Faith Quote by John Stuart Mill
““Judgment is given to men that they may use it. Because it may be used erroneously, are men to be told that they ought not to use it at all? To prohibit what they think pernicious is not claiming exemption from error, but fulfilling the duty incumbent on them, although fallible, of acting on their conscientious conviction. If we were never to act on our opinions, because those opinions ‘lay be wrong, we should leave all our interests uncared for, and all our duties unperformed. An objection which applies to all conduct can be no valid objection to any conduct in particular.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: “On Liberty”, 1859
Advocates that judgment should be exercised responsibly, acknowledging human fallibility, rather than avoided entirely.
In simple terms: Use judgment responsibly despite possible errors.
Key Takeaway
Act on informed convictions.
Themes
responsibility
judgment
ethics
Mood
thoughtful
serious
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- policy making
- personal decisions
- leadership
- legal judgments
Key Concepts
philosophy
moral duty
critical thinking
Questions to Reflect On
- When should you refrain from acting on a judgment?
- How do you mitigate errors in decision‑making?
A Different Perspective
Overreliance on judgment can lead to bias.
![“[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)
