Who said “If you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: Have nothing in your…”?

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William Morris. A published source records them saying or writing it.

Source"The Beauty of Life", a lecture before the Birmingham Society of Arts and School of Design (19 February 1880), later published in Hopes and Fears for Art: Five Lectures Delivered in Birmingham, London, and Nottingham, 1878–1881 (1882)

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“If you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
— William Morris
Verified"The Beauty of Life", a lecture before the Birmingham Society of Arts and School of Design (19 February 1880), later published in Hopes and Fears for Art: Five Lectures Delivered in Birmingham, London, and Nottingham, 1878–1881 (1882) · evidenceHome

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: "The Beauty of Life", a lecture before the Birmingham Society of Arts and School of Design (19 February 1880), later published in Hopes and Fears for Art: Five Lectures Delivered in Birmingham, London, and Nottingham, 1878–1881 (1882).

APA

Morris, W. (n.d.). If you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/21757-if-you-want-a-golden-rule-that-will/

MLA

Morris, William. “If you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/21757-if-you-want-a-golden-rule-that-will/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Morris, William. “If you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/21757-if-you-want-a-golden-rule-that-will/.

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