--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: History shows how feeble are barriers of…" description: "\"History shows how feeble are barriers of paper.\" — John Lothrop Motley" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80e/john-lothrop-motley-20649_barriers_history-shows-how-feeble-are-barriers-of_807352.jpg" --- # History shows how feeble are barriers of paper. ![“History shows how feeble are barriers of paper.” quote by John Lothrop Motley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80e/john-lothrop-motley-20649_barriers_history-shows-how-feeble-are-barriers-of_807352.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80e/john-lothrop-motley-20649_barriers_history-shows-how-feeble-are-barriers-of_807352.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80e/john-lothrop-motley-20649_barriers_history-shows-how-feeble-are-barriers-of_807352.jpg) > “History shows how feeble are barriers of paper.” [John Lothrop Motley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lothrop-motley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Paper barriers—like laws or agreements—are fragile and easily broken. **In simple terms:** Written rules are weak. Key Takeaway Question and strengthen fragile structures. Themes law fragility politics Mood critical inquisitive Type historical analytical When to use this quote - policy making - contract negotiations - activism - education Key Concepts historical analysis legal theory Questions to Reflect On - What “paper barriers” affect you? - How can you reinforce them? A Different Perspective Legal documents can be robust if enforced properly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Barriers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barriers/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) ## Related quotes > [“Man may feel like a feeble and powerless pawn, at some moment in his life. This apprehension can come out of the blue, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/man-may-feel-like-a-feeble-and-powerless-pawn-at-some-moment-in-his/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [Humane sentiments are baseless, mad, and improper; they are incredibly feeble; never do they withstand the gainsaying passions, never do they resist bare necessity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-sade/humane-sentiments-are-baseless-mad-and-improper-they-are-incredibly/) [Marquis de Sade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-sade/) > [A feeble executive implies a feeble execution of the government. A feeble execution is but another phrase for a bad execution; and a government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/a-feeble-executive-implies-a-feeble-execution-of-the-government-a/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [“Religion adheres to the wise, while the feeble are bound to it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vd/religion-adheres-to-the-wise-while-the-feeble-are-bound-to-it/) VD > [A feeble body weakens the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/a-feeble-body-weakens-the-mind/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of feeble minds”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-foolish-consistency-is-the-hobgoblin-of-feeble-minds/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Even a feeble-minded man wants to be like other men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-keyes/even-a-feeble-minded-man-wants-to-be-like-other-men/) [Daniel Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-keyes/) > [What I seek to accomplish is simply to serve with my feeble capacity truth and justice, at the risk of pleasing no one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/what-i-seek-to-accomplish-is-simply-to-serve-with-my-feeble-capacity/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [The only black people you found were occasional characters or characters who were so feeble-witted that they couldn't manage anything, anyway. I wrote myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/the-only-black-people-you-found-were-occasional-characters-or/) [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) > [Persuasion is the resource of the feeble; and the feeble can seldom persuade . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/persuasion-is-the-resource-of-the-feeble-and-the-feeble-can-seldom/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [“Atticus was feeble: he was nearly fifty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/atticus-was-feeble-he-was-nearly-fifty/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [I know my own soul, how feeble and puny it is: I know the magnitude of this ministry, and the great difficulty of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-chrysostom/i-know-my-own-soul-how-feeble-and-puny-it-is-i-know-the-magnitude-of/) [John Chrysostom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-chrysostom/) > [“May you hear my feeble voice! It will tell you that here below there is a heart full of the memory of you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herculine-barbin/may-you-hear-my-feeble-voice-it-will-tell-you-that-here-below-there/) Herculine Barbin > [“Have you ever plunged into the immensity of space and time by reading the geological treatises of Cuvier? Borne away on the wings of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/have-you-ever-plunged-into-the-immensity-of-space-and-time-by-reading/) [Honoré de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [Profanity is the effort of a feeble brain to express itself