time；　and　then　stop：　when　does　it　stop？　When　it　ceases　to　possess
  individuality。　If　a　similar　change　should　befall　the　nations　of
  Europe；　it　will　not　be　in　exactly　the　same　shape：　the　despotism　of
  custom　with　which　these　nations　are　threatened　is　not　precisely
  stationariness。　It　proscribes　singularity；　but　it　does　not　preclude
  change；　provided　all　change　together。　We　have　discarded　the　fixed
  costumes　of　our　forefathers；　every　one　must　still　dress　like　other
  people；　but　the　fashion　may　change　once　or　twice　a　year。　We　thus
  take　care　that　when　there　is　a　change；　it　shall　be　for　change's
  sake；　and　not　from　any　idea　of　beauty　or　convenience；　for　the　same
  idea　of　beauty　or　convenience　would　not　strike　all　the　world　at　the
  same　moment；　and　be　simultaneously　thrown　aside　by　all　at　another
  moment。　But　we　are　progressive　as　well　as　changeable：　we　continually
  make　new　inventions　in　mechanical　things；　and　keep　them　until　they　are
  again　superseded　by　better；　we　are　eager　for　improvement　in
  politics；　in　education；　even　in　morals；　though　in　this　last　our　idea
  of　improvement　chiefly　consists　in　persuading　or　forcing　other
  people　to　be　as　good　as　ourselves。　It　is　not　progress　that　we　object
  to；　on　the　contrary；　we　flatter　ourselves　that　we　are　the　most
  progressive　people　who　ever　lived。　It　is　individuality　that　we　war
  against：　we　should　think　we　had　done　wonders　if　we　had　made
  ourselves　all　alike；　forgetting　that　the　unlikeness　of　one　person　to
  another　is　generally　the　first　thing　which　draws　the　attention　of
  either　to　the　imperfection　of　his　own　type；　and　the　superiority　of
  another；　or　the　possibility；　by　combining　the　advantages　of　both；　of
  producing　something　better　than　either。　We　have　a　warning　example　in
  China…　a　nation　of　much　talent；　and；　in　some　respects；　even　wisdom；
  owing　to　the　rare　good　fortune　of　having　been　provided　at　an　early
  period　with　a　particularly　good　set　of　customs；　the　work；　in　some
  measure；　of　men　to　whom　even　the　most　enlightened　European　must
  accord；　under　certain　limitations；　the　title　of　sages　and
  philosophers。　They　are　remarkable；　too；　in　the　excellence　of　their
  apparatus　for　impressing；　as　far　as　possible；　the　best　wisdom　they
  possess　upon　every　mind　in　the　community；　and　securing　that　those
  who　have　appropriated　most　of　it　shall　occupy　the　posts　of　honour
  and　power。　Surely　the　people　who　did　this　have　discovered　the　secret
  of　human　progressiveness；　and　must　have　kept　themselves　steadily　at
  the　head　of　the　movement　of　the　world。　On　the　contrary；　they　have
  become　stationary…　have　remained　so　for　thousands　of　years；　and　if
  they　are　ever　to　be　farther　improved；　it　must　be　by　foreigners。　They
  have　succeeded　beyond　all　hope　in　what　English　philanthropists　are　so
  industriously　working　at…　in　making　a　people　all　alike；　all　governing
  their　thoughts　and　conduct　by　the　same　maxims　and　rules；　and　these　are
  the　fruits。　The　modern　regime　of　public　opinion　is；　in　an
  unorganised　form；　what　the　Chinese　educational　and　political　systems
  are　in　an　organised；　and　unless　individuality　shall　be　able
  successfully　to　assert　itself　against　this　yoke；　Europe；
  notwithstanding　its　noble　antecedents　and　its　professed
  Christianity；　will　tend　to　become　another　China。
  What　is　it　that　has　hitherto　preserved　Europe　from　this　lot？　What
  has　made　the　European　family　of　nations　an　improving；　instead　of　a
  stationary　portion　of　mankind？　Not　any　superior　excellence　in　them；
  which；　when　it　exists；　exists　as　the　effect　not　as　the　cause；　but
  their　remarkable　diversity　of　character　and　culture。　Individuals；
  classes；　nations；　have　been　extremely　unlike　one　another：　they　have
  struck　out　a　great　variety　of　paths；　each　leading　to　something
  valuable；　and　although　at　every　period　those　who　travelled　in
  different　paths　have　been　intolerant　of　one　another；　and　each　would
  have　thought　it　an　excellent　thing　if　all　the　rest　could　have　been
  compelled　to　travel　his　road；　their　attempts　to　thwart　each　other's
  development　have　rarely　had　any　permanent　success；　and　each　has　in
  time　endured　to　receive　the　good　which　the　others　have　offered。　Europe
  is；　in　my　judgment；　wholly　indebted　to　this　plurality　of　paths　for　its
  progressive　and　many…sided　development。　But　it　already　begins　to
  possess　this　benefit　in　a　considerably　less　degree。　It　is　decidedly
