--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We're most likely to lose our rights when…" description: "\"We're most likely to lose our rights when we allow ourselves to be persuaded to deprive others of theirs.\" — L. Neil Smith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/l-neil-smith-3636_loses_we-re-most-likely-to-lose-our-rights-whe_2410455.png" --- # We're most likely to lose our rights when we allow… ![“We're most likely to lose our rights when we allow ourselves to be persuaded to deprive others of theirs.” quote by L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/l-neil-smith-3636_loses_we-re-most-likely-to-lose-our-rights-whe_2410455.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/l-neil-smith-3636_loses_we-re-most-likely-to-lose-our-rights-whe_2410455.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/l-neil-smith-3636_loses_we-re-most-likely-to-lose-our-rights-whe_2410455.png) > “We're most likely to lose our rights when we allow ourselves to be persuaded to deprive others of theirs.” [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When we accept arguments that justify taking away others' rights, we risk losing our own freedoms. **In simple terms:** Giving up others' rights endangers our own. Key Takeaway Guard your rights by defending others'. Themes freedom rights responsibility Mood cautious reflective Type ethical political When to use this quote - political debate - legislation - community activism - personal relationships Key Concepts libertarianism ethical persuasion Questions to Reflect On - How do you identify when a claim threatens rights? - What responsibilities do we have to protect others' freedoms? A Different Perspective Persuasion can be subtle, making it hard to recognize threats to rights. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) ## Related quotes > [The only freedom which deserves the name is that of pursuing our own good, in our own way, so long as we do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-only-freedom-which-deserves-the-name-is-that-of-pursuing-our-own/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [The coach should keep out of the way... He is an important figure, of course, but is more likely to lose a match than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romario/the-coach-should-keep-out-of-the-way-he-is-an-important-figure-of/) [Romario](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romario/) > [When I first ran for City Council in 2013, I was told over and over again that I would likely lose, and for reasons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-wu/when-i-first-ran-for-city-council-in-2013-i-was-told-over-and-over/) [Michelle Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-wu/) > [Never lose sleep over anyone because they most likely will not lose sleep over you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nena-laflare/never-lose-sleep-over-anyone-because-they-most-likely-will-not-lose/) Nena Laflare > [Give your friend cause to blush, and you will be likely to lose him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/publilius-syrus/give-your-friend-cause-to-blush-and-you-will-be-likely-to-lose-him/) [Publilius Syrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/publilius-syrus/) > [Even though your responsibilities increase when you become a manager, you lose some of the rights or freedoms you may have enjoyed in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cottrell/even-though-your-responsibilities-increase-when-you-become-a-manager/) [David Cottrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cottrell/) > [In England it is enough for a man to try and produce any serious, beautiful work to lose all his rights as a citizen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/in-england-it-is-enough-for-a-man-to-try-and-produce-any-serious/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Once you buy the argument that some segment of the citizenry should lose their rights, just because they are envied or resented, you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/once-you-buy-the-argument-that-some-segment-of-the-citizenry-should/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Women become the objects of rules; they are repressed and lose their rights in the name of religion, or they lose their freedom in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okky-madasari/women-become-the-objects-of-rules-they-are-repressed-and-lose-their/) [Okky Madasari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okky-madasari/) > [I can't stand by, the Liberal Democrats will not stand by, to see disabled people lose their rights, lose the care they need, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-davey/i-can-t-stand-by-the-liberal-democrats-will-not-stand-by-to-see/) [Ed Davey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-davey/) > [It isn't that some gay will get some rights. It's that everyone else in our state will lose rights. For instance, parents will lose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-bachmann/it-isn-t-that-some-gay-will-get-some-rights-it-s-that-everyone-else/) [Michele Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-bachmann/) > [You want to remain hungry and stay in a good place as a competitor; at the same time, you want to be confident but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-odom/you-want-to-remain-hungry-and-stay-in-a-good-place-as-a-competitor-at/) [Lamar Odom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-odom/) > [If the women in the factories stopped work for twenty minutes, the Allies would lose the war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joffre/if-the-women-in-the-factories-stopped-work-for-twenty-minutes-the/) Joseph Joffre > [The only thing I try to watch carefully is that I never lose the love for the instrument. That's also why I decided against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nils-frahm/the-only-thing-i-try-to-watch-carefully-is-that-i-never-lose-the-love/) [Nils Frahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nils-frahm/) > [Don't let's lose sight of what creates wealth. It is open markets, it is capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/don-t-let-s-lose-sight-of-what-creates-wealth-it-is-open-markets-it/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) ## More by L. Neil Smith > [Many individuals spend a considerable portion of their lifetimes in terror of one imagined catastrophe or another. The classic is that your immortal soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/many-individuals-spend-a-considerable-portion-of-their-lifetimes-in/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Great men don't 'move to the center' - great men move the center!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/great-men-don-t-move-to-the-center-great-men-move-the-center/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [I suggest due process, speedy trials, and public hangings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/i-suggest-due-process-speedy-trials-and-public-hangings/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Guns cause crime like flies cause garbage!