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The Characteristics Of John Stuart Mill's Genius And Originality

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The world is a vast place, filled with numerous individuals, all characterized by unique qualities. John Stuart Mill, a 19th century writer, philosopher, and businessman who placed great importance on those who find and offer new ideas, theorized that the two primary qualities in life were originality and genius. An original person is one who is independent of all others and is unique in all that they do, and someone who displays genius is unusually intelligent and creative. In “Genius and Originality”, Mill suggests that these qualities are indispensable in society since they prevent life and knowledge from becoming static, and without them, society cannot progress. He proposes that conformity is preventing genius and originality from flourishing, while freedom allows them to thrive. I concur with his argument since originality and …show more content…
I agree with his statement since I argue that originality and genius are essential for society to progress, and they require freedom to flourish while conformity holds them back. Therefore, environments that hinder these qualities from thriving, especially those that involve pressure to conform, will prevent society from progressing because uniqueness and ingenuity allow knowledge, as well as political, social, and economic life to flourish. If humankind cannot advance, then this will lead to a stagnant and dull society in which one would not want to live. However, if these characteristics were to thrive in an environment of freedom, the quality of a person’s life would improve since people would use their individuality to provide different ideas and opinions to better the world in any way possible. Henceforth, one should not be afraid to show their originality and genius; instead, they should share it with the world so that knowledge, humanity, and the quality of life can keep

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