Assuming Quote by John Stuart Mill
“All social inequalities which have ceased to be considered expedient, assume the character not of simple inexpediency, but of injustice, and appear so tyrannical, that people are apt to wonder how they ever could have. been tolerated; forgetful that they themselves perhaps tolerate other inequalities under an equally mistaken notion of expediency, the correction of which would make that which they approve seem quite as monstrous as what they have at last learnt to condemn.”
About This Quote
Source Book: On Liberty, John Stuart Mill, 1859
When societies stop viewing certain inequalities as merely inconvenient and label them as unjust, they seem oppressive, yet people often overlook their own tolerated inequities, which, when examined, appear as troubling as the condemned ones.
In simple terms: Seeing injustice as oppression can hide our own biases.
Key Takeaway
Question our assumptions about fairness.
Themes
justice
fairness
self‑reflection
social critique
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
philosophical
analytical
When to use this quote
- policy analysis
- personal bias
- activism
- education
- law reform
Key Concepts
ethical philosophy
social theory
Questions to Reflect On
- What inequalities do we accept as normal?
- How can we expose hidden biases?
A Different Perspective
People may resist recognizing their own privileges.
![“[For people] to refuse a hearing to an opinion, because they are sure that it is false, is to assume that their certainty is the same thing as absolute certainty. All silencing of discussion is an assumption of infallibility.” quote by John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c53/john-stuart-mill-477_doubt_for-people-to-refuse-a-hearing-to-an-opi_63929.jpg)
