None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but licence.
Interpretation
True love for freedom is rooted in moral integrity, whereas others may only desire unrestricted behavior.
John Milton suggests that genuine love for freedom comes from a place of goodness and moral character. Those who are not good men may mistake their desire for license and untethered choices as a form of freedom, but this is a shallow understanding that lacks true ethical foundations.
In practice
In a lecture about ethics and freedom, this quote can illustrate the difference between genuine liberty and the reckless pursuit of freedom without moral consideration.
They, looking back, all the eastern side beheld Of Paradise, so late their happy seat, Waved over by that flaming brand, the gate With dreadful faces thronged and fiery arms: Some natural tears they dropped, but wiped them soon; The world was all before them, where to choose Their place of rest, and Providence their guide; They, hand in hand, with wandering steps and slow, Through Eden took their solitary way.
The stars, that nature hung in heaven, and filled their lamps with everlasting oil, give due light to the misled and lonely traveller.
Ev'n them who kept thy truth so pure of old, When all our fathers worshipp'd stocks and stones.
Abashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is and saw Virtue in her shape how lovely: and pined his loss
The end of all learning is to know God, and out of that knowledge to love and imitate Him.
Apt words have power to suage the tumors of a troubled mind.
It is more important to be free than to be happy.
My whole strength lies in prayer and sacrifice, these are my invincible arms; they can move hearts far better than words, I know it by experience.
Was the earth put here just to nourish human loneliness?
A finite world can support only a finite population; therefore, population growth must eventually equal zero.
When the ocean surges, don't let me just hear it. Let it splash inside my chest!
The unseen energy that was once in Shakespeare or Picasso or Galileo or any human form, is also available to all of us. That is because the spirit energy does not die, it simply changes form.
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