--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But one also finds in the human heart a…" description: "\"But one also finds in the human heart a depraved taste for equality, which impels the weak to want to bring the strong down to their level, and which r..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4d/alexis-de-tocqueville-625_depraved_but-one-also-finds-in-the-human-heart-a_2564961.png" --- # But one also finds in the human heart a depraved taste for… ![“But one also finds in the human heart a depraved taste for equality, which impels the weak to want to bring the strong down to their level, and which reduces men to preferring equality in servitude to inequality in freedom.” quote by Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4d/alexis-de-tocqueville-625_depraved_but-one-also-finds-in-the-human-heart-a_2564961.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4d/alexis-de-tocqueville-625_depraved_but-one-also-finds-in-the-human-heart-a_2564961.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4d/alexis-de-tocqueville-625_depraved_but-one-also-finds-in-the-human-heart-a_2564961.png) > “But one also finds in the human heart a depraved taste for equality, which impels the weak to want to bring the strong down to their level, and which reduces men to preferring equality in servitude to inequality in freedom.” [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human nature can crave equal status, leading the weak to push the strong down, preferring servitude over freedom. **In simple terms:** Equality desire can suppress freedom. Key Takeaway Balance equality with liberty. Themes politics human nature freedom Mood critical analytical Type philosophical historical When to use this quote - policy design - education reform - leadership training - civil rights advocacy Key Concepts social hierarchy psychology of power Questions to Reflect On - How can societies protect freedom while promoting fairness? - What safeguards prevent the weak from oppressing the strong? A Different Perspective Equality without liberty can stifle innovation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Equality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equality/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Human heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-heart/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Inequality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inequality/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Servitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/servitude/) ## Related quotes > [There is in fact a manly and legitimate passion for equality that spurs all men to wish to be strong and esteemed. This passion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/there-is-in-fact-a-manly-and-legitimate-passion-for-equality-that/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [“A depraved taste for equality, which impels the weak to attempt to lower the powerful to their own level and reduces men to prefer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/a-depraved-taste-for-equality-which-impels-the-weak-to-attempt-to/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [There is, in fact, a manly and lawful passion for equality which excites men to wish all to be powerful and honored. This passion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/there-is-in-fact-a-manly-and-lawful-passion-for-equality-which/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [We should have a bond of sympathy for all sentient beings, knowing that only the depraved and base take pleasure in the sight of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/we-should-have-a-bond-of-sympathy-for-all-sentient-beings-knowing/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible and depraved than a man in the depths of an ether binge. It makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/there-is-nothing-in-the-world-more-helpless-and-irresponsible-and/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [Money by Martin Amis. I read it when I was 15, I read it hundreds of times since then and it always makes me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pattinson/money-by-martin-amis-i-read-it-when-i-was-15-i-read-it-hundreds-of/) [Robert Pattinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pattinson/) > [The ministers are in duty bound to denounce all intellectual pride, and show that we are never quite so dear to God as when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/the-ministers-are-in-duty-bound-to-denounce-all-intellectual-pride/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [Essentially, if our secrets are secrets because we are told to be ashamed, then we must share them. 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Even under the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hitchcock/satan-and-that-man-is-still-man-even-after-1000-years-of-the/) [Mark Hitchcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hitchcock/) > [Now although man is created for the possession of happiness, yet, having deviated from his true end, his nature has become deformed and is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-of-genoa/now-although-man-is-created-for-the-possession-of-happiness-yet/) [Catherine of Genoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-of-genoa/) > [I have no intention of uttering my last words on the stage. Room service and a couple of depraved young women will do me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-o-toole/i-have-no-intention-of-uttering-my-last-words-on-the-stage-room/) [Peter O'Toole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-o-toole/) > [Christianity teaches that the human race is depraved, fallen, and sinful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-james-kennedy/christianity-teaches-that-the-human-race-is-depraved-fallen-and-sinful/) [D. James Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-james-kennedy/) > [Man, while he loves, is never quite depraved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/man-while-he-loves-is-never-quite-depraved/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [Total depravity means the entire absence of holiness, not the highest intensity of sin. A totally depraved man is not as bad as he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greenough-thayer-shedd/total-depravity-means-the-entire-absence-of-holiness-not-the-highest/) [William Greenough Thayer Shedd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greenough-thayer-shedd/) ## More by Alexis de Tocqueville > [All around you everything is on the