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/guns-cause-crime-like-flies-cause-garbage/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [I have a recurring daymare that when the Glorious People's SWAT Teams smash their way in, most of us - by which I mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/i-have-a-recurring-daymare-that-when-the-glorious-people-s-swat-teams/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [I'll remind you all, however, that for government, existence is a privilege, not a right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/i-ll-remind-you-all-however-that-for-government-existence-is-a/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [I propose a Constitutional Amendment providing that, if any public official, elected or appointed, at any level of government, is caught lying to any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/i-propose-a-constitutional-amendment-providing-that-if-any-public/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Victim disarmament types are sick, sick people, who'd rather see a woman raped in an alley and strangled with her own pantyhose than see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/victim-disarmament-types-are-sick-sick-people-who-d-rather-see-a/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Money, first and foremost, is a medium of communication, conveying the information we call 'price'. Government control of the money supply is censorship, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/money-first-and-foremost-is-a-medium-of-communication-conveying-the/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [A libertarian is a person who believes that no one has the right, under any circumstances, to initiate force against another human being, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/a-libertarian-is-a-person-who-believes-that-no-one-has-the-right/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [“...occasionally I like carrying raw steel to remind myself of an important lesson. The blade's an extension of the hand, the agent--no pun intended--of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/occasionally-i-like-carrying-raw-steel-to-remind-myself-of-an/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Thanks to guys like Boss Tweed, famous for saying, 'I don't give a damn who does the voting, as long as I do the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/thanks-to-guys-like-boss-tweed-famous-for-saying-i-don-t-give-a-damn/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Taxes are a barbaric remnant of ancient times in which early farmers, tied to the land, no longer able to roam freely, unable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/taxes-are-a-barbaric-remnant-of-ancient-times-in-which-early-farmers/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [If conservatives really believed in individual liberty, as they endlessly claim and if they used both halves of their brains then they'd be libertarians.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/if-conservatives-really-believed-in-individual-liberty-as-they/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [You cannot force me to agree with you. You can force me to act as though I agree with you but then you'll have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/you-cannot-force-me-to-agree-with-you-you-can-force-me-to-act-as/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) [Explore all 125 L. Neil Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) ## More Loses quotes > [Don't let's lose sight of what creates wealth. It is open markets, it is capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/don-t-let-s-lose-sight-of-what-creates-wealth-it-is-open-markets-it/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [The only thing I try to watch carefully is that I never lose the love for the instrument. That's also why I decided against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nils-frahm/the-only-thing-i-try-to-watch-carefully-is-that-i-never-lose-the-love/) [Nils Frahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nils-frahm/) > [If the women in the factories stopped work for twenty minutes, the Allies would lose the war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joffre/if-the-women-in-the-factories-stopped-work-for-twenty-minutes-the/) Joseph Joffre > [You want to remain hungry and stay in a good place as a competitor; at the same time, you want to be confident but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-odom/you-want-to-remain-hungry-and-stay-in-a-good-place-as-a-competitor-at/) [Lamar Odom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-odom/) > [When the dollar collapses, it's not doing it in a vacuum. If the dollar loses value, it's doing so relative to some other currency.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/when-the-dollar-collapses-it-s-not-doing-it-in-a-vacuum-if-the-dollar/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [Learn to see the big picture. Often times we get tunnel vision and lose sight of the big picture and what we're really trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cheeke/learn-to-see-the-big-picture-often-times-we-get-tunnel-vision-and/) [Robert Cheeke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-cheeke/) > [So sad! This is the saddest part when you lose someone you love- that person keeps changing. And later you wonder, Is this the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/so-sad-this-is-the-saddest-part-when-you-lose-someone-you-love-that/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [To accomplish much you must first lose everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/to-accomplish-much-you-must-first-lose-everything/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [My aim was to make money for the bank. You lose track of the amounts involved when you are engaged in this kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kerviel/my-aim-was-to-make-money-for-the-bank-you-lose-track-of-the-amounts/) [Jerome Kerviel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kerviel/) > [Freedom and liberty lose out by default because good people are not vigilant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/freedom-and-liberty-lose-out-by-default-because-good-people-are-not/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [My mother loved my father. From my view, she let him get away with too much. It broke my heart to see him in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edgar-wideman/my-mother-loved-my-father-from-my-view-she-let-him-get-away-with-too/) [John Edgar Wideman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edgar-wideman/) > [As we keep or break the Sabbath Day we nobly save or meanly lose the last best hope by which man rises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/as-we-keep-or-break-the-sabbath-day-we-nobly-save-or-meanly-lose-the/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [We have reached the point where we can lose a game or two and not drop out of sight in the rankings. I've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavell-edwards/we-have-reached-the-point-where-we-can-lose-a-game-or-two-and-not/) [LaVell Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavell-edwards/) > [When you have spent too much time with something, you may lose sight of what's marvelous about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-plotz/when-you-have-spent-too-much-time-with-something-you-may-lose-sight/) [David Plotz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-plotz/) > [You can't lose with the Stuff I use!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reverend-ike/you-can-t-lose-with-the-stuff-i-use/) [Reverend Ike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reverend-ike/) Browse all 5,645 Loses quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We're most likely to lose our rights when we allow ourselves to be persuaded to deprive others of theirs.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "L. Neil Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/we-re-most-likely-to-lose-our-rights-when-we-allow-ourselves-to-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Loses" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/we-re-most-likely-to-lose-our-rights-when-we-allow-ourselves-to-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/l-neil-smith-3636_loses_we-re-most-likely-to-lose-our-rights-whe_2410455.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/l-neil-smith-3636_loses_we-re-most-likely-to-lose-our-rights-whe_2410455.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/l-neil-smith-3636_loses_we-re-most-likely-to-lose-our-rights-whe_2410455.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We're most likely to lose our rights when we allow ourselves to be persuaded to deprive others of theirs.” — L. Neil Smith", "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": "L. Neil Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We're most likely to lose our...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/we-re-most-likely-to-lose-our-rights-when-we-allow-ourselves-to-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/we-re-most-likely-to-lose-our-rights-when-we-allow-ourselves-to-be/#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 } } ] } ```