--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What good does it do me, after all, if an…" description: "\"“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 and races ahead of me ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d5/alexis-de-tocqueville-625_character_what-good-does-it-do-me-after-all-if-an_2843067.jpg" --- # What good does it do me, after all, if an ever-watchful… ![“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 and races ahead of me to ward off all danger, sparing me the need even to think about such things, if that authority, even as it removes the smallest thorns from my path…” quote by Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d5/alexis-de-tocqueville-625_character_what-good-does-it-do-me-after-all-if-an_2843067.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d5/alexis-de-tocqueville-625_character_what-good-does-it-do-me-after-all-if-an_2843067.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d5/alexis-de-tocqueville-625_character_what-good-does-it-do-me-after-all-if-an_2843067.jpg) > ““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 and races ahead of me to ward off all danger, sparing me the need even to think about such things, if that authority, even as it removes the smallest thorns from my path, is also absolute master of my liberty and my life; if it monopolizes vitality and existence to such a degree that when it languishes, everything around it must also languish; when it sleeps, everything must also sleep; and when it dies, everything must also perish? There are some nations in Europe whose inhabitants think of themselves in a sense as colonists, indifferent to the fate of the place they live in. The greatest changes occur in their country without their cooperation. They are not even aware of precisely what has taken place. They suspect it; they have heard of the event by chance. More than that, they are unconcerned with the fortunes of their village, the safety of their streets, the fate of their church and its vestry. They think that such things have nothing to do with them, that they belong to a powerful stranger called “the government.” They enjoy these goods as tenants, without a sense of ownership, and never give a thought to how they might be improved. They are so divorced from their own interests that even when their own security and that of their children is finally compromised, they do not seek to avert the danger themselves but cross their arms and wait for the nation as a whole to come to their aid. Yet as utterly as they sacrifice their own free will, they are no fonder of obedience than anyone else. They submit, it is true, to the whims of a clerk, but no sooner is force removed than they are glad to defy the law as a defeated enemy. Thus one finds them ever wavering between servitude and license. When a nation has reached this point, it must either change its laws and mores or perish, for the well of public virtue has run dry: in such a place one no longer finds citizens but only subjects.”” [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. The passage warns that an all‑powerful state that guarantees safety can erode personal liberty and civic responsibility, leading citizens to become passive dependents. **In simple terms:** Absolute safety can kill freedom and civic engagement. Key Takeaway Guard liberty by staying engaged and questioning authority. Themes freedom citizen responsibility state power passivity civic duty Mood concerned critical thoughtful Type political philosophical When to use this quote - voting - community activism - public debate - education - local governance Key Concepts liberty authority social contract dependence Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance safety and freedom? - What responsibilities do citizens have toward their community? A Different Perspective If the state truly protects, people may still become apathetic, undermining democracy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Patriotism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriotism/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [It profits me but little, after all, that a vigilant authority always protects the tranquility of my pleasures and constantly averts all dangers from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/it-profits-me-but-little-after-all-that-a-vigilant-authority-always/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [Being yielded to God's authority keeps us pliable and open-minded to a possible change of plans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/being-yielded-to-god-s-authority-keeps-us-pliable-and-open-minded-to/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [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/) > [“to be a government of "liberty regulated by law," with such results in the development of strength, in population, wealth, and military and commercial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/to-be-a-government-of-liberty-regulated-by-law-with-such-results-in/) [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/) > [“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/) > [It must never be unpatriotic to support your country against your government. 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There are some nations in Europe whose inhabitants think of themselves in a sense as colonists, indifferent to the fate of the place they live in. The greatest changes occur in their country without their cooperation. They are not even aware of precisely what has taken place. They suspect it; they have heard of the event by chance. More than that, they are unconcerned with the fortunes of their village, the safety of their streets, the fate of their church and its vestry. They think that such things have nothing to do with them, that they belong to a powerful stranger called “the government.” They enjoy these goods as tenants, without a sense of ownership, and never give a thought to how they might be improved. They are so divorced from their own interests that even when their own security and that of their children is finally compromised, they do not seek to avert the danger themselves but cross their arms and wait for the nation as a whole to come to their aid. Yet as utterly as they sacrifice their own free will, they are no fonder of obedience than anyone else. They submit, it is true, to the whims of a clerk, but no sooner is force removed than they are glad to defy the law as a defeated enemy. Thus one finds them ever wavering between servitude and license. 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