--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every man — in the development of his own…" description: "\"“Every man — in the development of his own personality — has the right to form his own beliefs and opinions. Hence, suppression of belief, opinion and ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a43/thomas-emerson-282924_beliefs_every-man-in-the-development-of-his-own_469388.jpg" --- # Every man — in the development of his own personality… ![“Every man — in the development of his own personality — has the right to form his own beliefs and opinions. Hence, suppression of belief, opinion and expression is an affront to the dignity of man, a negation of man’s essential nature." [ Toward a General Theory of the First Amendment (1963)]” quote by Thomas Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a43/thomas-emerson-282924_beliefs_every-man-in-the-development-of-his-own_469388.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a43/thomas-emerson-282924_beliefs_every-man-in-the-development-of-his-own_469388.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a43/thomas-emerson-282924_beliefs_every-man-in-the-development-of-his-own_469388.jpg) > ““Every man — in the development of his own personality — has the right to form his own beliefs and opinions. Hence, suppression of belief, opinion and expression is an affront to the dignity of man, a negation of man’s essential nature." \[ Toward a General Theory of the First Amendment (1963)\]”” Thomas Emerson ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Every person has the right to form beliefs; suppressing them harms human dignity and essential nature. **In simple terms:** Freedom of thought protects human dignity. Key Takeaway Defend free thought and expression. Themes freedom human rights dignity individualism speech Mood defiant principled hopeful Type essay political philosophical When to use this quote - public discourse - education - policy making - personal belief formation - activism Key Concepts constitutional law philosophy of mind Questions to Reflect On - What limits, if any, should be placed on belief expression? - How does suppression affect societal health? A Different Perspective Balancing free speech with hate speech concerns is complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beliefs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beliefs/) [Censorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/censorship/) [Dignity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dignity/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [First amendment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-amendment/) [Free speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-speech/) [Freedom of speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-of-speech/) [Human rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-rights/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Opinions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinions/) [Personality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personality/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Suppression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suppression/) ## Related quotes > [When anyone tells me that he saw a dead man restored to life, I immediately consider with myself whether it be more probable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/when-anyone-tells-me-that-he-saw-a-dead-man-restored-to-life-i/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [“• Judge less–or at least later. • Give new ideas and images a chance. • Understand that everyone has his own truth or her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-moran/judge-less-or-at-least-later-give-new-ideas-and-images-a-chance/) [Victoria Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-moran/) > [All of us have our own inner fears, beliefs, opinions. These inner assumptions rule and govern our lives. A suggestion has no power in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/all-of-us-have-our-own-inner-fears-beliefs-opinions-these-inner/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [Don't be afraid to be gay, if you're happy then don't allow people's beliefs or opinions to get you down, because in the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-davies/don-t-be-afraid-to-be-gay-if-you-re-happy-then-don-t-allow-people-s/) [Ryan Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-davies/) > [If religious beliefs and opinions are found contrary to the standards of science they are mere superstitions and imaginations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdu-l-bah/if-religious-beliefs-and-opinions-are-found-contrary-to-the-standards/) [Abdu'l-Bahá](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdu-l-bah/) > [During the last century, and part of the one before, it was widely held that there was an unreconcilable conflict between knowledge and belief.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/during-the-last-century-and-part-of-the-one-before-it-was-widely-held-2/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Here one must think profoundly to the very basis and resist all sentimental weakness: life itself is essentially appropriation, injury, conquest of the strange…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/here-one-must-think-profoundly-to-the-very-basis-and-resist-all/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [The dominant purpose of the First Amendment was to prohibit the widespread practice of government suppression of embarrassing information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-dominant-purpose-of-the-first-amendment-was-to-prohibit-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Cultural institutions by and large share one primary objective: herd control. Even when ostensibly benign, their propensity for manipulation, compartmentalization, standardization and suppression of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/cultural-institutions-by-and-large-share-one-primary-objective-herd/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [“They let us be, here, in the cage of our ignorance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/they-let-us-be-here-in-the-cage-of-our-ignorance/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [Cruelty was the devil, and most