--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every time that we try to lift a problem…" description: "\"Every time that we try to lift a problem from our own shoulders, and shift that problem to the hands of the government, to the same extent we are sacri..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/843/john-f-kennedy-246_freedom_every-time-that-we-try-to-lift-a-problem_122718.jpg" --- # Every time that we try to lift a problem from our own… ![“Every time that we try to lift a problem from our own shoulders, and shift that problem to the hands of the government, to the same extent we are sacrificing the liberties of our people.” quote by John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/843/john-f-kennedy-246_freedom_every-time-that-we-try-to-lift-a-problem_122718.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/843/john-f-kennedy-246_freedom_every-time-that-we-try-to-lift-a-problem_122718.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/843/john-f-kennedy-246_freedom_every-time-that-we-try-to-lift-a-problem_122718.jpg) > “Every time that we try to lift a problem from our own shoulders, and shift that problem to the hands of the government, to the same extent we are sacrificing the liberties of our people.” [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Shifting responsibility to government reduces individual freedoms, as collective control expands at the expense of personal liberty. **In simple terms:** More government control means fewer personal freedoms. Key Takeaway Balancing public authority and individual liberty. Themes politics freedom government responsibility Mood cautious reflective Type political philosophical When to use this quote - debates on healthcare policy - taxation discussions - surveillance legislation Key Concepts social contract civil liberties Practical Applications - advocating for limited government - promoting civic engagement Questions to Reflect On - When does collective safety justify reduced personal freedom? - How can citizens retain agency while delegating tasks to the state? A Different Perspective Government can protect vulnerable groups, sometimes requiring temporary liberty trade‑offs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Hands Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands-government-607973/) [Libertarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/libertarian/) [Liberties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberties/) [Liberties People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberties-people-1427905/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Lifts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lifts/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice/) [Sacrificing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrificing/) [Sacrificing Liberties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrificing-liberties-1427903/) [Shoulders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shoulders/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) ## Related quotes > [The impulse to make ourselves safer by making ourselves less free is an old one ... 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Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Suspicion on one side breeds suspicion on the other, and new weapons beget counter-weapons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/suspicion-on-one-side-breeds-suspicion-on-the-other-and-new-weapons/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [We have some of the most influential Members of Congress here today, and I do hope that we can get this appropriation for these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/we-have-some-of-the-most-influential-members-of-congress-here-today/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Disarmament without checks is but a shadow - and a community without law is but a shell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/disarmament-without-checks-is-but-a-shadow-and-a-community-without/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [This is one country. 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