--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The price of freedom is responsibility…" description: "\"The price of freedom is responsibility, but it's a bargain, because freedom is priceless.\" — Hugh Downs" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c2/hugh-downs-30103_bargains_the-price-of-freedom-is-responsibility-b_2205171.jpg" --- # The price of freedom is responsibility, but it's a… ![“The price of freedom is responsibility, but it's a bargain, because freedom is priceless.” quote by Hugh Downs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c2/hugh-downs-30103_bargains_the-price-of-freedom-is-responsibility-b_2205171.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c2/hugh-downs-30103_bargains_the-price-of-freedom-is-responsibility-b_2205171.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c2/hugh-downs-30103_bargains_the-price-of-freedom-is-responsibility-b_2205171.jpg) > “The price of freedom is responsibility, but it's a bargain, because freedom is priceless.” [Hugh Downs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-downs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom demands responsibility, yet the cost is worth it because true freedom cannot be priced. **In simple terms:** Freedom costs responsibility but is priceless. Key Takeaway Embrace responsibility to protect freedom. Themes freedom responsibility value choice Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - leadership - citizenship - personal finance - public policy Key Concepts ethical duty personal liberty trade-offs Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance responsibility with desire for freedom? - What responsibilities do you accept for your freedoms? A Different Perspective Responsibility can be burdensome and may deter people from seeking freedom. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bargains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bargains/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Price of freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/price-of-freedom/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) ## Related quotes > [“What is the price of freedom! I'm not talking about the physical restraining kind, but the spiritual, mental, emotional kind! If we glance at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larissa-qat/what-is-the-price-of-freedom-i-m-not-talking-about-the-physical/) Larissa Qat > [The price of freedom is to allow freedom. Very few people are willing to pay the price.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-jacobson/the-price-of-freedom-is-to-allow-freedom-very-few-people-are-willing/) [Leonard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-jacobson/) > [The price of freedom is eternal vigilance and a willingness to act in its defense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/the-price-of-freedom-is-eternal-vigilance-and-a-willingness-to-act-in/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [“With the elimination of the Fairness Doctrine, a new American laissez-faire had been officially declared. If lots more incorrect and preposterous assertions circulated in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-andersen/with-the-elimination-of-the-fairness-doctrine-a-new-american-laissez/) [Kurt Andersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-andersen/) > [The price of freedom is still, and always will be, eternal vigilance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/the-price-of-freedom-is-still-and-always-will-be-eternal-vigilance/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [Eternal vigilance, as they say, is the price of freedom. Add intellectual integrity to the cost basis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/eternal-vigilance-as-they-say-is-the-price-of-freedom-add/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [The price of freedom is death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/the-price-of-freedom-is-death/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Pain is part of the price of freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kish/pain-is-part-of-the-price-of-freedom/) Daniel Kish > [The price of freedom may be high, but never so costly as the loss of freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-price-of-freedom-may-be-high-but-never-so-costly-as-the-loss-of/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The price of freedom keeps going up, but the quality keeps deteriorating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashleigh-brilliant/the-price-of-freedom-keeps-going-up-but-the-quality-keeps/) [Ashleigh Brilliant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashleigh-brilliant/) > [Tolerating imperfections is the price of freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/tolerating-imperfections-is-the-price-of-freedom/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Don't store unnecessary data, keep an eye on what's happening, and don't take unnecessary risks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bell/the-price-of-freedom-is-eternal-vigilance-don-t-store-unnecessary/) [Chris Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bell/) > [Responsibility is the price of freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/responsibility-is-the-price-of-freedom/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [The price of freedom of religion or of speech or of the press is that we must put up with, and even pay for,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-h-jackson/the-price-of-freedom-of-religion-or-of-speech-or-of-the-press-is-that/) [Robert H. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-h-jackson/) > [“The price of freedom is high, it always has been. And it's a price I'm willing to pay. And if I'm the only one,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-rogers-captain-america/the-price-of-freedom-is-high-it-always-has-been-and-it-s-a-price-i-m/) Steve Rogers, Captain America ## More by Hugh Downs > [Happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-downs/happy-person-is-not-a-person-in-a-certain-set-of-circumstances-but/) [Hugh Downs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-downs/) > [There are more stars known to exist right now than the total number of all the grains of sand on every beach in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-downs/there-are-more-stars-known-to-exist-right-now-than-the-total-number/) [Hugh Downs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-downs/) > [Hatred is never anything but fear - if you feared no one, you would hate no one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-downs/hatred-is-never-anything-but-fear-if-you-feared-no-one-you-would-hate/) [Hugh Downs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-downs/) > [I have no ego investment in being on the air. I don't knock others for whom that kind of attention is like oxygen, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-downs/i-have-no-ego-investment-in-being-on-the-air-i-don-t-knock-others-for/) [Hugh Downs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-downs/) > [If hemp could supply the energy needs of the United States, its value would be inestimable. Now that the drug czar is in final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-downs/if-hemp-could-supply-the-energy-needs-of-the-united-states-its-value/) [Hugh Downs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-downs/) > [Life begins when you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-downs/life-begins-when-you-do/) [Hugh Downs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-downs/) > [We are a one party country. Half of them call themselves Democrats and the other half call themselves Republicans. All the good ideas come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-downs/we-are-a-one-party-country-half-of-them-call-themselves-democrats-and/) [Hugh Downs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-downs/) > [I sympathize with people who want to ban guns, but I can't agree with them. We have to be careful in our zeal to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-downs/i-sympathize-with-people-who-want-to-ban-guns-but-i-can-t-agree-with/) [Hugh Downs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-downs/) > [Television is the medium of the 20th century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-downs/television-is-the-medium-of-the-20th-century/) [Hugh Downs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-downs/) > [As the first human to land on any world outside the Earth, and probably the first living creature of any sort to come from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-downs/as-the-first-human-to-land-on-any-world-outside-the-earth-and/) [Hugh Downs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-downs/) > [How many times has the end of the world been predicted? The same number of times the prediction has proved false.