---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When we lose the right to be different…"
description: "\"When we lose the right to be different, we lose the privilege to be free.\" — Charles Evans Hughes"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/458/charles-evans-hughes-19073_being-different_when-we-lose-the-right-to-be-different-w_288119.jpg"
---

#  When we lose the right to be different, we lose the…

![“When we lose the right to be different, we lose the privilege to be free.” quote by Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/458/charles-evans-hughes-19073_being-different_when-we-lose-the-right-to-be-different-w_288119.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/458/charles-evans-hughes-19073_being-different_when-we-lose-the-right-to-be-different-w_288119.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/458/charles-evans-hughes-19073_being-different_when-we-lose-the-right-to-be-different-w_288119.jpg)

> “When we lose the right to be different, we lose the privilege to be free.”

[Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/)

## About This Quote

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

Losing the ability to be distinct erodes the foundation of true freedom.

**In simple terms:** Being different is essential for freedom.

Key Takeaway

Protect individuality to preserve liberty.

Themes

freedom individuality rights

Mood

reflective serious

Type

philosophical political

When to use this quote

- activism
- education
- policy making
- community building

Key Concepts

civil liberties political theory

Questions to Reflect On

- How does conformity affect personal freedom?
- What safeguards protect diversity of thought?

A Different Perspective

Uniformity can stifle innovation and dissent.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Being different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-different/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Privilege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privilege/)

## Related quotes

> [“When we lose the right to be different, we lose the privilege to be free. Freedom ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/when-we-lose-the-right-to-be-different-we-lose-the-privilege-to-be-2/)

[Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/)

> [“When we lose the right to be diffrent, we lose the right to be free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/when-we-lose-the-right-to-be-diffrent-we-lose-the-right-to-be-free/)

[Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/)

> [The more you lose the right to be jealous, the more so you become!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sand/the-more-you-lose-the-right-to-be-jealous-the-more-so-you-become/)

[George Sand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sand/)

> [When you become a leader, you lose the right to think about yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-brooks/when-you-become-a-leader-you-lose-the-right-to-think-about-yourself/)

[Gerald Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-brooks/)

> [Those of us lucky enough to have a share of privilege in the more free societies should not be asking this question, but doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/those-of-us-lucky-enough-to-have-a-share-of-privilege-in-the-more/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [I don't think we should be deprived of the privilege of free speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loretta-swit/i-don-t-think-we-should-be-deprived-of-the-privilege-of-free-speech/)

[Loretta Swit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loretta-swit/)

> [What a brave privilege is it to be free from all contentions, from all envying or being envied, from receiving or paying all kinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/what-a-brave-privilege-is-it-to-be-free-from-all-contentions-from-all/)

[Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/)

> [The privilege of a free society is that every man, woman, and child has the opportunity - and the obligation as a free people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-loesch/the-privilege-of-a-free-society-is-that-every-man-woman-and-child-has/)

[Dana Loesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-loesch/)

> [It's not difficult to move forward when you have nothing to lose. Right? At the time, I had nothing to lose. So, even when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-sy/it-s-not-difficult-to-move-forward-when-you-have-nothing-to-lose/)

[Omar Sy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-sy/)

> [Progress has never been a bargain. You have to pay for it. Sometimes I think there's a man who sits behind a counter and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/progress-has-never-been-a-bargain-you-have-to-pay-for-it-sometimes-i/)

[Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/)

> [If women lose the right to say where and how they birth their children, then they will have lost something that's as dear to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ami-mckay/if-women-lose-the-right-to-say-where-and-how-they-birth-their/)

[Ami McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ami-mckay/)

> [Sometimes it is better to lose and do the right thing than to win and do the wrong thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/sometimes-it-is-better-to-lose-and-do-the-right-thing-than-to-win-and/)

[Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/)

> [I think sometimes, when you're on top and all you do is win, win, win, win, win, you get lazy and lose focus. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/usain-bolt/i-think-sometimes-when-you-re-on-top-and-all-you-do-is-win-win-win/)

[Usain Bolt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/usain-bolt/)

> [You lose the world for a glance? Of course you do. That is what the world is for: to lose under the right circunstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/you-lose-the-world-for-a-glance-of-course-you-do-that-is-what-the/)

[Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/)

> [Progress has never been a bargain. You have to pay for it. Sometimes I think there's a man who sits behind a counter and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/progress-has-never-been-a-bargain-you-have-to-pay-for-it-sometimes-i-2/)

[Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/)

## More by Charles Evans Hughes

> [War should be made a crime, and those who instigate it should be punished as criminals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/war-should-be-made-a-crime-and-those-who-instigate-it-should-be/)

[Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/)

> [The Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal will take care of themselves. Look after the courts of the poor, who stand most in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/the-supreme-court-and-the-court-of-appeal-will-take-care-of/)

[Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/)

> [The United States is the greatest law factory the world has ever known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/the-united-states-is-the-greatest-law-factory-the-world-has-ever-known/)

[Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/)

> [Men do not die from overwork. They die from dissipation and worry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/men-do-not-die-from-overwork-they-die-from-dissipation-and-worry/)

[Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/)

> [Each man begins with his own world to conquer, and his education is the measure of his conquest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/each-man-begins-with-his-own-world-to-conquer-and-his-education-is/)

[Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/)

> [Our institutions were not devised to bring about uniformity of opinion; if they had we might well abandon hope. It is important to remember,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/our-institutions-were-not-devised-to-bring-about-uniformity-of/)

[Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/)

