The first lesson in civics is that efficient government begins at home.
Charles Evans HughesRead
Our institutions were not devised to bring about uniformity of opinion; if they had we might well abandon hope. It is important to remember, as has well been said, 'the essential characteristic of true liberty is that under its shelter many different types of life and character and opinion and belief can develop unmolested and unobstructed.'
Interpretation
True liberty allows for diverse opinions and ways of life without interference.
In this quote, Charles Evans Hughes emphasizes the importance of diversity in thought and belief as a core element of true liberty. Rather than stifling differing opinions, institutions should allow individuals the freedom to express themselves and develop their unique perspectives, which is essential for a vibrant and functioning society.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of freedom of expression.
The first lesson in civics is that efficient government begins at home.
Dissents are appeals to the brooding spirit of the law, to the intelligence of another day.
While democracy must have its organizations and controls, its vital breath is individual liberty.
The peril of this Nation is not in any foreign foe! We, the people, are its power, its peril, and its hope.
Every young man should aim at independence and should prepare himself for a vocation; above all, he should so manage his life that the steps of his progress are taken without improper aids; that he calls no one master, that he does not win or deserve the reputation of being a tool of others, and that if called to public service he may assume its duties with the satisfaction of knowing that he is free to rise to the height of his opportunity.
It is the essence of the institutions of liberty that it be recognized that guilt is personal and cannot be attributed to the holding of opinions or to mere intent in the absence of overt acts.
Wrong life cannot be lived rightly.
He had put his hand up in class, a declaration of existence, a claim that he knew something. And that was forbidden to him. They could give a number of reasons for why they had to torment him; he was too fat, too ugly, too disgusting. But the real problem was simply that he existed, and every reminder of his existence was a crime.
When you have a global mush, people lose their identity, they become pseudonyms, they have no investment and no consequence in what they do.
If people knew the story of their lives, how many would then elect to live them?
Truth is most beautiful undraped.
Like most misery, it started with apparent happiness.
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