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The first condition of progress is the removal of censorship.
George Bernard Shaw
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Progress requires free expression and the absence of censorship.

George Bernard Shaw emphasizes that censorship is a significant barrier to societal progress. For any community or society to advance, it must allow the free flow of ideas and open discourse, as limiting expression stifles innovation, creativity, and the exchange of diverse perspectives that drive growth and change.

Themes

ProgressCensorshipFreedomExpressionSocietyInnovation

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion on the importance of free speech during a community meeting.

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What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
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Forgive him, for he believes that the customs of his tribe are the laws of nature!
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Those who talk most about the blessings of marriage and the constancy of its vows are the very people who declare that if the chain were broken and the prisoners left free to choose, the whole social fabric would fly asunder. You cannot have the argument both ways. If the prisoner is happy, why lock him in? If he is not, why pretend that he is?
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Treat a friend as a person who may someday become your enemy; an enemy as a person who may someday become your friend.
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The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.
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