He who thinks and thinks for himself, will always have a claim to thanks; it is no matter whether it be right or wrong, so as it be explicit. If it is right, it will serve as a guide to direct; if wrong, as a beacon to warn.
Jeremy BenthamRead
Nature has placed mankind under the government of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure... they govern us in all we do, in all we say, in all we think: every effort we can make to throw off our subjection, will serve but to demonstrate and confirm it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Human actions are driven by the dual forces of pain and pleasure.
In this quote, Jeremy Bentham suggests that the motivations behind human behavior are largely influenced by the experiences of pleasure and pain. He posits that regardless of our attempts to resist these influences, they ultimately control our thoughts, words, and actions, highlighting the inevitability of their governance in our lives.
Themes
PainPleasureHuman BehaviorMotivationPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech, one might use the quote to illustrate how our choices are fundamentally driven by seeking pleasure and avoiding pain.
More from Jeremy Bentham
All quotes →Create all the happiness you are able to create; remove all the misery you are able to remove. Every day will allow you, --will invite you to add something to the pleasure of others, --or to diminish something of their pains.
Jeremy BenthamRead
Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do, as well as to determine what we shall do.
Jeremy BenthamRead
It is the greatest good to the greatest number of people which is the measure of right and wrong.
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Tyranny and anarchy are never far apart.
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Without publicity, no good is permanent; under the auspices of publicity, no evil can continue.
Jeremy BenthamRead
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