No great idea in its beginning can ever be within the law. How can it be within the law? The law is stationary. The law is fixed. The law is a chariot wheel which binds us all regardless of conditions or place or time.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Great new ideas often conflict with existing laws because laws are static while ideas evolve.
- In plain terms
- New ideas usually break the law because laws do not change quickly.
- What can you take from it?
- Expect legal friction when introducing innovative concepts.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When should law adapt to new ideas?
- How do you balance innovation and order?
Another view
Some laws are flexible enough to accommodate new ideas without conflict.
More from Emma Goldman
Methods and means cannot be separated from the ultimate aim.
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