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For every action there's a reaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enhance-dreams/more-females-should-treat-their-men-right-and-maybe-you-wouldn-t-have/) [Enhance Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enhance-dreams/) ## More by John Dickinson > [The rights essential to happiness. . . . We claim them from a higher source - from the King of kings and Lord of all the earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickinson/the-rights-essential-to-happiness-we-claim-them-from-a-higher-source/) [John Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickinson/) > [Kings or parliaments could not give the rights essential to happiness... We claim them from a higher source - from the King of kings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickinson/kings-or-parliaments-could-not-give-the-rights-essential-to-happiness/) [John Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickinson/) > [Our liberties do not come from charters; for these are only the declaration of pre-existing rights. They do not depend on parchments or seals;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickinson/our-liberties-do-not-come-from-charters-for-these-are-only-the/) [John Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickinson/) > [For I am convinced, that the authors of this law would never obtain an act to raise so trifling a sum as it must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickinson/for-i-am-convinced-that-the-authors-of-this-law-would-never-obtain-an/) [John Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickinson/) > [Experience must be our only guide. Reason may mislead us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickinson/experience-must-be-our-only-guide-reason-may-mislead-us/) [John Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickinson/) > [The power of the people pervading the proposed system, together with the strong confederation of the states, will form an adequate security against every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickinson/the-power-of-the-people-pervading-the-proposed-system-together-with/) [John Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickinson/) > [If my property cannot be secure, in case others over whom I have no kind of influence, may take it from me by taxes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickinson/if-my-property-cannot-be-secure-in-case-others-over-whom-i-have-no/) [John Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickinson/) > [Most men with nothing would rather protect the possibility of becoming rich than face the reality of being poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickinson/most-men-with-nothing-would-rather-protect-the-possibility-of/) [John Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickinson/) > [With hearts fortified with these animating reflections, we most solemnly, before God and the world, declare, that, exerting the utmost energy of those powers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickinson/with-hearts-fortified-with-these-animating-reflections-we-most/) [John Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickinson/) > [Our cause is just. Our union is perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickinson/our-cause-is-just-our-union-is-perfect/) [John Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickinson/) > [Honor, justice and humanity call upon us to hold and to transmit to our posterity, that liberty, which we received from our ancestors. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickinson/honor-justice-and-humanity-call-upon-us-to-hold-and-to-transmit-to/) [John Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickinson/) > [We cannot be happy without being free; we cannot be free without being secure in our property; we cannot be secure in our property…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickinson/we-cannot-be-happy-without-being-free-we-cannot-be-free-without-being/) [John Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickinson/) > [Then join hand in hand, brave Americans all! By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickinson/then-join-hand-in-hand-brave-americans-all-by-uniting-we-stand-by/) [John Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickinson/) > [As Congress is now to legislate for our extensive territory lately acquired, I pray to Heaven that they may build up the system of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickinson/as-congress-is-now-to-legislate-for-our-extensive-territory-lately/) [John Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickinson/) > [As in forming a political society, each individual contributes some of his rights, in order that he may, from a common stock of rights,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickinson/as-in-forming-a-political-society-each-individual-contributes-some-of/) [John Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickinson/) [Explore all 34 John Dickinson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickinson/) ## More Freedom quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. 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