> [I believe in work, hard work, and long hours of work. Men do not breakdown from overwork, but from worry and dissipation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/i-believe-in-work-hard-work-and-long-hours-of-work-men-do-not/)

[Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/)

> [While democracy must have its organizations and controls, its vital breath is individual liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/while-democracy-must-have-its-organizations-and-controls-its-vital/)

[Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/)

> [Selfishness and demagoguery take advantage of liberty. The selfish hand constantly seeks to control government, and every increase of governmental power, even to meet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/selfishness-and-demagoguery-take-advantage-of-liberty-the-selfish/)

[Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/)

> [But it is recognized that punishment for the abuse of the liberty accorded to the press is essential to the protection of the public,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/but-it-is-recognized-that-punishment-for-the-abuse-of-the-liberty/)

[Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/)

> [The Constitution is what the judges say it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/the-constitution-is-what-the-judges-say-it-is/)

[Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/)

> [Every young man should aim at independence and should prepare himself for a vocation; above all, he should so manage his life that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/every-young-man-should-aim-at-independence-and-should-prepare-himself/)

[Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/)

> [I think that it is a fallacy to suppose that helpful cooperation in the future will be assured by the attempted compulsion of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/i-think-that-it-is-a-fallacy-to-suppose-that-helpful-cooperation-in/)

[Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/)

> [The power to wage war is the power to wage war successfully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/the-power-to-wage-war-is-the-power-to-wage-war-successfully/)

[Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/)

> [The greater the importance to safeguarding the community from incitements to the overthrow of our institutions by force and violence, the more imperative is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/the-greater-the-importance-to-safeguarding-the-community-from/)

[Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/)

[Explore all 33 Charles Evans Hughes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/)

## More Being different quotes

> [You are no mistake. What makes you different is what makes you special, unique, original. You are a MASTERPIECE, a PIECE of the MASTER!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-w-griffin/you-are-no-mistake-what-makes-you-different-is-what-makes-you-special/)

[Kenneth W Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-w-griffin/)

> [Just because someone is different from yourself does not mean you should treat them badly. What you don't understand is not to be taken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-bognar/just-because-someone-is-different-from-yourself-does-not-mean-you/)

[Jenna Bognar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-bognar/)

> [Not everyone is capable of madness; and of those lucky enough to be capable, not many have the courage for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/not-everyone-is-capable-of-madness-and-of-those-lucky-enough-to-be/)

[August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/)

> [You're trying too HARD to convince me that you're a TRUE friend &amp; DEEP Down Inside you know you're not but you stick around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nisha-marie/you-re-trying-too-hard-to-convince-me-that-you-re-a-true-friend-deep/)

[Ta'Nisha Marie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nisha-marie/)

> [I suppose what I look for most in a part, other than it being different than the part before, is: Does he interest me?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-fox/i-suppose-what-i-look-for-most-in-a-part-other-than-it-being/)

[Freddie Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-fox/)

> [Give yourself a chance to live because nobody will live it for you when you die](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/give-yourself-a-chance-to-live-because-nobody-will-live-it-for-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious. If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/every-one-of-us-is-in-the-cosmic-perspective-precious-if-a-human/)

[Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/)

> [You all laugh because I am different. I laugh because you are all the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-all-laugh-because-i-am-different-i-laugh-because-you-are-all-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If we are lucky enough to have something that makes us different from everybody else, dont change. Uniqueness is priceless. In this crazy world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-we-are-lucky-enough-to-have-something-that-makes-us-different-from/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I've always liked the idea of being different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo/i-ve-always-liked-the-idea-of-being-different/)

MO

> [Don't be afraid to be different. Make your differences into advantages. It can and will work for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-be-afraid-to-be-different-make-your-differences-into-advantages/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Tomorrow can be better or worse but will never be same as today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ash-sweeney/tomorrow-can-be-better-or-worse-but-will-never-be-same-as-today/)

[Ash Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ash-sweeney/)

> [It takes a real man to love you differently from the rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lita/it-takes-a-real-man-to-love-you-differently-from-the-rest/)

[Lita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lita/)

> [Sometimes being different is not going to be the most popular thing. But you have to be confident in you and what you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delisha-milton-jones/sometimes-being-different-is-not-going-to-be-the-most-popular-thing/)

[DeLisha Milton-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delisha-milton-jones/)

> [We must each learn to feel comfortable in our own uniqueness by rising above the fear of being wrong and the aversion to being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iyanla-vanzant/we-must-each-learn-to-feel-comfortable-in-our-own-uniqueness-by/)

[Iyanla Vanzant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iyanla-vanzant/)

[Browse all 607 Being different quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-different/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When we lose the right to be different, we lose the privilege to be free.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Charles Evans Hughes"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/when-we-lose-the-right-to-be-different-we-lose-the-privilege-to-be/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Being different"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/when-we-lose-the-right-to-be-different-we-lose-the-privilege-to-be/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/458/charles-evans-hughes-19073_being-different_when-we-lose-the-right-to-be-different-w_288119.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/458/charles-evans-hughes-19073_being-different_when-we-lose-the-right-to-be-different-w_288119.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/458/charles-evans-hughes-19073_being-different_when-we-lose-the-right-to-be-different-w_288119.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When we lose the right to be different, we lose the privilege to be free.” — Charles Evans Hughes",
                "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": "Charles Evans Hughes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When we lose the right to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/when-we-lose-the-right-to-be-different-we-lose-the-privilege-to-be/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/when-we-lose-the-right-to-be-different-we-lose-the-privilege-to-be/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
