--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Be liberal in what you accept, and…" description: "\"Be liberal in what you accept, and conservative in what you send.\" — Jon Postel" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11d/jon-postel-19538_accepting_be-liberal-in-what-you-accept-and-conser_2697108.png" --- # Be liberal in what you accept, and conservative in what… ![“Be liberal in what you accept, and conservative in what you send.” quote by Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11d/jon-postel-19538_accepting_be-liberal-in-what-you-accept-and-conser_2697108.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11d/jon-postel-19538_accepting_be-liberal-in-what-you-accept-and-conser_2697108.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11d/jon-postel-19538_accepting_be-liberal-in-what-you-accept-and-conser_2697108.png) > “Be liberal in what you accept, and conservative in what you send.” [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates a balanced approach: accept broadly but send narrowly, promoting efficient communication. **In simple terms:** Accept widely, send narrowly. Key Takeaway Practice selective communication. Themes communication efficiency etiquette internet Mood practical guideline Type technical instructive When to use this quote - email management - online discussions - content curation Key Concepts information overload network hygiene Questions to Reflect On - When should you broaden your acceptance? - How to decide what to send? A Different Perspective May limit openness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accept Conservative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accept-conservative-2704791/) [Accepting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accepting/) [Conservative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservative/) [Conservative Send](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservative-send-2704792/) [Europe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europe/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Liberal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberal/) [Liberal Accept](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberal-accept-2704793/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) ## Related quotes > [You can be a liberal and accept same-sex marriage and all that, but that's your business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/you-can-be-a-liberal-and-accept-same-sex-marriage-and-all-that-but/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [Be conservative in what you do, be liberal in what you accept from others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/be-conservative-in-what-you-do-be-liberal-in-what-you-accept-from/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [Conservatives are inclined to use the powers of government to prevent change or to limit its rate to whatever appeals to the more timid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/conservatives-are-inclined-to-use-the-powers-of-government-to-prevent/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [I find labels "liberal" and "conservative" of little meaning. Our language has become perverted along with the thoughts of many of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/studs-terkel/i-find-labels-liberal-and-conservative-of-little-meaning-our-language/) [Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/) > [“The young are often savvy in the cultural world but not so much the intellectual; the old the intellectual but not so much the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/the-young-are-often-savvy-in-the-cultural-world-but-not-so-much-the/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“The sense that just about anything goes with the collection of public revenues and the making of public expenditure has contributed mightily to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-epstein/the-sense-that-just-about-anything-goes-with-the-collection-of-public/) [Richard Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-epstein/) > [“The left wants, needs, loves, and exacerbates violent conflict. The question is…why?...Conservatives generally want policy discussions because we disagree with liberals. Liberals need gutter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-golub/the-left-wants-needs-loves-and-exacerbates-violent-conflict-the/) [Eric Golub](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-golub/) > [“New Rule: Now that liberals have taken back the word "liberal," they also have to take back the word "elite." By now you've heard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/new-rule-now-that-liberals-have-taken-back-the-word-liberal-they-also/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [“Political tags — such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth — are never basic criteria. The human race divides…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/political-tags-such-as-royalist-communist-democrat-populist-fascist/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [It is said that a neo-conservative is a liberal who has been mugged by reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stockwell-day/it-is-said-that-a-neo-conservative-is-a-liberal-who-has-been-mugged/) [Stockwell Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stockwell-day/) > [Elected officials want to paint everyone with a broad brush. What they don't get is that everyone pays bills. Liberal activists pay bills. Conservative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-veasey/elected-officials-want-to-paint-everyone-with-a-broad-brush-what-they/) [Marc Veasey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-veasey/) > [Liberal talk on the radio doesn't perform well because it is not a sequestered to a niche - it's everywhere in the media universe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-loesch/liberal-talk-on-the-radio-doesn-t-perform-well-because-it-is-not-a/) [Dana Loesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-loesch/) > [It is the liberal philosophy, not the conservative one, that views humans as selfish automatons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-west/it-is-the-liberal-philosophy-not-the-conservative-one-that-views/) [Allen West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-west/) > [Trump is more conservative on individual rights, domestic issues, economic issues and defense. On the other hand, Clinton is quite liberal and wishes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabrizio-moreira/trump-is-more-conservative-on-individual-rights-domestic-issues/) [Fabrizio Moreira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabrizio-moreira/) > [I would say I'm a fiscal conservative and a social liberal, if that contradiction can make sense, because in Bolivia, we have a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gonzalo-sanchez-de-lozada/i-would-say-i-m-a-fiscal-conservative-and-a-social-liberal-if-that/) [Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gonzalo-sanchez-de-lozada/) ## More by Jon Postel > [I think that audio and video over the internet in the sense of teleconferencing and telephone calls. Maybe we'll actually have picture phone through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/i-think-that-audio-and-video-over-the-internet-in-the-sense-of/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [Being in the limelight has its minuses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/being-in-the-limelight-has-its-minuses/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [But I do have a computer at home and a pretty good ISDN connection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/but-i-do-have-a-computer-at-home-and-a-pretty-good-isdn-connection/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [A name indicates what we seek. An address indicates where it is. A route indicates how we get there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/a-name-indicates-what-we-seek-an-address-indicates-where-it-is-a/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [TCP implementations will follow a general principle of robustness: be conservative in what you do, be liberal in what you accept from others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/tcp-implementations-will-follow-a-general-principle-of-robustness-be/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [There was one issue on which there seemed to be almost unanimity: the Internet should not be managed by any government, national or multinational.