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It should belong to everybody. Let us call it the…

“It should belong to everybody. Let us call it the Commonwealth. That means something everybody owns in common." "Something everybody owns, nobody owns," Mykhyl Eschkhaffar objected. "Oh, no, Mykhyl; it will belong to everybody," Khreggor Chmidd told him earnestly. "But somebody will have to take…” quote by H. Beam Piper
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““It should belong to everybody. Let us call it the Commonwealth. That means something everybody owns in common." "Something everybody owns, nobody owns," Mykhyl Eschkhaffar objected. "Oh, no, Mykhyl; it will belong to everybody," Khreggor Chmidd told him earnestly. "But somebody will have to take care of it for everybody. That," he added complacently, "will be you and me and the rest of us here." "I believe," Yakoop Zhannar said, almost smiling, "that this freedom is going to be a wonderful thing. For us.””

H. Beam Piper

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A shared resource must be managed collectively, requiring responsibility from all participants.

In simple terms: Common ownership needs caretakers.

Key Takeaway

Take responsibility for shared goods.

Themes

community responsibility shared resources collective care

Mood

thoughtful optimistic

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

  • political debates
  • environmental stewardship
  • community projects
  • public policy
  • cooperative enterprises

Key Concepts

social contract stewardship common good

Questions to Reflect On

  • Who will you hold accountable for shared resources?
  • How can we ensure fair stewardship?
A Different Perspective

Balancing individual freedom with collective duty can be contentious.

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