Quote of the day by Mary Wollstonecraft: 'Simplicity and sincerity generally go hand in hand, as both proceed from a love of truth' ; lessons on how to live authentically from Britain's earliest feminists

Sincerity is a virtue all of us strive to incorporate into our lives. There’s nothing like being able to be authentic. However, not all of us are so fortunate to be able to be sincere. Years ago, writer and philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft decoded the secret to being your best authentic self, devoid of any pretensions and facades. She explained that once you embraced the truth, becoming sincere becomes a walk in the park.

Quote Of The Day By Mary Wollstonecraft

In her 1789 book The Female Reader, she wrote: “Simplicity and sincerity generally go hand in hand, as both proceed from a love of truth.”

Deeper Meaning Of The Quote

Through this quote, Wollstonecraft explains that simplicity and sincerity - two much cherished virtues don’t occur in abandon but can only be cultivated from a love for truth. When we value truth, we discard the need for pretense. Sincerity is when we are able to align our inner thoughts with actions. The writer maintains that when someone adheres to truth, their life becomes simpler and uncluttered.

Relevance Of The Quote

In an era where we lived in a world dominated by curated social media personas where truth is often distorted and subjugated, Wollstonecraft’s wise words are more relevant than ever. Her words reminds us that it’s ok to step back from putting up a persona from external validation and just be our true, authentic selves.

Who Was Mary Wollstonecraft?

Wollstonecraft was an English writer-philosopher and one of the earliest advocates of women’s rights. She is best known for the book A Vindication Of The Rights Of Woman, in which she challenged the notion that women were inferior to men and argued that they are considered as so merely due to the lack of education.

Mary Wollstonecraft later married philosopher William Godwin, who is regarded as one of the early pioneers of anarchist thought. Tragically, she died only 11 days after the birth of her second daughter, Mary Shelley, who would go on to achieve literary fame as the creator of the iconic novel Frankenstein. She was just 38 years old at the time of death.