--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Liberty, like chastity, once lost, can…" description: "\"Liberty, like chastity, once lost, can never be regained in its original purity.\" — Josh Billings" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/josh-billings-777_chastity_liberty-like-chastity-once-lost-can-neve_1900701.png" --- # Liberty, like chastity, once lost, can never be regained… ![“Liberty, like chastity, once lost, can never be regained in its original purity.” quote by Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/josh-billings-777_chastity_liberty-like-chastity-once-lost-can-neve_1900701.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/josh-billings-777_chastity_liberty-like-chastity-once-lost-can-neve_1900701.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/josh-billings-777_chastity_liberty-like-chastity-once-lost-can-neve_1900701.png) > “Liberty, like chastity, once lost, can never be regained in its original purity.” [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom, once lost, cannot be fully recovered in its original form. **In simple terms:** Lost freedom can’t be fully regained. Key Takeaway Value and protect your freedoms. Themes freedom loss irreplaceability Mood somber thoughtful Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - political movements - personal decisions - historical events Key Concepts philosophy ethics Questions to Reflect On - What freedoms do you take for granted? - How do you rebuild after loss? A Different Perspective Regaining freedom may create a different, not original, state. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chastity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chastity/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Purity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purity/) ## Related quotes > [Chastity, once lost, cannot be recalled; it goes only once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/chastity-once-lost-cannot-be-recalled-it-goes-only-once/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [Skepticism, like chastity, should not be relinquished too readily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/skepticism-like-chastity-should-not-be-relinquished-too-readily/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [Simplified spelling is all right, but, like chastity, you can carry it too far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/simplified-spelling-is-all-right-but-like-chastity-you-can-carry-it/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Like a chastity belt, the package tour keeps you out of mischief but a bit restive for wondering what you missed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peg-bracken/like-a-chastity-belt-the-package-tour-keeps-you-out-of-mischief-but-a/) [Peg Bracken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peg-bracken/) > [There's something about all the people who are on a mission for purity and chastity, which I find very questionable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deniz-gamze-erguven/there-s-something-about-all-the-people-who-are-on-a-mission-for/) [Deniz Gamze Erguven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deniz-gamze-erguven/) > [To the pure all things are pure!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/to-the-pure-all-things-are-pure/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [The price the Virgin demanded was purity, and the way the educators of Catholic children have interpreted this for nearly two thousand years is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-warner/the-price-the-virgin-demanded-was-purity-and-the-way-the-educators-of/) [Marina Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-warner/) > [“A clean heart is a free heart. A free heart can love Christ with an undivided love in chastity, convinced that nothing and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/a-clean-heart-is-a-free-heart-a-free-heart-can-love-christ-with-an/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [Either we must speak as we dress, or dress as we speak. Why do we profess one thing and display another? The tongue talks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-jerome/either-we-must-speak-as-we-dress-or-dress-as-we-speak-why-do-we/) [St. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-jerome/) > [Tis chastity, my brother, chastity; She that has that is clad in complete steel, And, like a quiver'd nymph with arrows keen, May trace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/tis-chastity-my-brother-chastity-she-that-has-that-is-clad-in/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [The spring without a leaf to toss, bare and bright like a virgin fierce in her chastity, scornful in her purity, was laid out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-spring-without-a-leaf-to-toss-bare-and-bright-like-a-virgin/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“By salvation I mean not barely according to the vulgar notion deliverance from hell or going to heaven but a present deliverance from sin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/by-salvation-i-mean-not-barely-according-to-the-vulgar-notion/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) > [“A virtuos woman is not moved by big names and flamboyance, but only men of profound wisdom and integrity move her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/a-virtuos-woman-is-not-moved-by-big-names-and-flamboyance-but-only/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [There is in all visible things an invisible fecundity, a dimmed light, a meek namelessness, a hidden wholeness. This mysterious unity and integrity is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/there-is-in-all-visible-things-an-invisible-fecundity-a-dimmed-light/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [We’re surrounded by anonymous, poorly made objects. It’s tempting to think it’s because the people who use them don’t care-just like the people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ive/we-re-surrounded-by-anonymous-poorly-made-objects-it-s-tempting-to/) [Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/) ## More by Josh Billings > [It ain't because lovers are so sensitive that they quarrel so often; it is because there is so much fun n the making up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/it-ain-t-because-lovers-are-so-sensitive-that-they-quarrel-so-often/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Man was created a little lower than the angels and has been getting a little lower ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/man-was-created-a-little-lower-than-the-angels-and-has-been-getting-a/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [There is only one good substitute for the endearments of a sister, and that is the endearments of some other fellow's sister.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/there-is-only-one-good-substitute-for-the-endearments-of-a-sister-and/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Life is a grindstone, and whether it grinds a man down or polishes him up depends on the stuff he's made of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/life-is-a-grindstone-and-whether-it-grinds-a-man-down-or-polishes-him/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Its harly my dog A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/its-harly-my-dog-a-dog-is-the-only-thing-on-earth-that-loves-you-more/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Perseverance is king.