Who indeed, after pulling off the coloured glasses of prejudice

Hear the voice of Herbert Spencer, who spoke with the weight of a philosopher and the fervor of a prophet: “Who indeed, after pulling off the coloured glasses of prejudice and thrusting out of sight his pet projects, can help seeing the folly of these endeavours to protect men against themselves? A sad population of imbeciles would our schemers fill the world with, could their plans last.” Here, Spencer warns us of a danger that lies not in the tyranny of conquerors alone, but in the softer tyranny of misguided guardianship. It is the danger of robbing men of responsibility in the name of safety, of weakening the human spirit by shielding it from trial.

For what are the coloured glasses of prejudice, if not the false lenses through which men view the world? They distort reality, painting it according to desire, fear, or ideology. And what are pet projects, if not the schemes born of vanity—those plans imposed upon society not for truth’s sake, but for the pride of the planner? When such men, filled with zeal but lacking humility, seek to protect others against themselves, they imagine they do good, but in truth, they plant the seeds of ruin. For protection that becomes control, safety that becomes suffocation, leaves no room for growth, strength, or wisdom.

The ancients knew this truth. Consider the tale of Prometheus, who stole fire from the gods to give to men. Zeus would have kept humanity weak, dependent, and childlike, but Prometheus risked all so that men might struggle, fail, and rise stronger through their own power. In this myth is the same principle Spencer proclaims: that mankind, denied the trials of life, becomes no better than infants. To forbid men from facing danger is to forbid them from becoming truly human.

History offers us another example: the decline of Rome. In its early days, Rome thrived on discipline, hardship, and the fierce independence of its citizens. But as centuries passed, rulers sought to pacify the people with bread and circuses, to protect them against themselves by drowning them in comfort. What was the result? A population enfeebled, distracted, and unfit to bear the burdens of freedom. Thus fell the empire that once commanded the world. Spencer’s words echo here: the plans of schemers, though meant to endure, often end in decay, leaving behind “a sad population of imbeciles.”

Spencer himself was a philosopher of liberty, defender of the idea that societies grow strong not by overprotection, but by struggle, freedom, and responsibility. He warned that if rulers, educators, or reformers smother men with excessive guidance, they create not wisdom, but dependence. His phrase burns with urgency: such schemers, though they dream of perfect societies, risk building cages for the human soul. What they call progress becomes a regression into weakness.

The lesson for us, then, is clear. We must be vigilant against the temptation to trade freedom for comfort, to surrender our judgment to the schemes of others. We must learn to remove the coloured glasses of prejudice, to examine not only the intentions of those who govern, but the results. For noble motives do not guarantee noble outcomes, and the road to folly is often paved with plans that claimed to protect. True strength is born not from sheltering, but from facing life’s storms with courage.

Practically, this means: cultivate resilience. Resist the urge to seek safety in all things, for a life without risk is a life without growth. Question the pet projects of leaders and reformers—do they elevate the people, or make them dependent? Teach your children not only obedience, but discernment and responsibility. Embrace challenges, for in the wrestling with hardship lies the forging of character.

Therefore, O seekers of wisdom, take Spencer’s words as a stern reminder: beware of those who would build walls around you in the name of your good. Accept freedom with its burdens, liberty with its risks, and life with its trials. For to be human is not to be shielded like a child forever, but to stand upright, to stumble, to rise, and to grow strong. Better the free man who errs than the pampered man who never dares. And so I say: cast off prejudice, beware of schemers, and walk boldly in the strength that comes only through freedom.