--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty." description: "\"Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.\" — Anonymous" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/anonymous-1_eternal-vigilance_eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-libert_2257428.jpg" --- # Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. ![“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/anonymous-1_eternal-vigilance_eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-libert_2257428.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/anonymous-1_eternal-vigilance_eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-libert_2257428.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/anonymous-1_eternal-vigilance_eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-libert_2257428.jpg) > “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The statement asserts that constant vigilance is necessary to preserve freedom, linking security with liberty. **In simple terms:** Freedom requires ongoing watchfulness. Key Takeaway Stay alert to protect liberties. Themes freedom vigilance security Mood serious concerned Type political philosophical When to use this quote - activism - government oversight - personal safety Key Concepts political theory civil rights Questions to Reflect On - What does vigilance look like in daily life? - How can societies balance vigilance and trust? A Different Perspective Can lead to paranoia or burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Eternal vigilance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternal-vigilance/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Price Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/price-liberty-723284/) [Vigilance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vigilance/) [Vigilance Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vigilance-price-723283/) ## Related quotes > [Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty; power is ever stealing from the many to the few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-liberty-power-is-ever-stealing-from/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [Vigilance is not only the price of liberty, but of success of any sort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/vigilance-is-not-only-the-price-of-liberty-but-of-success-of-any-sort/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [Let eternal vigilance be the price of liberty and integrity of the country hereafter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-bedi/let-eternal-vigilance-be-the-price-of-liberty-and-integrity-of-the/) [Kiran Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiran-bedi/) > [“External vigilance is the price of liberty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/external-vigilance-is-the-price-of-liberty/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [Card players have a saying: "It's all right to play if you keep your eyes on the deck" - which is another way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra/card-players-have-a-saying-it-s-all-right-to-play-if-you-keep-your/) [Frank Sinatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra/) > [Eternal vigilance is the price of knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-knowledge/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [Eternal vigilance is only part of the price of freedom. The maturity to live with imperfections is another crucial part of the price of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/eternal-vigilance-is-only-part-of-the-price-of-freedom-the-maturity/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Eternal Vigilance is the price of democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-democracy/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Eternal vigilance is the price of sexual confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-tiger/eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-sexual-confidence/) [Lionel Tiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-tiger/) > [The price of liberty is, in addition to eternal vigilance, eternal patience with the vacuous blather occasionally expressed from behind the shield of free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shermer/the-price-of-liberty-is-in-addition-to-eternal-vigilance-eternal/) [Michael Shermer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shermer/) > [The price of liberty is something more than eternal vigilance. There must also be eternal advance. We can save the rights we have inherited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-demarest-lloyd/the-price-of-liberty-is-something-more-than-eternal-vigilance-there/) [Henry Demarest Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-demarest-lloyd/) > [I sometimes think that the price of liberty is not so much eternal vigilance as eternal dirt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/i-sometimes-think-that-the-price-of-liberty-is-not-so-much-eternal/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [But you must remember, my fellow-citizens, that eternal vigilance by the people is the price of liberty, and that you must pay the price…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/but-you-must-remember-my-fellow-citizens-that-eternal-vigilance-by/) [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) > [The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-condition-upon-which-god-hath-given-liberty-to-man-is-eternal/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Our Founders always wondered about how long it would last. The price of liberty is everlasting vigilance. You've got to be on your guard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-novak/our-founders-always-wondered-about-how-long-it-would-last-the-price/) [Michael Novak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-novak/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Eternal vigilance quotes > [What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/what-country-can-preserve-its-liberties-if-its-rulers-are-not-warned/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty; power is ever stealing from the many to the few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-liberty-power-is-ever-stealing-from/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [The price of barbecue is eternal vigilance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-price-of-barbecue-is-eternal-vigilance/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The price of peace is eternal vigilance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-marshall/the-price-of-peace-is-eternal-vigilance/) [George C. Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-marshall/) > [Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/laws-that-forbid-the-carrying-of-arms-disarm-only-those-who-are-2/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-condition-upon-which-god-hath-given-liberty-to-man-is-eternal/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The trade-off between freedom and security, so often proposed so seductively, very often leads to the loss of both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-trade-off-between-freedom-and-security-so-often-proposed-so/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Once you get a tyranny, you don't easily get rid of it. Much better to remember about eternal vigilance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/once-you-get-a-tyranny-you-don-t-easily-get-rid-of-it-much-better-to/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [It takes a fierce devotion to defend your artistic space, and eternal vigilance over it, because the needs of others will grow like vines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-ortiz-cofer/it-takes-a-fierce-devotion-to-defend-your-artistic-space-and-eternal/) [Judith Ortiz Cofer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-ortiz-cofer/) > [The price of metaphor is eternal vigilance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arturo-rosenblueth/the-price-of-metaphor-is-eternal-vigilance/) [Arturo Rosenblueth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arturo-rosenblueth/) > [“This is the secret of the political history of modern India. Weakened by division, it succumbed to invaders; impoverished by invaders, it lost all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/this-is-the-secret-of-the-political-history-of-modern-india-weakened/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [Habit is a powerful means of advancement, and the habit of eternal vigilance and diligence, rarely fails to bring a substantial reward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-howard-latimer/habit-is-a-powerful-means-of-advancement-and-the-habit-of-eternal/) [Lewis Howard Latimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-howard-latimer/) > [Eternal Vigilance is the price of democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-democracy/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“The price of fitness is eternal vigilance, and the greatest spur to diligence is the daily log.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crowley/the-price-of-fitness-is-eternal-vigilance-and-the-greatest-spur-to/) [Chris Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crowley/) > [But you must remember, my fellow-citizens, that eternal vigilance by the people is the price of liberty, and that you must pay the price…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/but-you-must-remember-my-fellow-citizens-that-eternal-vigilance-by/) [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) [Browse all 71 Eternal vigilance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternal-vigilance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anonymous" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-liberty/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Eternal vigilance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-liberty/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/anonymous-1_eternal-vigilance_eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-libert_2257428.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/anonymous-1_eternal-vigilance_eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-libert_2257428.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/anonymous-1_eternal-vigilance_eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-libert_2257428.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.” — Anonymous", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Anonymous", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Eternal vigilance is the price of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-liberty/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-liberty/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```