Prejudices are what fools use for reason.
VoltaireRead
Will is wish, and liberty is power.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True desire is rooted in freedom and the capability to act on one's wishes.
Voltaire's quote suggests that willpower, or the capacity to desire and wish for something, is intricately linked to the notion of liberty, or freedom. Without the freedom to act upon our will, our wishes remain unfulfilled, thus underscoring the importance of personal autonomy and the power that comes with it in achieving one's desires.
Themes
WillLibertyPowerFreedomDesire
In practice
Example use cases
A motivational speaker could reference this quote to inspire personal empowerment.
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It is dangerous to be right in matters where established men are wrong.
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It is not sufficient to see and to know the beauty of a work. We must feel and be affected by it.
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We are all full of weakness and errors; let us mutually pardon each other our follies - it is the first law of nature.
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It is better to risk saving a guilty man than to condemn an innocent one.
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A sensible man will remember that the eyes may be confused in two ways - by a change from light to darkness or from darkness to light; and he will recognize that the same thing happens to the soul.
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The Way is eternal. Until your last day, you are free from peril.
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But the conceited man did not hear him. Conceited people never hear anything but praise.
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Eloquence, at its highest pitch, leaves little room for reason or reflection, but addresses itself entirely to the desires and affections, captivating the willing hearers, and subduing their understanding.
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I prefer unlucky things. Luck is vulgar. Who wants what luck would bring? I don't.
D. H. LawrenceRead