To think that because those who wield power in society wield in the end that of government, therefore it is of no use to attempt to influence the constitution of the government by acting on opinion, is to forget that opinion is itself one of the greatest active social forces. One person with a belief is a social power equal to ninety-nine who have only interests.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the power of opinion in shaping government and society, asserting that a single strong belief can outweigh many mere interests.
John Stuart Mill argues that while those in positions of power within government hold significant influence, the role of public opinion should not be underestimated. He highlights that the conviction of one individual can have a greater impact on societal change than the passive interests of many, reminding us of the potency of belief and the importance of engaging actively in discourse and influence.
In practice
In a speech about civic engagement, one might use this quote to encourage individuals to voice their opinions on government matters.
The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.
As for charity, it is a matter in which the immediate effect on the persons directly concerned, and the ultimate consequence to the general good, are apt to be at complete war with one another.
There should be perfect freedom, legal and social, to do the action and stand the consequences. It would be a great misunderstanding of this doctrine to suppose that it is one of selfish indifference, which pretends that human beings have no business with each other's conduct in life, and that they should not concern themselves about the well-doing or well-being of one another, unless their own interest is involved.
Political Economy, in truth, has never pretended to give advice to mankind with no lights but its own; though people who knew nothing but political economy (and therefore knew it ill) have taken upon themselves to advise, and could only do so by such lights as they had.
Marriage is the only actual bondage known to our law. There remain no legal slaves, except the mistress of every house.
Persons of genius are, ex vi termini, more individual than any other people - less capable, consequently, of fitting themselves, without hurtful compression, into any of the small number of moulds which society provides in order to save its members the trouble of forming their character.
When humans invented material inequality, they came up with a way of subjugating the low-ranking like nothing ever seen before in the primate world.
Not a place upon earth might be so happy as America. Her situation is remote from all the wrangling world, and she has nothing to do but to trade with them.
We shape our dwellings, and afterwards our dwellings shape us.
In a sensibly organised society, if you improve productivity, there is room for everybody to benefit.
Art thou angry with him whose armpits stink? Art thou angry with him whose mouth smells foul?
It is true that we are called to create a better world. But we are first of all called to a more immediate and exalted task: that of creating our own lives.
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