--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The long fight to save wild beauty…" description: "\"The long fight to save wild beauty represents democracy at its best. It requires citizens to practice the hardest of virtues--self-restraint. Why canno..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/edwin-way-teale-15465_able_the-long-fight-to-save-wild-beauty-repre_2759456.jpg" --- # The long fight to save wild beauty represents democracy at… ![“The long fight to save wild beauty represents democracy at its best. It requires citizens to practice the hardest of virtues--self-restraint. Why cannot I take as many trout as I want from a stream? Why cannot I bring home from the woods a rare wildflower? Because if I do, everybody in this…” quote by Edwin Way Teale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/edwin-way-teale-15465_able_the-long-fight-to-save-wild-beauty-repre_2759456.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/edwin-way-teale-15465_able_the-long-fight-to-save-wild-beauty-repre_2759456.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/edwin-way-teale-15465_able_the-long-fight-to-save-wild-beauty-repre_2759456.jpg) > “The long fight to save wild beauty represents democracy at its best. It requires citizens to practice the hardest of virtues--self-restraint. Why cannot I take as many trout as I want from a stream? Why cannot I bring home from the woods a rare wildflower? Because if I do, everybody in this democracy should be able to do the same. My act will be multiplied endlessly. To provide protection for wildlife and wild beauty, everyone has to deny himself proportionately. Special privilege and conservation are ever at odds.” [Edwin Way Teale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-way-teale/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Democracy thrives when individuals limit personal exploitation of nature, ensuring equal access and preservation for all. **In simple terms:** Democracy needs self‑restraint to protect nature. Key Takeaway Practice self‑restraint for collective benefit. Themes democracy environmental ethics self‑restraint conservation equality Mood reflective concerned Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - wildlife protection - policy making - community education - personal consumption choices Key Concepts public goods commons management moral philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How can societies encourage voluntary restraint? - What incentives support equitable resource use? A Different Perspective Balancing personal desire with collective good can be difficult and may face resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Conservation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservation/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environment/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Odds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/odds/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Privilege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privilege/) [Protection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protection/) [Restraint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/restraint/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self restraint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-restraint/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) [Wild beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wild-beauty/) [Wildflowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wildflowers/) [Wildlife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wildlife/) [Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woods/) ## Related quotes > [The long fight to save wild beauty represents democracy at its best. It requires citizens to practice the hardest of virtues - self-restraint.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-way-teale/the-long-fight-to-save-wild-beauty-represents-democracy-at-its-best/) [Edwin Way Teale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-way-teale/) > [Save for the wild force of Nature, nothing moves in this world that is not Greek in its origin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/save-for-the-wild-force-of-nature-nothing-moves-in-this-world-that-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If we save our wild places, we will ultimately save ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-irwin/if-we-save-our-wild-places-we-will-ultimately-save-ourselves/) [Steve Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-irwin/) > [Managing wildlife? It's wild! It don't need managing, leave it alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/managing-wildlife-it-s-wild-it-don-t-need-managing-leave-it-alone/) [Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/) > [“To save wildlife and wild places the traction has to come not from the regurgitation of bad-news data but from the poets, prophets, preachers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-drew-lanham/to-save-wildlife-and-wild-places-the-traction-has-to-come-not-from/) [J. Drew Lanham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-drew-lanham/) > [To those whom the tree, the birds, the wildflowers represent only "locked-up dollars" have never known or really seen these things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-way-teale/to-those-whom-the-tree-the-birds-the-wildflowers-represent-only/) [Edwin Way Teale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-way-teale/) > [“The making of gardens and parks goes on with civilization all over the world, and they increase both in size and number as their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/the-making-of-gardens-and-parks-goes-on-with-civilization-all-over/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [“I believe that Human Kindness, Compassion and Caring towards all life, will always prevail. No matter how cruel the night, the dawn will