Law of nature Quote by John Stuart Mill
““It also appears to me that when prejudices persist obstinately, it is the fault of nobody so much as of those who make a point of proclaiming them insuperable, as an excuse to themselves for never joining in an attempt to remove them. Any prejudice whatever will be insurmountable if those who do not share it themselves truckle to it, and flatter it, and accept it as a law of nature.””
About This Quote
Source Book: On Liberty, John Stuart Mill, 1859
Prejudices survive when people publicly defend them as unchangeable, using them as excuses to avoid confronting or dismantling them.
In simple terms: People keep biases alive by defending them as unchangeable.
Key Takeaway
Challenge and question entrenched biases.
Themes
prejudice
social influence
responsibility
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- political debate
- education reform
- media analysis
- community activism
Key Concepts
epistemology
social psychology
power dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you recognize when you are defending a bias?
- What steps can you take to challenge widely held prejudices?
A Different Perspective
Even if labeled insurmountable, biases can be reduced through critical inquiry and inclusive dialogue.
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