--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The struggle is always between the…" description: "\"The struggle is always between the individual and his sacred right to express himself and... the power structure that seeks conformity, suppression and..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/527/william-o-douglas-2931_conformity_the-struggle-is-always-between-the-indiv_1044579.jpg" --- # The struggle is always between the individual and his… ![“The struggle is always between the individual and his sacred right to express himself and... the power structure that seeks conformity, suppression and obedience.” quote by William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/527/william-o-douglas-2931_conformity_the-struggle-is-always-between-the-indiv_1044579.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/527/william-o-douglas-2931_conformity_the-struggle-is-always-between-the-indiv_1044579.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/527/william-o-douglas-2931_conformity_the-struggle-is-always-between-the-indiv_1044579.jpg) > “The struggle is always between the individual and his sacred right to express himself and... the power structure that seeks conformity, suppression and obedience.” [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The tension lies between personal freedom of expression and societal forces that demand uniformity and obedience. **In simple terms:** Individual expression versus conformity. Key Takeaway Protect your voice against pressure. Themes freedom conformity power expression Mood defiant reflective Type philosophical political When to use this quote - activism - workplace - education - media - politics Key Concepts civil liberties social control Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance personal truth with social expectations? - When does conformity become harmful? A Different Perspective Authority can limit dissent, making change hard. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conformity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conformity/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Obedience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obedience/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Sacred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacred/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Structure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/structure/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) [Suppression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suppression/) ## Related quotes > [As for us, we were never concerned with the Kantian-priestly and vegetarian-Quaker prattle about the "sacredness of human life." We were revolutionaries in opposition,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-trotsky/as-for-us-we-were-never-concerned-with-the-kantian-priestly-and-2/) [Leon Trotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-trotsky/) > [A love of neighbor manifests itself in the tolerance not only of opinions of others but, what is more important, of the essence and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-l-liebman/a-love-of-neighbor-manifests-itself-in-the-tolerance-not-only-of/) [Joshua L. Liebman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-l-liebman/) > [There is an old and a new consciousness of the age. The old one is directed towards the individual. The new one is directed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theo-van-doesburg/there-is-an-old-and-a-new-consciousness-of-the-age-the-old-one-is/) [Theo van Doesburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theo-van-doesburg/) > [Civilization has been a continuous struggle of the individual or of groups of individuals against the State and even against "society," that is, against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/civilization-has-been-a-continuous-struggle-of-the-individual-or-of/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [“When the workers of a single factory or of a single branch of industry engage in struggle against their employer or employers, is this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-ilyich-lenin/when-the-workers-of-a-single-factory-or-of-a-single-branch-of/) [Vladimir Ilyich Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-ilyich-lenin/) > [“The people at home,” I said. “A lot of them call me an apple.” Do they think you’re a fruit or something?” he asked.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/the-people-at-home-i-said-a-lot-of-them-call-me-an-apple-do-they/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [Life is a constant struggle between being an individual and being a member of the community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/life-is-a-constant-struggle-between-being-an-individual-and-being-a/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [Reduced to its lowest terms, the great struggle which now rocks the whole earth more and more takes on the character of a struggle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-reuben-clark/reduced-to-its-lowest-terms-the-great-struggle-which-now-rocks-the/) [J. Reuben Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-reuben-clark/) > [Every relationship is fundamentally a power struggle, and the individual in power is whoever likes the other person less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/every-relationship-is-fundamentally-a-power-struggle-and-the/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [“Well, life is a constant struggle between being an individual and being a member of the community.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/well-life-is-a-constant-struggle-between-being-an-individual-and/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [Look at the newborn baby. It struggles to breathe after living in the womb. And yet, growth comes as a result of struggle. Even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rap-brown/look-at-the-newborn-baby-it-struggles-to-breathe-after-living-in-the/) [H. Rap Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rap-brown/) > [When you don't work together you can't emerge as a force. It becomes what some call a "lonely struggle" and individual self-destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haile-gerima/when-you-don-t-work-together-you-can-t-emerge-as-a-force-it-becomes/) [Haile Gerima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haile-gerima/) > [I think that the influence towards suppression of minority views - towards orthodoxy in thinking about public issues - has been more subconscious than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/i-think-that-the-influence-towards-suppression-of-minority-views/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [What we must remember, however, is that preservation of liberties does not depend on motives. A suppression of liberty has the same effect whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/what-we-must-remember-however-is-that-preservation-of-liberties-does/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [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 by William O. Douglas > [The First Amendment makes confidence in the common sense of our people and in the maturity of their judgement the great postulate of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/the-first-amendment-makes-confidence-in-the-common-sense-of-our/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [Common sense often makes good law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/common-sense-often-makes-good-law/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [Inanimate objects are sometimes parties to litigation. A ship has a legal personality, a fiction found useful for maritime purposes. The corporation sole -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/inanimate-objects-are-sometimes-parties-to-litigation-a-ship-has-a/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [Any test that turns on what is offensive to the community's standards is too loose, too capricious, too destructive of freedom of expression