 Bertrand Russell Quotes 366 |
There appears to be in human nature an impulse to demand conformity even when it serves no social purpose. This is especially notable in schoolboys. In a school where everybody wears a hat, a boy will be kicked if he goes bare-headed; while, in a school where nobody weares a hat, he will be kicked if he does not go bare-headed.
Source: Bertrand Russell: What is Freedom? (1952）
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* a brief comment: original text in Japanese, translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Those impulses largely disappear by high school age at the latest, but for some they remain into adulthood. No, there are quite a few adults who do not like to be moulded about themselves, but want to mould others. Some of them are willing to mould the population under a mask of morality and ethics, or under the guise of patriotism. Some politicians insist that all citizens should have military experience. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)