Liberal Ideas
When I hear talk about liberal ideas, I'm always amazed how people like to delude themselves with the sound of empty words: an idea is not allowed to be liberal! Let it be forceful, doughty, self-enclosed, so as to fulfil its God-given mission of being productive. Still less is a concept allowed to be liberal; for its comission is completely different. But where we have to look for liberality is in people's attitudes and these are their feelings come to life. Attitudes, however, are seldom liberal because an attitude springs directly from the person, his immediate context and his needs.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, in "Maxims and Thoughts"