Freedom is not defined by safety. Freedom is defined by the ability of citizens to live without government interference. Government cannot create a world without risks, nor would we really wish to live in such a fictional place. Only a totalitarian society would even claim absolute safety as a worthy ideal, because it would require total state control over its citizens' lives. Liberty has meaning only if we still believe in it when terrible things happen and a false government security blanket beckons.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Freedom is defined by the ability to live without government interference, not by safety, and true liberty persists even when dangers arise.
- In plain terms
- Freedom means living without government control, not being safe.
- What can you take from it?
- Value liberty even when it feels risky.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What does liberty mean to you when faced with danger?
- Can safety be achieved without sacrificing freedom?
Another view
Complete freedom can lead to chaos without any protective structures.
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