people were, in one way or another, cruel. Tyranny, suppression, persecution, torture, slavery, war, neglect - all were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-macaulay/cruelty-was-the-devil-and-most-people-were-in-one-way-or-another/) [Rose Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-macaulay/) > [In America, you can segregate the people, but the problems will travel. From slavery to equal rights, from state suppression of dissent to crime,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/june-jordan/in-america-you-can-segregate-the-people-but-the-problems-will-travel/) [June Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/june-jordan/) > [Where there is no danger of overt action there is rarely any interference with freedom. That is why there has so often been amazing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/where-there-is-no-danger-of-overt-action-there-is-rarely-any/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) > [The suppression of uncomfortable ideas may be common in religion or in politics, but it is not the path to knowledge; it has no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-suppression-of-uncomfortable-ideas-may-be-common-in-religion-or/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [It is through suppression that hells are formed in us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/it-is-through-suppression-that-hells-are-formed-in-us/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) ## More Beliefs quotes > [People always wonder when the world is going to end. I believe that the world will end when everyone stops loving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nichole-fickes/people-always-wonder-when-the-world-is-going-to-end-i-believe-that/) [Nichole Fickes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nichole-fickes/) > [“Your life is your statement to the world representing your values, your beliefs, your dreams.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-arenson/your-life-is-your-statement-to-the-world-representing-your-values/) David Arenson > [Our beliefs are like the unquestioned commands, telling us how things are, what's possible and what's impossible, what we can and can not do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/our-beliefs-are-like-the-unquestioned-commands-telling-us-how-things/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [“Update your belief! If necessary, throw it to the bin! Don’t exaggerate your belief! Remember that your belief is not that much important; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/update-your-belief-if-necessary-throw-it-to-the-bin-don-t-exaggerate/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I do believe in love at first sight. I believe in a lot of thing. I truly believe everything happens for a reason, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-do-believe-in-love-at-first-sight-i-believe-in-a-lot-of-thing-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My parents were, had a marriage of passion, and the passion was about their religious beliefs. They were both immigrant families that - well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jackson/my-parents-were-had-a-marriage-of-passion-and-the-passion-was-about/) [Phil Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jackson/) > [I believe in my Mormon faith, and I endeavor to live by it. My faith is the faith of my fathers - I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/i-believe-in-my-mormon-faith-and-i-endeavor-to-live-by-it-my-faith-is/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [The first principle of cognitive therapy is that all your moods are created by your 'cognitions,' or thoughts. A cognition refers to the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/the-first-principle-of-cognitive-therapy-is-that-all-your-moods-are/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) > [“What is held real is based upon personal beliefs that drive perception.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-redhead/what-is-held-real-is-based-upon-personal-beliefs-that-drive-perception/) [Steven Redhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-redhead/) > [I want everybody to worship the God of love instead of worshipping the God of hate and torture. But in the meantime, we don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mosab-hassan-yousef/i-want-everybody-to-worship-the-god-of-love-instead-of-worshipping/) [Mosab Hassan Yousef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mosab-hassan-yousef/) > [“As you travel along the roads in life, there is a certain kind of peace that comes with knowing you're on the right path.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amaka-nkosazana/as-you-travel-along-the-roads-in-life-there-is-a-certain-kind-of/) [Amaka Nkosazana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amaka-nkosazana/) > [“My belief is the belief of no beliefs. That's my belief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/my-belief-is-the-belief-of-no-beliefs-that-s-my-belief/) [T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/) > [Beliefs and values that have held sway for thousands of years will be questioned as never before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-p-christ/beliefs-and-values-that-have-held-sway-for-thousands-of-years-will-be/) [Carol P. Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-p-christ/) > [There is no power shortage in heaven, and God is never in a recession. But His grace is sufficient to meet every need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/there-is-no-power-shortage-in-heaven-and-god-is-never-in-a-recession/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [“Your beliefs, and your beliefs alone, belong to you. You are the only one who is with you for your entire life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-ruiz-jr/your-beliefs-and-your-beliefs-alone-belong-to-you-you-are-the-only/) [Miguel Ruiz Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-ruiz-jr/) [Browse all 1,331 Beliefs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beliefs/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Every man — in the development of his own personality — has the right to form his own beliefs and opinions. 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