The moment we begin to fear the opinions of others and hesitate to tell the truth that is in us, and from motives of policy are silent when we should speak, the divine floods of light and life no longer flow into our souls.

The quotation argues that self-censorship is spiritually and intellectually corrosive. Stanton links fear of others’ opinions to a betrayal of one’s inner truth: when we stay silent “from motives of policy,” we sever ourselves from the energizing sources of insight, courage, and moral vitality (“light and life”). The claim is not simply that silence is socially harmful, but that it damages the speaker’s own capacity for ethical perception and growth. In Stanton’s reformist worldview, progress depends on individuals willing to withstand ridicule and speak plainly; conformity is portrayed as a kind of inner darkness. The passage thus elevates candor into a principle of personal integrity and collective liberation.