  advancing　towards　the　Chinese　ideal　of　making　all　people　alike。　M。
  de　Tocqueville；　in　his　last　important　work；　remarks　how　much　more
  the　Frenchmen　of　the　present　day　resemble　one　another　than　did　those
  even　of　the　last　generation。　The　same　remark　might　be　made　of
  Englishmen　in　a　far　greater　degree。
  In　a　passage　already　quoted　from　Wilhelm　von　Humboldt；　he　points　out
  two　things　as　necessary　conditions　of　human　development；　because
  necessary　to　render　people　unlike　one　another；　namely；　freedom；　and
  variety　of　situations。　The　second　of　these　two　conditions　is　in　this
  country　every　day　diminishing。　The　circumstances　which　surround
  different　classes　and　individuals；　and　shape　their　characters；　are
  daily　becoming　more　assimilated。　Formerly　different　ranks；　different
  neighbourhoods；　different　trades　and　professions；　lived　in　what
  might　be　called　different　worlds；　at　present　to　a　great　degree　in
  the　same。　Comparatively　speaking；　they　now　read　the　same　things；
  listen　to　the　same　things；　see　the　same　things；　go　to　the　same　places；
  have　their　hopes　and　fears　directed　to　the　same　objects；　have　the　same
  rights　and　liberties；　and　the　same　means　of　asserting　them。　Great　as
  are　the　differences　of　position　which　remain；　they　are　nothing　to
  those　which　have　ceased。　And　the　assimilation　is　still　proceeding。　All
  the　political　changes　of　the　age　promote　it；　since　they　all　tend　to
  raise　the　low　and　to　lower　the　high。　Every　extension　of　education
  promotes　it；　because　education　brings　people　under　common
  influences；　and　gives　them　access　to　the　general　stock　of　facts　and
  sentiments。　Improvement　in　the　means　of　communication　promotes　it；
  by　bringing　the　inhabitants　of　distant　places　into　personal　contact；
  and　keeping　up　a　rapid　flow　of　changes　of　residence　between　one
  place　and　another。　The　increase　of　commerce　and　manufactures
  promotes　it；　by　diffusing　more　widely　the　advantages　of　easy
  circumstances；　and　opening　all　objects　of　ambition；　even　the
  highest；　to　general　competition；　whereby　the　desire　of　rising
  becomes　no　longer　the　character　of　a　particular　class；　but　of　all
  classes。　A　more　powerful　agency　than　even　all　these；　in　bringing　about
  a　general　similarity　among　mankind；　is　the　complete　establishment；
  in　this　and　other　free　countries；　of　the　ascendancy　of　public
  opinion　in　the　State。　As　the　various　social　eminences　which　enabled
  persons　entrenched　on　them　to　disregard　the　opinion　of　the　multitude
  gradually　become　levelled；　as　the　very　idea　of　resisting　the　will　of
  the　public；　when　it　is　positively　known　that　they　have　a　will；
  disappears　more　and　more　from　the　minds　of　practical　politicians；
  there　ceases　to　be　any　social　support　for　nonconformity…　any
  substantive　power　in　society　which；　itself　opposed　to　the　ascendancy
  of　numbers；　is　interested　in　taking　under　its　protection　opinions
  and　tendencies　at　variance　with　those　of　the　public。
  The　combination　of　all　these　causes　forms　so　great　a　mass　of
  influences　hostile　to　Individuality；　that　it　is　not　easy　to　see　how　it
  can　stand　its　ground。　It　will　do　so　with　increasing　difficulty；　unless
  the　intelligent　part　of　the　public　can　be　made　to　feel　its　value…　to
  see　that　it　is　good　there　should　be　differences；　even　though　not　for
  the　better；　even　though；　as　it　may　appear　to　them；　some　should　be
  for　the　worse。　If　the　claims　of　Individuality　are　ever　to　be　asserted；
  the　time　is　now；　while　much　is　still　wanting　to　complete　the
  enforced　assimilation。　It　is　only　in　the　earlier　stages　that　any　stand
  can　be　successfully　made　against　the　encroachment。　The　demand　that　all
  other　people　shall　resemble　ourselves　grows　by　what　it　feeds　on。　If
  resistance　waits　till　life　is　reduced　nearly　to　one　uniform　type；
  all　deviations　from　that　type　will　come　to　be　considered　impious；
  immoral；　even　monstrous　and　contrary　to　nature。　Mankind　speedily
  become　unable　to　conceive　diversity；　when　they　have　been　for　some　time
  unaccustomed　to　see　it。
  Chapter　4。
  Of　the　Limits　to　the　Authority　of　Society　over　the　Individual。
  WHAT；　THEN；　is　the　rightful　limit　to　the　sovereignty　of　the
  individual　over　himself？　Where　does　the　authority　of　society　begin？
  How　much　of　human　life　should　be　assigned　to　individuality；　and　how
  much　to　society？
  Each　will　receive　its　proper　share；　if　each　has　that　which　more
  particularly　concerns　it。　To　individuality　should　belong　the　par