Context

This quote is taken from the philosophical book On Liberty, which John Stuart Mill published in 1859.

In his introduction to On Liberty, John Stuart Mill tells us all to chill out and let people do their thing. Or, at least, this is the rule he thinks society should live by. If you're not hurting anyone, then you should be able to do whatever you want, whether the rest of society approves of it or not.

Where you've heard it

Ever heard someone say, "You do you and I'll do me"? That saying is getting at the same kind of point J.S. Mill is trying to make. You're likely to hear his quote from people who just want you to leave them alone without getting all judgmental on them. This is also a line that would be hilarious for a kid to use against a parent who was trying to tell them what to do.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

We're gonna give this one an 8 rating because there are just so many less pretentious ways you could express the same idea. You could say something like, "Live and let live" or "What? I ain't hurtin' nobody." In both cases, chances are that you're doing something that someone else doesn't approve of and you'd like them to go away.