--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A people may prefer a free government…" description: "\"A people may prefer a free government, but if, from indolence, or carelessness, or cowardice, or want of public spirit, they are unequal to the exertio..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df6/john-stuart-mill-477_carelessness_a-people-may-prefer-a-free-government-bu_1876903.png" --- # A people may prefer a free government, but if, from… ![“A people may prefer a free government, but if, from indolence, or carelessness, or cowardice, or want of public spirit, they are unequal to the exertions necessary for preserving it. They are more or less unfit for liberty; and although it may be for their good to have had it even for a short…” quote by John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df6/john-stuart-mill-477_carelessness_a-people-may-prefer-a-free-government-bu_1876903.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df6/john-stuart-mill-477_carelessness_a-people-may-prefer-a-free-government-bu_1876903.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df6/john-stuart-mill-477_carelessness_a-people-may-prefer-a-free-government-bu_1876903.png) > “A people may prefer a free government, but if, from indolence, or carelessness, or cowardice, or want of public spirit, they are unequal to the exertions necessary for preserving it. They are more or less unfit for liberty; and although it may be for their good to have had it even for a short time, they are unlikely long to enjoy it” [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom requires active participation; without civic effort, liberty cannot be sustained. **In simple terms:** Freedom needs effort to survive. Key Takeaway Engage responsibly in civic duties. Themes citizenship responsibility freedom Mood serious thoughtful Type philosophical political When to use this quote - voting - community service - public debate - education campaigns Key Concepts political theory social contract Questions to Reflect On - What civic actions can you take? - How does apathy threaten liberty? A Different Perspective People may resist effort due to apathy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Carelessness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carelessness/) [Cowardice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cowardice/) [Cowardice Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cowardice-want-738421/) [Enjoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enjoy/) [Exertion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exertion/) [Free government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-government/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Indolence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-indolence-2625879/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Indolence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indolence/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Public Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-spirit-1488484/) [Short time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-time/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Unfit Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unfit-liberty-526205/) [Unlikely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unlikely/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [A people may prefer a free government, but if by momentary discouragement or temporary panic, or a fit of enthusiasm for an individual, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/a-people-may-prefer-a-free-government-but-if-by-momentary/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [It is from cowardice and not from want of enlightenment that we do not read in our own hearts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stendhal/it-is-from-cowardice-and-not-from-want-of-enlightenment-that-we-do/) [Stendhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stendhal/) > [“Perhaps his taciturnity hid a contempt for the human race which had abandoned the great dreams of his youth and now wallowed in sluggish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/perhaps-his-taciturnity-hid-a-contempt-for-the-human-race-which-had/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [ “\[...\] perhaps these thirty years of revolution had taught him that men are unfit for liberty, and he thought that he had spent his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/perhaps-these-thirty-years-of-revolution-had-taught-him-that-men-are/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [Democracy is the most demanding of all forms of government in terms of the energy, imagination, and public spirit required of the individual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-marshall/democracy-is-the-most-demanding-of-all-forms-of-government-in-terms/) [George C. Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-marshall/) > [“accountable government does not come through elections. It comes through respect for law, through public spirit and through a culture of confession. To”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/accountable-government-does-not-come-through-elections-it-comes/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [The ages of greatest public spirit are not always eminent for private virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/the-ages-of-greatest-public-spirit-are-not-always-eminent-for-private/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [All those instances to be found in history, whether real or fabulous, of a doubtful public spirit, at which morality is perplexed, reason is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/all-those-instances-to-be-found-in-history-whether-real-or-fabulous/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [The public spirit is in the hands of the man who knows how to make use of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/the-public-spirit-is-in-the-hands-of-the-man-who-knows-how-to-make/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-carroll-of-carrollton/without-morals-a-republic-cannot-subsist-any-length-of-time-they/) [Charles Carroll of Carrollton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-carroll-of-carrollton/) > [What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/what-country-can-preserve-its-liberties-if-its-rulers-are-not-warned/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [If, in the opinion of the people, the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/if-in-the-opinion-of-the-people-the-distribution-or-modification-of/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [The First Amendment exists to protect our religious liberty--to ensure that all Americans are able to seek out worship God with all our hearts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/the-first-amendment-exists-to-protect-our-religious-liberty-to-ensure/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [I deny the right of Congress to force a slaveholding State upon an unwilling people. I deny their right to force a free State…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-a-douglas/i-deny-the-right-of-congress-to-force-a-slaveholding-state-upon-an/) [Stephen A. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-a-douglas/) > [Free government is founded in jealousy, and not in confidence; it is jealousy, and not confidence, which prescribes limited constitutions, to bind down those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/free-government-is-founded-in-jealousy-and-not-in-confidence-it-is/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) ## More by John Stuart Mill > [The average condition of the people improving or deteriorating, depends upon whether population is advancing faster than improvement, or improvement than population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-average-condition-of-the-people-improving-or-deteriorating/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Liberty lies in the rights of that person whose views you find most odious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/liberty-lies-in-the-rights-of-that-person-whose-views-you-find-most/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Truth emerges from the clash of adverse ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/truth-emerges-from-the-clash-of-adverse-ideas/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [“No longer enslaved or made dependent by force of law, the great majority are so by force of poverty; they are still chained to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/no-longer-enslaved-or-made-dependent-by-force-of-law-the-great/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [All acts suppose certain dispositions, and habits of mind and heart, which may be in themselves states of enjoyment or of wretchedness, and which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/all-acts-suppose-certain-dispositions-and-habits-of-mind-and-heart/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Unfortunately for the good sense of mankind, the fact of their fallibility is far from carrying the weight in their practical judgement, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/unfortunately-for-the-good-sense-of-mankind-the-fact-of-their/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [“In history, as in traveling, men usually see only what they already had in their own minds; and few learn much from history, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/in-history-as-in-traveling-men-usually-see-only-what-they-already-had/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [All errors which a man is likely to commit against advice are far outweighed by the evil of allowing others to constrain him for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/all-errors-which-a-man-is-likely-to-commit-against-advice-are-far/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Every great movement must experience three stages: ridicule, discussion, adoption.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/every-great-movement-must-experience-three-stages-ridicule-discussion/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [The successful conduct of an industrial enterprise requires two quite distinct qualifications: fidelity and zeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-successful-conduct-of-an-industrial-enterprise-requires-two-quite/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [ “\[For people\] to refuse a hearing to an opinion, because they are sure that it is false, is to assume that their certainty is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/for-people-to-refuse-a-hearing-to-an-opinion-because-they-are-sure/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [This is what writers mean when they say that the notion of cause involves the idea of necessity. If there be any meaning which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/this-is-what-writers-mean-when-they-say-that-the-notion-of-cause/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [“Protection, therefore, against tyranny of the magistrate is not enough: there needs protection also against the tyranny of the prevailing opinion and feeling; against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/protection-therefore-against-tyranny-of-the-magistrate-is-not-enough/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Landlords grow rich in their sleep without working, risking or economizing. The increase in the value of land, arising as it does from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/landlords-grow-rich-in-their-sleep-without-working-risking-or/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [There is one characteristic of the present direction of public opinion, peculiarly calculated to make it intolerant of any marked demonstration of individuality. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/there-is-one-characteristic-of-the-present-direction-of-public/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) [Explore all 524 John Stuart Mill quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) ## More Carelessness quotes > [There is a down side to everything if you don't understand what the consequences of what you are saying in your music you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assata-shakur/there-is-a-down-side-to-everything-if-you-don-t-understand-what-the/) [Assata Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assata-shakur/) > [With how many things are we on the brink of becoming acquainted, if cowardice or carelessness did not restrain our inquiries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/with-how-many-things-are-we-on-the-brink-of-becoming-acquainted-if/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Carelessness in dressing is moral suicide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/carelessness-in-dressing-is-moral-suicide/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [“A single act of carelessness leads to the eternal loss of beauty”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forbidden-city-sign-writer/a-single-act-of-carelessness-leads-to-the-eternal-loss-of-beauty/) [Forbidden City Sign Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forbidden-city-sign-writer/) > [Our destruction, should it come at all, will be from...the inattention of the people to the concerns of their government, from their carelessness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-webster/our-destruction-should-it-come-at-all-will-be-from-the-inattention-of/) [Daniel Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-webster/) > [Childhood has been idealised as a lost garden paradise to which we can never return. We are excluded from this world of carelessness, innocence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loretta-lux/childhood-has-been-idealised-as-a-lost-garden-paradise-to-which-we/) [Loretta Lux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loretta-lux/) > [Only the dead are truly smart, truly cool. Nothing touches them. While I live, however, I side with bumbling suffering crooked life, with anger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakim-bey/only-the-dead-are-truly-smart-truly-cool-nothing-touches-them-while-i/) [Hakim Bey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakim-bey/) > [I continue to believe that she has not jeopardized America's national security. Now, what I've also said is that, and she's acknowledged, that there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-continue-to-believe-that-she-has-not-jeopardized-america-s-national/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/to-lose-one-parent-may-be-regarded-as-a-misfortune-to-lose-both-looks/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Overconfidence leads to carelessness, which leads just as surely to disaster.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mackenzie/overconfidence-leads-to-carelessness-which-leads-just-as-surely-to/) [Sally MacKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mackenzie/) > [There is one excuse for every mistake a man can make, but only one. When a fellow makes the same mistake twice he's got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/there-is-one-excuse-for-every-mistake-a-man-can-make-but-only-one/) [George Horace Lorimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-horace-lorimer/) > [Three enemies that will weaken your ministry over time: Self-indulgence, bitterness, and carelessness. Strong people discipline their desires, restrain their reactions, and keep their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/three-enemies-that-will-weaken-your-ministry-over-time-self/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I couldn’t forgive him or like him, but I saw that what he had done was, to him, entirely justified. It was all very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-couldn-t-forgive-him-or-like-him-but-i-saw-that-what-he-had-done-2/) [F. 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She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-haven-t-been-sorting-through-each-and-every-aspect-of-this-here-s/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Browse all 144 Carelessness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carelessness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A people may prefer a free government, but if, from indolence, or carelessness, or cowardice, or want of public spirit, they are unequal to the exertions necessary for preserving it. 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