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/there-was-one-issue-on-which-there-seemed-to-be-almost-unanimity-the/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [Be conservative in its sending behavior, and liberal in its receiving behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/be-conservative-in-its-sending-behavior-and-liberal-in-its-receiving/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [The world wide web has really been quite spectacular and not something I would have predicted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/the-world-wide-web-has-really-been-quite-spectacular-and-not/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [All this stuff was done via FTP but the web has put a really nice user interface on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/all-this-stuff-was-done-via-ftp-but-the-web-has-put-a-really-nice/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [But as soon as we got that higher speed access to the home there?s going to be a tremendous crunch on the backbones for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/but-as-soon-as-we-got-that-higher-speed-access-to-the-home-there-s/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [Group discussion is very valuable; group drafting is less productive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/group-discussion-is-very-valuable-group-drafting-is-less-productive/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [Everyone should have ten megabits and then the web will be a wonderful thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/everyone-should-have-ten-megabits-and-then-the-web-will-be-a/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [In a chemistry class there was a guy sitting in front of me doing what looked like a jigsaw puzzle or some really weird…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/in-a-chemistry-class-there-was-a-guy-sitting-in-front-of-me-doing/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [Then I started graduate school at UCLA. I got a part time research assistant job as a programmer on a project involving the use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/then-i-started-graduate-school-at-ucla-i-got-a-part-time-research/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [Corporate documents, like football game plans, are not easily drafted in a stadium, with thousands of very interested fans participating, each with their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/corporate-documents-like-football-game-plans-are-not-easily-drafted/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) [Explore all 32 Jon Postel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) ## More Accepting quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [Laughing, laughing, laughing, laughing! It is the jester! A voice from the Void, to cheer poor Cicero! I accept your gift, dearest Night Mother.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/laughing-laughing-laughing-laughing-it-is-the-jester-a-voice-from-the/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [This duo inside of me causes the perfect opportunity to live and learn twice as fast as those who choose to accept simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/this-duo-inside-of-me-causes-the-perfect-opportunity-to-live-and/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [Don't be bitter. Everybody suffers. If you can accept your suffering then you will understand other people better. Be grateful for pain. Love life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/don-t-be-bitter-everybody-suffers-if-you-can-accept-your-suffering/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [It takes an unusually philosophic mind to accept that all one’s suffering might be to no end, really, in the larger scheme of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-takes-an-unusually-philosophic-mind-to-accept-that-all-one-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No nation being under another nation can accept gifts, and kick at the responsibility attached to those gifts, imposed by the conquering nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/no-nation-being-under-another-nation-can-accept-gifts-and-kick-at-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Even with clothing naked animals, there were people who wanted to send in money. A woman in Santa Barbara, California, sent a $40,000 check.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-abel/even-with-clothing-naked-animals-there-were-people-who-wanted-to-send/) [Alan Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-abel/) > [Society understands the architecture of academia and knows there are relevant qualifications in different fields, and the media accepts the idea of specialisations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-griffiths/society-understands-the-architecture-of-academia-and-knows-there-are/) [Jay Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-griffiths/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I think what was special about 'Music by Prudence' was the classic story of the title subject's life path - from being an outcast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-think-what-was-special-about-music-by-prudence-was-the-classic/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [As my films are born at the moment when they are reflected into another person's mind and memories, there are no misconceptions. I totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/as-my-films-are-born-at-the-moment-when-they-are-reflected-into/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) [Browse all 6,788 Accepting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accepting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Be liberal in what you accept, and conservative in what you send.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jon Postel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/be-liberal-in-what-you-accept-and-conservative-in-what-you-send/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Accepting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/be-liberal-in-what-you-accept-and-conservative-in-what-you-send/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11d/jon-postel-19538_accepting_be-liberal-in-what-you-accept-and-conser_2697108.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11d/jon-postel-19538_accepting_be-liberal-in-what-you-accept-and-conser_2697108.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11d/jon-postel-19538_accepting_be-liberal-in-what-you-accept-and-conser_2697108.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Be liberal in what you accept, and conservative in what you send.” — Jon Postel", "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": "Jon Postel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Be liberal in what you accept,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/be-liberal-in-what-you-accept-and-conservative-in-what-you-send/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/be-liberal-in-what-you-accept-and-conservative-in-what-you-send/#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 } } ] } ```