forcibly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/profanity-is-the-effort-of-a-feeble-brain-to-express-itself-forcibly/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) ## More by John Lothrop Motley > [The whole territory of the Netherlands was girt with forests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lothrop-motley/the-whole-territory-of-the-netherlands-was-girt-with-forests/) [John Lothrop Motley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lothrop-motley/) > [A soil, exhausted by the long culture of Pagan empires, was to lie fallow for a still longer period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lothrop-motley/a-soil-exhausted-by-the-long-culture-of-pagan-empires-was-to-lie/) [John Lothrop Motley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lothrop-motley/) > [Local self-government…is the life-blood of liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lothrop-motley/local-self-government-is-the-life-blood-of-liberty/) [John Lothrop Motley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lothrop-motley/) > [Give us the luxuries of life, and we will dispense with its necessities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lothrop-motley/give-us-the-luxuries-of-life-and-we-will-dispense-with-its-necessities/) [John Lothrop Motley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lothrop-motley/) > [When did one man ever civilize a people?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lothrop-motley/when-did-one-man-ever-civilize-a-people/) [John Lothrop Motley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lothrop-motley/) > [A good lawyer is a bad Christian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lothrop-motley/a-good-lawyer-is-a-bad-christian/) [John Lothrop Motley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lothrop-motley/) > [In Gaul were two orders, the nobility and the priesthood, while the people, says Caesar, were all slaves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lothrop-motley/in-gaul-were-two-orders-the-nobility-and-the-priesthood-while-the/) [John Lothrop Motley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lothrop-motley/) > [A terrible animal, indeed, is an unbridled woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lothrop-motley/a-terrible-animal-indeed-is-an-unbridled-woman/) [John Lothrop Motley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lothrop-motley/) > [A talent for repartee is one that increases with practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lothrop-motley/a-talent-for-repartee-is-one-that-increases-with-practice/) [John Lothrop Motley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lothrop-motley/) > [The gigantic Gaul derided the Roman soldiers as a band of pigmies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lothrop-motley/the-gigantic-gaul-derided-the-roman-soldiers-as-a-band-of-pigmies/) [John Lothrop Motley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lothrop-motley/) > [The crusades made great improvement in the condition of the serfs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lothrop-motley/the-crusades-made-great-improvement-in-the-condition-of-the-serfs/) [John Lothrop Motley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lothrop-motley/) > [To the Calvinists, more than to any other class of men, the political liberties of Holland, England, and America are due.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lothrop-motley/to-the-calvinists-more-than-to-any-other-class-of-men-the-political/) [John Lothrop Motley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lothrop-motley/) > [The splendid empire of Charles the Fifth was erected upon the grave of liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lothrop-motley/the-splendid-empire-of-charles-the-fifth-was-erected-upon-the-grave/) [John Lothrop Motley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lothrop-motley/) > [The rise of the Dutch Republic must ever be regarded as one of the leading events of modern times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lothrop-motley/the-rise-of-the-dutch-republic-must-ever-be-regarded-as-one-of-the/) [John Lothrop Motley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lothrop-motley/) > [Enthusiasm could not supply the place of experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lothrop-motley/enthusiasm-could-not-supply-the-place-of-experience/) [John Lothrop Motley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lothrop-motley/) [Explore all 30 John Lothrop Motley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lothrop-motley/) ## More Barriers quotes > [Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?" said Hermione as they got off the train and joined the crowd thronging toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-aunt-and-uncle-will-be-proud-though-won-t-they-said-hermione-as/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The gear you can't afford is not the barrier keeping you from success. Gear has very little to do with photography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chase-jarvis/the-gear-you-can-t-afford-is-not-the-barrier-keeping-you-from-success/) [Chase Jarvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chase-jarvis/) > [All of the barriers to innovation in the energy sector are arguments for a big commitment to public investment. Only the public sector can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nordhaus/all-of-the-barriers-to-innovation-in-the-energy-sector-are-arguments/) [Ted Nordhaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nordhaus/) > [The "health, education, and welfare" section of government is another boondoggle. First we manufacture indigent and superfluous people by legal monopolies in land, money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurance-labadie/the-health-education-and-welfare-section-of-government-is-another/) [Laurance Labadie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurance-labadie/) > [Security is a component of everyday life that one spending time in Washington, D.C., gets accustomed to. Metal detectors, police vehicle barriers and heavily-armed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-crapo/security-is-a-component-of-everyday-life-that-one-spending-time-in/) [Mike Crapo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-crapo/) > [The biggest obstacles to our progress exist within our own lives in the form of cowardice and the tendency to give up. Breaking through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senora-roy/the-biggest-obstacles-to-our-progress-exist-within-our-own-lives-in/) [Senora Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senora-roy/) > [I feel that there are a few things in the world without cultural barriers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-chan/i-feel-that-there-are-a-few-things-in-the-world-without-cultural/) [Jackie Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-chan/) > [English literature is a glorious inheritance which is open to all - there are no barriers, no coupons, and no restrictions. In the English…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/english-literature-is-a-glorious-inheritance-which-is-open-to-all/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Friendship embraces innumerable ends; turn where you will it is ever at your side; no barrier shuts it out; it is never untimely and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/friendship-embraces-innumerable-ends-turn-where-you-will-it-is-ever/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [I've cosponsored legislation to establish a lend-lease program to simplify bureaucratic barriers and allow a speedier transfer of U.S. military equipment to Ukraine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/i-ve-cosponsored-legislation-to-establish-a-lend-lease-program-to/) [Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/) > [Don't be afraid of what you want. This is your time. The barriers are down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-freeman/don-t-be-afraid-of-what-you-want-this-is-your-time-the-barriers-are/) [Morgan Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-freeman/) > [Fear is the single biggest barrier to creativity. Unless we're brave enough to risk looking foolish, we'll inevitably find ourselves sticking to the status…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-linkner/fear-is-the-single-biggest-barrier-to-creativity-unless-we-re-brave/) [Josh Linkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-linkner/) > [He looked at my lips. I suddenly found myself wanting to lick his. 'Yes,' he replied, his eyes going molten. My breath caught in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-macalister/he-looked-at-my-lips-i-suddenly-found-myself-wanting-to-lick-his-yes/) [Katie MacAlister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-macalister/) > [What do you have to surrender? A drop has to dissolve into the ocean to become the ocean. And a drop cannot be greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmala-srivastava/what-do-you-have-to-surrender-a-drop-has-to-dissolve-into-the-ocean/) [Nirmala Srivastava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmala-srivastava/) > [“One way to generate a precise customer value proposition is to think about the four most common barriers keeping people from getting particular jobs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-w-johnson/one-way-to-generate-a-precise-customer-value-proposition-is-to-think/) [Mark W. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-w-johnson/) [Browse all 1,191 Barriers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barriers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "History shows how feeble are barriers of paper.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Lothrop Motley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lothrop-motley/history-shows-how-feeble-are-barriers-of-paper/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Barriers" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lothrop-motley/history-shows-how-feeble-are-barriers-of-paper/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80e/john-lothrop-motley-20649_barriers_history-shows-how-feeble-are-barriers-of_807352.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80e/john-lothrop-motley-20649_barriers_history-shows-how-feeble-are-barriers-of_807352.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80e/john-lothrop-motley-20649_barriers_history-shows-how-feeble-are-barriers-of_807352.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“History shows how feeble are barriers of paper.” — John Lothrop Motley", "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": "John Lothrop Motley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lothrop-motley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "History shows how feeble are barriers...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lothrop-motley/history-shows-how-feeble-are-barriers-of-paper/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lothrop-motley/history-shows-how-feeble-are-barriers-of-paper/#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 } } ] } ```