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About this quote

What does it mean?
Women need to grow as nature, discern as intellect, and live freely as soul—not merely act as women or rulers.
In plain terms
Women should develop naturally, think critically, and live freely.
What can you take from it?
Support women’s holistic development beyond prescribed roles.

Where it applies

  • education reform
  • personal development

Putting it to work

  • promote critical thinking
  • remove gendered constraints

Questions to consider

  • How can institutions foster holistic growth for women?
  • What barriers remain to free living?

Another view

Societal structures may still limit true freedom.

More from Margaret Fuller

  1. Plants of great vigor will almost always struggle into blossom, despite impediments. But there should be encouragement, and a free genial atmosphere for those …

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  2. What Woman needs is not as a woman to act or rule, but as a nature to grow, as an intellect to discern, as a soul to live freely and unimpeded.

    Permalink to quote #41
  3. What I mean by the Muse is that unimpeded clearness of the intuitive powers, which a perfectly truthful adherence to every admonition of the higher instincts w…

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