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-downs/how-many-times-has-the-end-of-the-world-been-predicted-the-same/) [Hugh Downs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-downs/) > [This country is a one-party country. Half of it is called Republican and half is called Democrat. It doesn't make any difference. All the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-downs/this-country-is-a-one-party-country-half-of-it-is-called-republican/) [Hugh Downs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-downs/) > [The most mature human insight comes from one's introspection rather than from exterior research.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-downs/the-most-mature-human-insight-comes-from-one-s-introspection-rather/) [Hugh Downs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-downs/) > [I've always thought that the stereotype of the dirty old man is really the creation of a dirty young man who wants the field…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-downs/i-ve-always-thought-that-the-stereotype-of-the-dirty-old-man-is/) [Hugh Downs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-downs/) > [Something about an old-fashioned Christmas is hard to forget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-downs/something-about-an-old-fashioned-christmas-is-hard-to-forget/) [Hugh Downs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-downs/) [Explore all 17 Hugh Downs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-downs/) ## More Bargains quotes > [I have thoroughly tried school-keeping, and found that my expenses were in proportion, or rather out of proportion, to my income,for I was obliged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-have-thoroughly-tried-school-keeping-and-found-that-my-expenses/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [You don't bargain with terrorists. You don't appease terrorists. And anybody who believes that this is about something we've done has to ask themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chertoff/you-don-t-bargain-with-terrorists-you-don-t-appease-terrorists-and/) [Michael Chertoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chertoff/) > [To love unconditionally requires no contracts, bargains or agreements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-woodman/to-love-unconditionally-requires-no-contracts-bargains-or-agreements/) [Marion Woodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-woodman/) > [If you want something and don't get it, there are only two reasons. You either really didn't want it, or you tried to bargain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/if-you-want-something-and-don-t-get-it-there-are-only-two-reasons-you/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Our goal is to find an outstanding business at a sensible price, not a mediocre business at a bargain price.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/our-goal-is-to-find-an-outstanding-business-at-a-sensible-price-not-a/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [What we shouldn't be doing is trying to take away your rights to bargain for better wages or working conditions... These so-called "right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-shouldn-t-be-doing-is-trying-to-take-away-your-rights-to/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I would prefer to remain in prison for another 20 years than bargain my beliefs for freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-geagea/i-would-prefer-to-remain-in-prison-for-another-20-years-than-bargain/) Samir Geagea > [Let us not envy some men their accumulated riches; their burden would be too heavy for us; we could not sacrifice, as they do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/let-us-not-envy-some-men-their-accumulated-riches-their-burden-would/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Off-the-rack solutions, like bargain basement dresses, never fit anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-giroud/off-the-rack-solutions-like-bargain-basement-dresses-never-fit-anymore/) [Francoise Giroud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-giroud/) > [The natives are very exact and punctual in the bounds of their lands, belonging to this or that prince or people, even to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-williams/the-natives-are-very-exact-and-punctual-in-the-bounds-of-their-lands/) [Roger Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-williams/) > [“Employment bargains your life and time for a piece of currency”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/employment-bargains-your-life-and-time-for-a-piece-of-currency/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [Community colleges are great bargains. They avoid the fancy amenities four-year liberal arts colleges need in order to lure the children of the middle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/community-colleges-are-great-bargains-they-avoid-the-fancy-amenities/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [I'm a bargain shopper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheyenne-kimball/i-m-a-bargain-shopper/) [Cheyenne Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheyenne-kimball/) > [Leisure is gone,--gone where the spinning-wheels are gone, and the pack-horses, and the slow wagons, and the peddlers, who brought bargains to the door…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/leisure-is-gone-gone-where-the-spinning-wheels-are-gone-and-the-pack/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [Every man ought to be in love a few times in his life, and to have a smart attack of the fever. You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/every-man-ought-to-be-in-love-a-few-times-in-his-life-and-to-have-a/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) [Browse all 262 Bargains quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bargains/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The price of freedom is responsibility, but it's a bargain, because freedom is priceless.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Hugh Downs" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-downs/the-price-of-freedom-is-responsibility-but-it-s-a-bargain-because/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bargains" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-downs/the-price-of-freedom-is-responsibility-but-it-s-a-bargain-because/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c2/hugh-downs-30103_bargains_the-price-of-freedom-is-responsibility-b_2205171.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c2/hugh-downs-30103_bargains_the-price-of-freedom-is-responsibility-b_2205171.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c2/hugh-downs-30103_bargains_the-price-of-freedom-is-responsibility-b_2205171.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The price of freedom is responsibility, but it's a bargain, because freedom is priceless.” — Hugh Downs", "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": "Hugh Downs", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-downs/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The price of freedom is responsibility,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-downs/the-price-of-freedom-is-responsibility-but-it-s-a-bargain-because/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-downs/the-price-of-freedom-is-responsibility-but-it-s-a-bargain-because/#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 } } ] } ```