break…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-oxton/i-believe-that-human-kindness-compassion-and-caring-towards-all-life/) [Paul Oxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-oxton/) > [A nothing day full of wild beauty … Little fish stream by, a river in water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-schuyler/a-nothing-day-full-of-wild-beauty-little-fish-stream-by-a-river-in/) [James Schuyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-schuyler/) > [Religion must always be a crab fruit; it cannot be grafted, and keep its wild beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/religion-must-always-be-a-crab-fruit-it-cannot-be-grafted-and-keep/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [My mom said there's a sunrise and a sunset every day and you can choose to be there or not. You can put yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/my-mom-said-there-s-a-sunrise-and-a-sunset-every-day-and-you-can/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“The bayou certainly has a wild beauty of its own, although it is undoubtedly hostile to man,” Richard Duvall mused. “But then, many things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-morris/the-bayou-certainly-has-a-wild-beauty-of-its-own-although-it-is/) [Lynn Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-morris/) > [Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/because-only-then-does-one-feel-that-all-is-as-it-should-be-and-that/) [Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/) > [The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/the-best-remedy-for-those-who-are-afraid-lonely-or-unhappy-is-to-go-2/) [Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/) > [“Man ain’t happy till he kills everything in his path and cuts down everything that grows. He sees something wild and beautiful and wants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/man-ain-t-happy-till-he-kills-everything-in-his-path-and-cuts-down/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) ## More by Edwin Way Teale > [“It is those who have compassion for all life who will best safeguard the life of man. Those who become aroused only when man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-way-teale/it-is-those-who-have-compassion-for-all-life-who-will-best-safeguard/) [Edwin Way Teale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-way-teale/) > [The seasons, like greater tides, ebb and flow across the continents. Spring advances up the United States at the average rate of about fifteen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-way-teale/the-seasons-like-greater-tides-ebb-and-flow-across-the-continents/) [Edwin Way Teale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-way-teale/) > [It is morally as bad not to care whether anything is true or not...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-way-teale/it-is-morally-as-bad-not-to-care-whether-anything-is-true-or-not/) [Edwin Way Teale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-way-teale/) > [Any fine morning, a power saw can fell a tree that took a thousand years to grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-way-teale/any-fine-morning-a-power-saw-can-fell-a-tree-that-took-a-thousand/) [Edwin Way Teale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-way-teale/) > [To the lost man, to the pioneer penetrating a new country, to the naturalist who wishes to see the wild land at its wildest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-way-teale/to-the-lost-man-to-the-pioneer-penetrating-a-new-country-to-the/) [Edwin Way Teale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-way-teale/) > [Freedom from worries and surcease from strain are illusions that always inhabit the distance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-way-teale/freedom-from-worries-and-surcease-from-strain-are-illusions-that/) [Edwin Way Teale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-way-teale/) > [A man who never sees a bluebird only half lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-way-teale/a-man-who-never-sees-a-bluebird-only-half-lives/) [Edwin Way Teale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-way-teale/) > [If man can take care of man, nature can take care of the rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-way-teale/if-man-can-take-care-of-man-nature-can-take-care-of-the-rest/) [Edwin Way Teale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-way-teale/) > [“Time is the river. We are the islands. Time washes around us and flows away and with it flow fragments of our lives. So,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-way-teale/time-is-the-river-we-are-the-islands-time-washes-around-us-and-flows/) [Edwin Way Teale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-way-teale/) > [For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-way-teale/for-man-autumn-is-a-time-of-harvest-of-gathering-together-for-nature/) [Edwin Way Teale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-way-teale/) > [Those who wish to pet and baby wild animals 'love' them. 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Our spirits, too, need simple things, elemental things, the sun and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-way-teale/our-minds-as-well-as-our-bodies-have-need-of-the-out-of-doors-our/) [Edwin Way Teale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-way-teale/) > [I see, when I bend close, how each leaflet of a climbing rose is bordered with frost, the autumn counterpart of the dewdrops of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-way-teale/i-see-when-i-bend-close-how-each-leaflet-of-a-climbing-rose-is/) [Edwin Way Teale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-way-teale/) > [How strangely inaccurate it is to measure length of living by length of life! 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I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. 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