--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In a world in which there is so much to…" description: "\"In a world in which there is so much to interest, so much to enjoy, and so much also to correct and improve, everyone who has this moderate amount of m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c8/john-stuart-mill-477_capable_in-a-world-in-which-there-is-so-much-to_783077.jpg" --- # In a world in which there is so much to interest, so much… ![“In a world in which there is so much to interest, so much to enjoy, and so much also to correct and improve, everyone who has this moderate amount of moral and intellectual requisites is capable of an existence which may be called enviable; and unless such a person, through bad laws, or subjection…” quote by John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c8/john-stuart-mill-477_capable_in-a-world-in-which-there-is-so-much-to_783077.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c8/john-stuart-mill-477_capable_in-a-world-in-which-there-is-so-much-to_783077.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c8/john-stuart-mill-477_capable_in-a-world-in-which-there-is-so-much-to_783077.jpg) > “In a world in which there is so much to interest, so much to enjoy, and so much also to correct and improve, everyone who has this moderate amount of moral and intellectual requisites is capable of an existence which may be called enviable; and unless such a person, through bad laws, or subjection to the will of others, is denied the liberty to use the sources of happiness within his reach, he will not fail to find the enviable existence” [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A person with moderate moral and intellectual abilities can lead a desirable life if free to pursue happiness, unless oppressive laws or others’ control block them. **In simple terms:** Freedom to pursue happiness leads to a good life. Key Takeaway Protect personal liberty to enable flourishing. Themes freedom happiness individualism justice Mood hopeful reflective determined Type philosophical motivational political When to use this quote - education - career - personal relationships - political activism Key Concepts liberalism autonomy utilitarianism Questions to Reflect On - What freedoms are most essential for your happiness? - How do laws affect personal growth? A Different Perspective Oppressive laws or social pressure can still limit true freedom. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Enviable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enviable/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Source of happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/source-of-happiness/) [Utilitarianism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/utilitarianism/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I was born in and worked in a period that could be called enviable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-curtis/i-was-born-in-and-worked-in-a-period-that-could-be-called-enviable/) [Tony Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-curtis/) > [“That a feeling is bestowed on us by Nature, does not necessarily legitimate all its promptings. The feeling of justice might be a peculiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/that-a-feeling-is-bestowed-on-us-by-nature-does-not-necessarily/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/all-social-inequalities-which-have-ceased-to-be-considered-expedient/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [“It is a strange notion that the acknowledgment of a first principle is inconsistent with the admission of secondary ones. To inform a traveler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/it-is-a-strange-notion-that-the-acknowledgment-of-a-first-principle/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [“The creed which accepts as the foundation of morals, Utility, or the Greatest-Happiness Principle, holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-creed-which-accepts-as-the-foundation-of-morals-utility-or-the/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [I've reached that enviable state in life in which I can do pretty much what I want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-collins/i-ve-reached-that-enviable-state-in-life-in-which-i-can-do-pretty/) [Jason Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-collins/) > [The unenvied man is not enviable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/the-unenvied-man-is-not-enviable/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [“How inexplicable and enviable, never to want to be anywhere other than where you already are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-alger/how-inexplicable-and-enviable-never-to-want-to-be-anywhere-other-than/) [Cristina Alger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-alger/) > [Facebook's data trove is enviable, and its moves into nearly every aspect of our lives - from payment to media, will create even more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/facebook-s-data-trove-is-enviable-and-its-moves-into-nearly-every/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [The car provided Americans with an enviable standard of living. 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You have to take it all with a grain of salt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anjelica-huston/age-is-not-enviable-in-america-it-s-not-applauded-all-that-strongly/) [Anjelica Huston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anjelica-huston/) > [If you are not envied, you are not enviable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/if-you-are-not-envied-you-are-not-enviable/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [The life of an actor can be very enviable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/the-life-of-an-actor-can-be-very-enviable/) [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) > [Mostly, I'm in the very enviable position that no one dictates what I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graeme-murphy/mostly-i-m-in-the-very-enviable-position-that-no-one-dictates-what-i/) [Graeme Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graeme-murphy/) ## More by John Stuart Mill > [The average condition of the people improving or deteriorating, depends upon whether population is advancing faster than improvement, or improvement than population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-average-condition-of-the-people-improving-or-deteriorating/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Liberty lies in the rights of that person whose views you find most odious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/liberty-lies-in-the-rights-of-that-person-whose-views-you-find-most/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Truth emerges from the clash of adverse ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/truth-emerges-from-the-clash-of-adverse-ideas/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [“No longer enslaved or made dependent by force of law, the great majority are so by force of poverty; they are still chained to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/no-longer-enslaved-or-made-dependent-by-force-of-law-the-great/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [All acts suppose certain dispositions, and habits of mind and heart, which may be in themselves states of enjoyment or of wretchedness, and which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/all-acts-suppose-certain-dispositions-and-habits-of-mind-and-heart/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Unfortunately for the good sense of mankind, the fact of their fallibility is far from carrying the weight in their practical judgement, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/unfortunately-for-the-good-sense-of-mankind-the-fact-of-their/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [“In history, as in traveling, men usually see only what they already had in their own minds; and few learn much from history, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/in-history-as-in-traveling-men-usually-see-only-what-they-already-had/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [All errors which a man is likely to commit against advice are far outweighed by the evil of allowing others to constrain him for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/all-errors-which-a-man-is-likely-to-commit-against-advice-are-far/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Every great movement must experience three stages: ridicule, discussion, adoption.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/every-great-movement-must-experience-three-stages-ridicule-discussion/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [The successful conduct of an industrial enterprise requires two quite distinct qualifications: fidelity and zeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-successful-conduct-of-an-industrial-enterprise-requires-two-quite/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [ “\[For people\] to refuse a hearing to an opinion, because they are sure that it is false, is to assume that their certainty is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/for-people-to-refuse-a-hearing-to-an-opinion-because-they-are-sure/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [This is what writers mean when they say that the notion of cause involves the idea of necessity. 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If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [But, outside of being a sweet little girl, she was awfully dumb and capable of doing horrible things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/but-outside-of-being-a-sweet-little-girl-she-was-awfully-dumb-and/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [I was terrible student. 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