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/perseverance-is-king/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Unless we put heart and soul into our labor we but brutify our actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/unless-we-put-heart-and-soul-into-our-labor-we-but-brutify-our-actions/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [A secret ceases to be a secret if it is once confided - it is like a dollar bill, once broken, it is never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/a-secret-ceases-to-be-a-secret-if-it-is-once-confided-it-is-like-a/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [If a man is right, he can't be too radical; if he is wrong, he can't be too conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/if-a-man-is-right-he-can-t-be-too-radical-if-he-is-wrong-he-can-t-be/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [As a general rule, if you want to get at the truth - hear both sides and believe neither.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/as-a-general-rule-if-you-want-to-get-at-the-truth-hear-both-sides-and/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Economy is a savings-bank, into which men drop pennies, and get dollars in return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/economy-is-a-savings-bank-into-which-men-drop-pennies-and-get-dollars/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Self-made men are most always apt to be a little too proud of the job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/self-made-men-are-most-always-apt-to-be-a-little-too-proud-of-the-job/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Poverty is one of them kind of misfortunes that we all of us dread but none of us pity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/poverty-is-one-of-them-kind-of-misfortunes-that-we-all-of-us-dread/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [If the world despises a hypocrite, what must they think of him in heaven?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/if-the-world-despises-a-hypocrite-what-must-they-think-of-him-in/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [The man who gets bit twice by the same dog is better adapted for that kind of business than any other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/the-man-who-gets-bit-twice-by-the-same-dog-is-better-adapted-for-that/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) [Explore all 372 Josh Billings quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) ## More Chastity quotes > [Chastity is a virtue with some, but with many it is almost a vice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/chastity-is-a-virtue-with-some-but-with-many-it-is-almost-a-vice/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [It is as foolish to make experiments upon the constancy of a friend, as upon the chastity of a wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-as-foolish-to-make-experiments-upon-the-constancy-of-a-friend/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [But there is a beauty every girl has—a gift from God, as pure as the sunlight, and as sacred as life. It is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-mckay/but-there-is-a-beauty-every-girl-has-a-gift-from-god-as-pure-as-the/) [David O. McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-mckay/) > [The soul whose bosom lust did never touch Is God's fair bride; and maiden's souls are such.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tertullian/the-soul-whose-bosom-lust-did-never-touch-is-god-s-fair-bride-and/) [Tertullian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tertullian/) > [Chastity is oftener owing to diffidence and shame, than to fortitude of reason or virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norm-macdonald/chastity-is-oftener-owing-to-diffidence-and-shame-than-to-fortitude/) [Norm MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norm-macdonald/) > [Give me chastity and continence, but not yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/give-me-chastity-and-continence-but-not-yet/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [It is not always from valor or from chastity that men are brave, and women chaste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-is-not-always-from-valor-or-from-chastity-that-men-are-brave-and/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Love clamors far more incessantly and passionately at a closed gate than an open one!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-corelli/love-clamors-far-more-incessantly-and-passionately-at-a-closed-gate/) [Marie Corelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-corelli/) > [Reason and justice tell me there's more love for humanity in electricity and steam than in chastity and vegetarianism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/reason-and-justice-tell-me-there-s-more-love-for-humanity-in/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [I get a little angry about this highhanded scrapping of the look of things. What else have we to go by? How else can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-culkin-banning/i-get-a-little-angry-about-this-highhanded-scrapping-of-the-look-of/) [Margaret Culkin Banning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-culkin-banning/) > [Let us avoid debt as we would avoid a plague...Let every head of every household see to it that he has on hand enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-reuben-clark/let-us-avoid-debt-as-we-would-avoid-a-plague-let-every-head-of-every/) [J. Reuben Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-reuben-clark/) > [There is no true Latter-day Saint who would not rather bury a son or a daughter than to have him or her lose his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heber-j-grant/there-is-no-true-latter-day-saint-who-would-not-rather-bury-a-son-or/) [Heber J. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heber-j-grant/) > [The Church has no double standard of morality. The moral code of heaven for both men and women is complete chastity before marriage and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/the-church-has-no-double-standard-of-morality-the-moral-code-of/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [Extremes, though contrary, have the like effects. Extreme heat kills, and so extreme cold: extreme love breeds satiety, and so extreme hatred; and too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-chapman/extremes-though-contrary-have-the-like-effects-extreme-heat-kills-and/) [George Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-chapman/) > [There is but one love of Jesus, as there is but one person in the poor - Jesus. We take vows of chastity to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/there-is-but-one-love-of-jesus-as-there-is-but-one-person-in-the-poor/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) [Browse all 295 Chastity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chastity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Liberty, like chastity, once lost, can never be regained in its original purity.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Josh Billings" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/liberty-like-chastity-once-lost-can-never-be-regained-in-its-original/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Chastity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/liberty-like-chastity-once-lost-can-never-be-regained-in-its-original/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/josh-billings-777_chastity_liberty-like-chastity-once-lost-can-neve_1900701.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/josh-billings-777_chastity_liberty-like-chastity-once-lost-can-neve_1900701.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/josh-billings-777_chastity_liberty-like-chastity-once-lost-can-neve_1900701.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Liberty, like chastity, once lost, can never be regained in its original purity.” — Josh Billings", "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": "Josh Billings", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Liberty, like chastity, once lost, can...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/liberty-like-chastity-once-lost-can-never-be-regained-in-its-original/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/liberty-like-chastity-once-lost-can-never-be-regained-in-its-original/#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 } } ] } ```