--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This may seem absurd – after all, the…" description: "\"“This may seem absurd – after all, the motives are good. But you may also wish to remember the parable of the cooked frog. When dropped into boiling ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6a/christopher-nuttall-28371_too-late_this-may-seem-absurd-after-all-the-motiv_1416224.jpg" --- # This may seem absurd – after all, the motives are good… ![“This may seem absurd – after all, the motives are good. But you may also wish to remember the parable of the cooked frog. When dropped into boiling water, the frog jumped out and fled – scalded, but alive; when dropped into a slowly heating pot, the frog stayed put until it was too late. And the…” quote by Christopher Nuttall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6a/christopher-nuttall-28371_too-late_this-may-seem-absurd-after-all-the-motiv_1416224.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6a/christopher-nuttall-28371_too-late_this-may-seem-absurd-after-all-the-motiv_1416224.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6a/christopher-nuttall-28371_too-late_this-may-seem-absurd-after-all-the-motiv_1416224.jpg) > ““This may seem absurd – after all, the motives are good.  But you may also wish to remember the parable of the cooked frog.  When dropped into boiling water, the frog jumped out and fled – scalded, but alive; when dropped into a slowly heating pot, the frog stayed put until it was too late.  And the cook had boiled frog for dinner.  It is rare for freedoms to be lost overnight.  Instead, they are traded away, piece by piece, until it is too late. -Professor Leo Caesius, Authority, Power and the Post-Imperial Era”” [Christopher Nuttall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nuttall/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Gradual loss of freedom is often unnoticed, like a frog boiled slowly; vigilance is needed to protect liberties. **In simple terms:** Freedom can slip away unnoticed; stay alert. Key Takeaway Monitor small encroachments on rights. Themes freedom power politics vigilance gradual change Mood concerned reflective serious Type analytical warning philosophical When to use this quote - political activism - policy review - public awareness campaigns - education on civil liberties Key Concepts social contract authoritarianism psychology of complacency rights erosion Questions to Reflect On - What small signs indicate encroaching authoritarianism? - How can societies maintain vigilance without paranoia? A Different Perspective The frog analogy oversimplifies complex political processes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Boiled Frog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boiled-frog-2612531/) [Cooked Frog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cooked-frog-5003477/) [Fled Scalded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fled-scalded-5003479/) [Frog Stayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frog-stayed-5003480/) [Parable Cooked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parable-cooked-5003478/) [Too late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-late/) ## Related quotes > [If you throw a frog in a pot of boiling water, it will hop right out. But if you put that frog in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/if-you-throw-a-frog-in-a-pot-of-boiling-water-it-will-hop-right-out/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [“Do you know anything about frogs?" "Frogs?" 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Garfield”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nuttall/in-the-long-fierce-struggle-for-freedom-of-opinion-the-press-like-the-2/) [Christopher Nuttall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nuttall/) > [“One of the most dangerous signs of decline is the sudden reluctance to tolerate different points of view in political debate.  Questions and issues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nuttall/one-of-the-most-dangerous-signs-of-decline-is-the-sudden-reluctance/) [Christopher Nuttall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nuttall/) > [“It was astonishing just how smart the old man had become in the years between Kurt reaching his teenage years and growing out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nuttall/it-was-astonishing-just-how-smart-the-old-man-had-become-in-the-years/) [Christopher Nuttall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nuttall/) > [“delight in putting colonies everywhere.  The Tadpoles noted the terraforming project on the fourth world with bemusement.  There was no shortage of habitable worlds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nuttall/delight-in-putting-colonies-everywhere-the-tadpoles-noted-the/) [Christopher Nuttall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nuttall/) > [“The federal government hated it when people tried to move outside its sphere of control, no matter the reason.  It was incapable of leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nuttall/the-federal-government-hated-it-when-people-tried-to-move-outside-its/) [Christopher Nuttall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nuttall/) > [“there would always be incompetent assholes in the world ... and many of them would be in places of power.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nuttall/there-would-always-be-incompetent-assholes-in-the-world-and-many-of/) [Christopher Nuttall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nuttall/) > [“Fairness is a foolish concept,” the man said dryly.  The line of Russian infantrymen seemed never-ending.  “The world is full of people who would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nuttall/fairness-is-a-foolish-concept-the-man-said-dryly-the-line-of-russian/) [Christopher Nuttall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nuttall/) [Explore all 19 Christopher Nuttall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nuttall/) ## More Too late quotes > [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. 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