John Stuart Mill, On Representative Government (1861), Ch. I: To What Extent Forms of Government Are a Matter of Choice (p. 155)
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To think that because those who wield power in society wield in the end that of government, therefore it is of no use to attempt to influence the constitution of the government by acting on opinion, is to forget that opinion is itself one of the greatest active social forces. One person with a belief is a social power equal to ninety-nine who have only interests.
— John Stuart Mill on Social power
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "To think that because those who wield power in society wield in the end that of government, therefore it is of no use to attempt to influence the constitution of the government by acting on opinion, is to forget that opinion is itself one of the greatest active social forces. One person with a belief is a social power equal to ninety-nine who have only interests." in the context of "John Stuart Mill, On Representative Government (1861), Ch. I: To What Extent Forms of Government Are a Matter of Choice (p. 155)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Social power" (Quotes, M-R)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 – 8 May 1873), also known as J. S. Mill, was an English political philosopher and economist who was an advocate of utilitarianism.
About John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 – 8 May 1873), also known as J. S. Mill, was an English political philosopher and economist who was an advocate of utilitarianism.
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