to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/any-test-that-turns-on-what-is-offensive-to-the-community-s-standards/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [I've often thought that if planners were botanists, zoologists, geologists, and people who know about the earth, we would have much more wisdom in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/i-ve-often-thought-that-if-planners-were-botanists-zoologists/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [I have the same confidence in the ability of our people to reject noxious literature as I have in their capacity to sort out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/i-have-the-same-confidence-in-the-ability-of-our-people-to-reject/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [The liberties of none are safe unless the liberties of all are protected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/the-liberties-of-none-are-safe-unless-the-liberties-of-all-are/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [A function of free speech under our system of government is to invite dispute. It may indeed best serve its high purpose when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/a-function-of-free-speech-under-our-system-of-government-is-to-invite/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [At the constitutional level where we work, 90 percent of any decision is emotional. The rational part of us supplies the reasons for supporting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/at-the-constitutional-level-where-we-work-90-percent-of-any-decision/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [To be whole and harmonious, man must also know the music of the beaches and the woods. He must find the thing of which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/to-be-whole-and-harmonious-man-must-also-know-the-music-of-the/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [Sunlight is the best disinfectant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/sunlight-is-the-best-disinfectant/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [We deal with a right of privacy older than the Bill of Rights-older than our political parties, older than our school system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/we-deal-with-a-right-of-privacy-older-than-the-bill-of-rights-older/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [It is our attitude toward free thought and free expression that will determine our fate. There must be no limit on the range of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/it-is-our-attitude-toward-free-thought-and-free-expression-that-will/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [The interests of the corporation state are to convert all the riches of the earth into dollars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/the-interests-of-the-corporation-state-are-to-convert-all-the-riches/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [There have always been grievances and youth has always been the agitator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/there-have-always-been-grievances-and-youth-has-always-been-the/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) [Explore all 145 William O. Douglas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) ## More Conformity quotes > [“So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-supertramp-chris-mccandless/so-many-people-live-within-unhappy-circumstances-and-yet-will-not/) Alexander Supertramp Chris McCandless > [“All to often, on the long road up, young leaders become servants of what is rather than shapers of what might be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/all-to-often-on-the-long-road-up-young-leaders-become-servants-of/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) > [The Chains of conformity click in tiresomely monotonous unison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-sweet/the-chains-of-conformity-click-in-tiresomely-monotonous-unison/) [Leonard Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-sweet/) > [No shepherd and one herd! Everybody wants the same, everybody is the same: whoever feels different goes voluntarily into a madhouse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/no-shepherd-and-one-herd-everybody-wants-the-same-everybody-is-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [A self is a frightening thing to waste, it's the lens through which one's whole life is viewed, and few people are willing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/a-self-is-a-frightening-thing-to-waste-it-s-the-lens-through-which/) [Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/) > [Ideation is not a synonym for innovation, conformity is not its simple antonym, and innovation is not the automatic consequence of "creative thinking.".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-levitt/ideation-is-not-a-synonym-for-innovation-conformity-is-not-its-simple/) [Theodore Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-levitt/) > [“I lead with the knowingness that my reality conforms to my wishes and desires instantly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-s-baker/i-lead-with-the-knowingness-that-my-reality-conforms-to-my-wishes-and/) [Robin S. Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-s-baker/) > [Alas, everything that men say to one another is alike; the ideas they exchange are almost always the same, in their conversation. But inside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-de-musset/alas-everything-that-men-say-to-one-another-is-alike-the-ideas-they/) [Alfred de Musset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-de-musset/) > [The search for truth is a cooperative, unending endeavor. We can, and should, engage in it to the extent we can and encourage others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-search-for-truth-is-a-cooperative-unending-endeavor-we-can-and/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Seeds have the power to preserve species, to enhance cultural as well as genetic diversity, to counter economic monopoly and to check the advance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/seeds-have-the-power-to-preserve-species-to-enhance-cultural-as-well/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“Brontë was attempting to depict a character that adheres to the unchanging principles of her faith though she refused conformity to the particular practices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-swallow-prior/bront-was-attempting-to-depict-a-character-that-adheres-to-the/) [Karen Swallow Prior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-swallow-prior/) > [Officers conditioned to conformity in peacetime cannot be expected to behave boldly and flexibly in combat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-yingling/officers-conditioned-to-conformity-in-peacetime-cannot-be-expected-to/) Paul Yingling > [The more civilized a nation, the more conformed its population, until that civilization's last age arrives, when multiplicity wages war with conformity. The former…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/the-more-civilized-a-nation-the-more-conformed-its-population-until/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. The virtue in most request is conformity. Self-reliance is its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/society-everywhere-is-in-conspiracy-against-the-manhood-of-every-one/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Deaths, births, and marriages, considering how much they are separately dependent on the freedom of the human will, should seem to be subject to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/deaths-births-and-marriages-considering-how-much-they-are-separately/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) [Browse all 937 Conformity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conformity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The struggle is always between the individual and his sacred right to express himself and... the power structure that seeks conformity, suppression and obedience.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William O. 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