move,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/all-around-you-everything-is-on-the-move/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [I have no hesitation in saying that although the American woman never leaves her domestic sphere and is in some respects very dependent within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/i-have-no-hesitation-in-saying-that-although-the-american-woman-never/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [No state of society or laws can render men so much alike but that education, fortune, and tastes will interpose some differences between them;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/no-state-of-society-or-laws-can-render-men-so-much-alike-but-that/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [I do not know if the people of the United States would vote for superior men if they ran for office, but there can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/i-do-not-know-if-the-people-of-the-united-states-would-vote-for/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [What good does it do me, after all, if an ever-watchful authority keeps an eye out to ensure that my pleasures will be tranquil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/what-good-does-it-do-me-after-all-if-an-ever-watchful-authority-keeps/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/the-greatness-of-america-lies-not-in-being-more-enlightened-than-any/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [“I am unacquainted with His designs, but I shall not cease to believe in them because I cannot fathom them, and I had rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/i-am-unacquainted-with-his-designs-but-i-shall-not-cease-to-believe/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [I questioned the faithful of all communions; I particularly sought the society of clergymen, who are the depositories of the various creeds and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/i-questioned-the-faithful-of-all-communions-i-particularly-sought-the/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [Christianity is the companion of liberty in all its conflicts, the cradle of its infancy, and the divine source of its claims.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/christianity-is-the-companion-of-liberty-in-all-its-conflicts-the/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [The more alike men are, the weaker each feels in the face of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/the-more-alike-men-are-the-weaker-each-feels-in-the-face-of-all/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [“There is a twofold liberty, natural (I mean as our nature is now corrupt) and civil or federal. The first is common to man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/there-is-a-twofold-liberty-natural-i-mean-as-our-nature-is-now/) [Alexis De Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [Upon my arrival in the United States the religious aspect of the country was the first thing that struck my attention; and the longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/upon-my-arrival-in-the-united-states-the-religious-aspect-of-the/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [Despotism often presents itself as the repairer of all the ills suffered, the support of just rights, defender of the oppressed, and founder of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/despotism-often-presents-itself-as-the-repairer-of-all-the-ills/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [On this waterlogged landscape…are scattered palaces and hovels…It is here that the human spirit becomes perfect, and at the same time brutalised, that civilisation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/on-this-waterlogged-landscape-are-scattered-palaces-and-hovels-it-is/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [“Despotism may govern without faith, but liberty cannot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/despotism-may-govern-without-faith-but-liberty-cannot/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) [Explore all 438 Alexis de Tocqueville quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) ## More Depraved quotes > [Total depravity means the entire absence of holiness, not the highest intensity of sin. 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Room service and a couple of depraved young women will do me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-o-toole/i-have-no-intention-of-uttering-my-last-words-on-the-stage-room/) [Peter O'Toole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-o-toole/) > [Now although man is created for the possession of happiness, yet, having deviated from his true end, his nature has become deformed and is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-of-genoa/now-although-man-is-created-for-the-possession-of-happiness-yet/) [Catherine of Genoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-of-genoa/) > [“Satan and that man is still man even after 1000 years of the righteous, benevolent rule of Christ on earth. Even under the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hitchcock/satan-and-that-man-is-still-man-even-after-1000-years-of-the/) [Mark Hitchcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hitchcock/) > [As a child, I was never drawn toward depraved or extreme situations; I really wanted a normal little childhood. Unfortunately, that's just not what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/as-a-child-i-was-never-drawn-toward-depraved-or-extreme-situations-i/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [Essentially, if our secrets are secrets because we are told to be ashamed, then we must share them. There is no shame in being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warsan-shire/essentially-if-our-secrets-are-secrets-because-we-are-told-to-be/) [Warsan Shire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warsan-shire/) > [The ministers are in duty bound to denounce all intellectual pride, and show that we are never quite so dear to God as when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/the-ministers-are-in-duty-bound-to-denounce-all-intellectual-pride/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [Money by Martin Amis. I read it when I was 15, I read it hundreds of times since then and it always makes me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pattinson/money-by-martin-amis-i-read-it-when-i-was-15-i-read-it-hundreds-of/) [Robert Pattinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pattinson/) > [There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible and depraved than a man in the depths of an ether binge. 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