--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Because we live in a largely free…" description: "\"Because we live in a largely free society, we tend to forget how limited is the span of time and the part of the globe for which there has ever been an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/134/milton-friedman-616_forget_because-we-live-in-a-largely-free-societ_277940.png" --- # Because we live in a largely free society, we tend to… ![“Because we live in a largely free society, we tend to forget how limited is the span of time and the part of the globe for which there has ever been anything like political freedom: the typical state of mankind is tyranny, servitude, and misery.” quote by Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/134/milton-friedman-616_forget_because-we-live-in-a-largely-free-societ_277940.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/134/milton-friedman-616_forget_because-we-live-in-a-largely-free-societ_277940.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/134/milton-friedman-616_forget_because-we-live-in-a-largely-free-societ_277940.png) > “Because we live in a largely free society, we tend to forget how limited is the span of time and the part of the globe for which there has ever been anything like political freedom: the typical state of mankind is tyranny, servitude, and misery.” [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom is rare; most societies experience oppression, making liberty a precious, fragile condition. **In simple terms:** Freedom is scarce; cherish it. Key Takeaway Protect and value liberty. Themes politics freedom human rights history Mood critical reflective Type philosophical political When to use this quote - activism - policy advocacy - education on rights Key Concepts Libertarianism political philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities come with freedom? - How can societies expand liberty? A Different Perspective Freedom can be unevenly distributed; not all cherish it equally. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Free society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-society/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) [Misery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misery/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-freedom/) [Servitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/servitude/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Tyranny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tyranny/) ## Related quotes > [“Because we live in a largely free society, we tend to forget how limited is the span of time and the part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/because-we-live-in-a-largely-free-society-we-tend-to-forget-how/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [The great have private feelings of their own, to which the interests of humanity and justice must curtsy. 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Schmidt, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benno-c-schmidt-jr/) > [Viewed as a means to the end of political freedom, economic arrangements are important because of their effect on the concentration or dispersion of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/viewed-as-a-means-to-the-end-of-political-freedom-economic/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [If you do not force political freedom, economic freedom will be stymied sooner or later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/if-you-do-not-force-political-freedom-economic-freedom-will-be/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [History suggests that capitalism is a necessary condition for political freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/history-suggests-that-capitalism-is-a-necessary-condition-for-2/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [I know of no example in time or place of a society that has been marked by a large measure of political freedom, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/i-know-of-no-example-in-time-or-place-of-a-society-that-has-been/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [The same thing will happen in China that happened in Chile. 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History suggests that capitalism is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/history-suggests-that-capitalism-is-a-necessary-condition-for/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Economic freedom is ... an indispensable means toward the achievement of political freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/economic-freedom-is-an-indispensable-means-toward-the-achievement-of/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Freedom in economic arrangements is itself a component of freedom broadly understood, so economic freedom is an end in itself ... 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