On rare occasions one does hear of a miraculous case of a married couple falling in love after marriage, but on close examination it will be found that it is a mere adjustment to the inevitable.
Emma GoldmanRead
The most unpardonable sin in society is independence of thought.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the societal disapproval of those who think for themselves rather than conforming to mainstream beliefs.
Emma Goldman's quote emphasizes how society often punishes or devalues individuals who express independent thoughts and ideas. By labeling independence of thought as the 'most unpardonable sin,' Goldman critiques a culture that prioritizes conformity over originality, suggesting that true progress and innovation stem from the courage to think differently and challenge prevailing norms.
Themes
IndependenceThoughtSocietyConformityCritique
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on the importance of critical thinking, one might reference this quote to encourage students to embrace their unique perspectives.
More from Emma Goldman
All quotes βNo one has yet realized the wealth of sympathy, the kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child. The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure.
Emma GoldmanRead
To the indefinite, uncertain mind of the American radical the most contradictory ideas and methods are possible. The result is a sad chaos in the radical movement, a sort of intellectual hash, which has neither taste nor character.
Emma GoldmanRead
John Burroughs has stated that experimental study of animals in captivity is absolutely useless. Their character, their habits, their appetites undergo a complete transformation when torn from their soil in field and forest. With human nature caged in a narrow space, whipped daily into submission, how can we speak of its potentialities?
Emma GoldmanRead
Anarchism is the only philosophy which brings to man the consciousness of himself; which maintains that God, the State, and society are non-existent, that their promises are null and void, since they can be fulfilled only through man's subordination.
Emma GoldmanRead
If love does not know how to give and take without restrictions, it is not love, but a transaction that never fails to lay stress on a plus and a minus.
Emma GoldmanRead
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