--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So long as men and women are free, no one…" description: "\"So long as men and women are free, no one is safe. People will be in danger because others can't operate vehicles responsibly or shoot straight. Becaus..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe2/jack-mcdevitt-8429_danger_so-long-as-men-and-women-are-free-no-one_1860926.jpg" --- # So long as men and women are free, no one is safe. People… ![“So long as men and women are free, no one is safe. People will be in danger because others can't operate vehicles responsibly or shoot straight. Because physicians are sometimes incompetent and lawyers dishonest. But most of all they will be in danger from ideas. It is the price we willingly pay…” quote by Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe2/jack-mcdevitt-8429_danger_so-long-as-men-and-women-are-free-no-one_1860926.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe2/jack-mcdevitt-8429_danger_so-long-as-men-and-women-are-free-no-one_1860926.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe2/jack-mcdevitt-8429_danger_so-long-as-men-and-women-are-free-no-one_1860926.jpg) > “So long as men and women are free, no one is safe. People will be in danger because others can't operate vehicles responsibly or shoot straight. Because physicians are sometimes incompetent and lawyers dishonest. But most of all they will be in danger from ideas. It is the price we willingly pay to be free. Nor would we have it any other way.” [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom brings inherent risks because people can misuse tools, professions, and ideas; the cost of liberty is accepting danger. **In simple terms:** Freedom means accepting danger from many sources. Key Takeaway Accept that liberty includes risk. Themes freedom risk responsibility Mood thoughtful cautious Type philosophical political When to use this quote - public policy - daily interactions - technology use - legal systems Key Concepts political philosophy human behavior Questions to Reflect On - What risks are worth tolerating for freedom? - How can societies balance safety and liberty? A Different Perspective Risk can be mitigated with better education and safeguards. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Danger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/danger/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Incompetent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incompetent/) [Lawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawyer/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men and women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-and-women/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Physicians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physicians/) ## Related quotes > [There is not a country on earth whose people don't deserve to be free and safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/there-is-not-a-country-on-earth-whose-people-don-t-deserve-to-be-free/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [Thank heaven, I am free and safe at last!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/thank-heaven-i-am-free-and-safe-at-last/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [“the human mind is alike in every race and sect of people: when the danger isn’t close enough, or when enough generations have passed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bunker/the-human-mind-is-alike-in-every-race-and-sect-of-people-when-the/) [Michael Bunker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bunker/) > [“But try as you might to protect people from danger, you cannot keep them from their true nature.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/but-try-as-you-might-to-protect-people-from-danger-you-cannot-keep/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [We are still a people in danger. And yet I urge us not to get addicted to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-shavit/we-are-still-a-people-in-danger-and-yet-i-urge-us-not-to-get-addicted/) [Ari Shavit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-shavit/) > [“It’s not much fun, you know, being a middle-aged woman, safe and protected, on a roof, thinking of other people in danger.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-dennys/it-s-not-much-fun-you-know-being-a-middle-aged-woman-safe-and/) Joyce Dennys > [If you have a dream, this is your chance. We don't always have to play it safe because people might think you're weird.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/if-you-have-a-dream-this-is-your-chance-we-don-t-always-have-to-play/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) > [“The thing is that people only get hurt—really hurt—when they’re trying to play it safe. 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Not in any culture. What's the point of having omnipotence if you don't enjoy it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/universal-deities-never-seem-to-smile-not-in-any-culture-what-s-the/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [Technological civilizations don't last long. You're all right until you get a printing press. Then a race starts between technology and common sense. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/technological-civilizations-don-t-last-long-you-re-all-right-until/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [My father used to take me to the movies on Saturdays. In 1940, when I was four years old, we encountered 'Flash Gordon Conquers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/my-father-used-to-take-me-to-the-movies-on-saturdays-in-1940-when-i/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [Of course, they (i. e., demons) had always been observed with some regularity, but that could usually be ascribed to an overabundance of piety…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/of-course-they-i-e-demons-had-always-been-observed-with-some/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [If you want creative and successful children, resign yourself to jousting with rebels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/if-you-want-creative-and-successful-children-resign-yourself-to/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [There is no justice. There are occasional acts of vengeance, or regret, but there's no real justice. In the natural scheme of things, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/there-is-no-justice-there-are-occasional-acts-of-vengeance-or-regret/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [I was once invited to attend a private dinner for Senator John F. Kennedy. But it was a Saturday evening, and I passed. Had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/i-was-once-invited-to-attend-a-private-dinner-for-senator-john-f/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) [Explore all 81 Jack McDevitt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) ## More Danger quotes > [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. 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No great party can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/there-are-dangers-in-consensus-it-could-be-an-attempt-to-satisfy/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [“I’ll always come back to you,” he said. “Always.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-grant/i-ll-always-come-back-to-you-he-said-always/) [Donna Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-grant/) > [All the dangers in our world are like a blessed wake up call. They tell us to live life NOW... not tomorrow, not when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/all-the-dangers-in-our-world-are-like-a-blessed-wake-up-call-they/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [Natural history is not taught in seminary. This is curious, as most people in pastoral ministry are about 567 times more likely to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-maitland/natural-history-is-not-taught-in-seminary-this-is-curious-as-most/) [Sara Maitland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-maitland/) > [A sea setting us upon the ice has brought us close to danger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hudson/a-sea-setting-us-upon-the-ice-has-brought-us-close-to-danger/) [Henry Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hudson/) > [“You are a lawmaker in your own right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/you-are-a-lawmaker-in-your-own-right/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [There's a danger in starting a fire, you'll never know how many bridges you'll burn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-s-a-danger-in-starting-a-fire-you-ll-never-know-how-many/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [This is the gift of your species and this is the danger, because you do not choose to control your imaginings. 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