--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They who can give up essential liberty to…" description: "\"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.\" — Benjamin Franklin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/benjamin-franklin-65_deserve_they-who-can-give-up-essential-liberty-t_2887473.png" --- # They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little… ![“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” quote by Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/benjamin-franklin-65_deserve_they-who-can-give-up-essential-liberty-t_2887473.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/benjamin-franklin-65_deserve_they-who-can-give-up-essential-liberty-t_2887473.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/benjamin-franklin-65_deserve_they-who-can-give-up-essential-liberty-t_2887473.png) > “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Sacrificing freedom for short‑term security erodes both values. **In simple terms:** Giving up liberty for safety loses both. Key Takeaway Protect liberty even when safety feels tempting. Themes freedom security politics Mood cautious critical Type political ethical When to use this quote - public policy debates - personal privacy decisions - emergency legislation Key Concepts civil liberties risk assessment government policy Questions to Reflect On - Is temporary safety worth losing freedom? - When is it justified to limit liberty? A Different Perspective Safety can be a pretext for authoritarian control. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Essential Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essential-liberty/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Safety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/safety/) ## Related quotes > [They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/they-that-can-give-up-essential-liberty-to-purchase-a-little/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Those who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety-‘” “‘Deserve neither liberty nor safety,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheree-alsop/those-who-can-give-up-essential-liberty-to-obtain-a-little-temporary/) Cheree Alsop > [“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/those-who-would-give-up-essential-liberty-to-purchase-a-little/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Those who give up essential liberty, to preserve a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-fleming/those-who-give-up-essential-liberty-to-preserve-a-little-temporary/) [Thomas Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-fleming/) > [They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. This sentence was much used in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/they-that-can-give-up-essential-liberty-to-obtain-a-little-temporary/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Those who sacrifice essential liberty for temporary safety are not deserving of either liberty or safety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/those-who-sacrifice-essential-liberty-for-temporary-safety-are-not/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. —written for the Pennsylvania Assembly in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/they-who-would-give-up-essential-liberty-to-purchase-a-little/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Way back in 1755 Benjamin Franklin wrote, “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/way-back-in-1755-benjamin-franklin-wrote-those-who-would-give-up/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [Those who would give up liberty for safety deserve neither.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/those-who-would-give-up-liberty-for-safety-deserve-neither/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“No realistic American can expect from a dictator's peace international generosity, or return of true independence, or world disarmament, or freedom of expression, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/no-realistic-american-can-expect-from-a-dictator-s-peace/) [Franklin D. 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