It is a blessed thing that in every age some one has had the

The philosopher and orator Robert Green Ingersoll, known in his day as The Great Agnostic, once declared: “It is a blessed thing that in every age some one has had the individuality enough and courage enough to stand by his own convictions.” In these words, he offers not only admiration for those who defy conformity, but a blessing upon them — for such souls are the torches that light the path of humanity. Every age, Ingersoll reminds us, is a tide of opinions, customs, and fears. To stand against that tide is perilous, yet it is precisely through such defiance that the world moves forward.

The origin of this quote comes from Ingersoll’s deep reverence for independent thought. Living in the nineteenth century — a time when dogma reigned over free inquiry — he was a man who refused to bow to the certainties of others. He was a soldier, a lawyer, a reformer, and above all, a champion of reason. He spoke against superstition when it was dangerous to do so, and in defending freedom of thought, he paid the price of controversy. His words were not abstract; they were born of experience. He had faced the scorn of the powerful, the suspicion of the pious, and yet he stood unmoved — because, as he believed, truth demands courage, and conviction is the crown of individuality.

The meaning of his words reaches beyond his century and touches the eternal struggle between the soul and the crowd. Each age, he says, has its idols and its fears — its “spirit of the times” that tries to dictate what is acceptable to think, to believe, and to say. Yet in every such age, there arises a few who refuse to yield. They are not rebels for rebellion’s sake, but guardians of the conscience. When the world cries out for conformity, they answer with integrity. Their courage may cost them comfort or peace, but through their suffering, the world itself is renewed.

Consider the story of Galileo Galilei, who dared to look at the heavens and declare what his eyes saw, not what his Church decreed. The “spirit of his age” demanded silence, yet he whispered truth to eternity: that the earth moved, and the universe was greater than men imagined. They imprisoned his body, but not his spirit. In every century, there have been Galileos — men and women who chose the peril of conviction over the safety of obedience. From Socrates who drank the hemlock, to Rosa Parks who refused to move, their acts have shaped the moral and intellectual landscape of humankind. Ingersoll’s words are a salute to them all — to every soul that has stood alone for what was right.

What Ingersoll calls a “blessed thing” is not simply the act of defiance, but the spirit that inspires it — the individuality that resists dissolution in the masses. Society, by its nature, seeks order; and order often demands sameness. But without individuality, there can be no progress, no art, no truth. Every law, every liberty, every discovery began with a single mind that dared to think differently. The world owes its evolution not to those who conformed, but to those who questioned. To stand by one’s convictions is to honor the divine spark of reason and conscience within — the voice that says, even when all others are silent, “this is true.”

Yet Ingersoll’s wisdom also carries a warning: such courage is rare, and those who possess it must bear loneliness. The one who walks with conviction often walks alone — misunderstood, criticized, even despised. But time, that great judge, vindicates them. The heretic of one age becomes the saint of another. Thus, the blessedness lies not in their comfort, but in their legacy. They suffer in the moment so that truth may live beyond them.

The lesson, therefore, is both noble and practical: be true to your mind, even when the world demands your silence. Do not mistake consensus for truth, nor popularity for wisdom. Examine all things, hold fast to what is good, and stand firm in conscience. The age in which you live may mock your convictions, but if they are born of reason and love of truth, they will outlast the age itself. For every generation needs its voices of courage — those who remind it that progress begins not with agreement, but with dissent.

Thus remember, O seeker of truth, that to follow your convictions is to walk the path of the immortal few. The world changes because of those who refuse to betray their own souls. Let your individuality shine like a lamp in the wind — steady, unwavering, humble yet unafraid. For as Ingersoll taught, in every age the blessed ones are not those who yield, but those who stand by what is right, and by doing so, become the beacons of the generations to come.