--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Security was now a thing of the past…" description: "\"“Security was now a thing of the past though it took a conscious effort to remember it; with no enemy in all the world there was little but the force o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad5/nevil-shute-16517_cybersecurity_security-was-now-a-thing-of-the-past-tho_1058285.jpg" --- # Security was now a thing of the past though it took a… ![“Security was now a thing of the past though it took a conscious effort to remember it; with no enemy in all the world there was little but the force of habit in it.” quote by Nevil Shute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad5/nevil-shute-16517_cybersecurity_security-was-now-a-thing-of-the-past-tho_1058285.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad5/nevil-shute-16517_cybersecurity_security-was-now-a-thing-of-the-past-tho_1058285.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad5/nevil-shute-16517_cybersecurity_security-was-now-a-thing-of-the-past-tho_1058285.jpg) > ““Security was now a thing of the past though it took a conscious effort to remember it; with no enemy in all the world there was little but the force of habit in it.”” [Nevil Shute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nevil-shute/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Security becomes obsolete when vigilance wanes; habit replaces active protection without threats. **In simple terms:** Security fades without active vigilance. Key Takeaway Maintain conscious vigilance despite perceived safety. Themes security habit vigilance psychology Mood cautious reflective Type advisory philosophical When to use this quote - personal safety - organizational security - daily routines Key Concepts risk perception behavioral inertia Questions to Reflect On - How do you keep security habits alive? - What habits replace active protection? 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F. Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-f-simpson/) > [Even if my country remains in war with yours. . .remember. . . i am not your enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-cronin/even-if-my-country-remains-in-war-with-yours-remember-i-am-not-your/) [A.J. Cronin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-cronin/) > [“Just remember that the enemy here is not in front of you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/just-remember-that-the-enemy-here-is-not-in-front-of-you/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [Remember that the enemy is just as frightened as you are and probably more so. They are not supermen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-patton/remember-that-the-enemy-is-just-as-frightened-as-you-are-and-probably/) [George S. Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-patton/) > [“When you're in the arena... you just remember who the enemy is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/when-you-re-in-the-arena-you-just-remember-who-the-enemy-is/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [Remember, the enemy comes to kill still and destroy. But now they're going to inspect themselves? Oh, what could go wrong with that? Yes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-palin/remember-the-enemy-comes-to-kill-still-and-destroy-but-now-they-re/) [Sarah Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-palin/) ## More by Nevil Shute > [ The thing most worth doing in this modern world \[is to\] create jobs that men can work at, and be proud of, and make… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nevil-shute/the-thing-most-worth-doing-in-this-modern-world-is-to-create-jobs/) [Nevil Shute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nevil-shute/) > [“By 1948 I was safe on my feet and able to get about quite normally, but I was thirty-four and life was slipping past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nevil-shute/by-1948-i-was-safe-on-my-feet-and-able-to-get-about-quite-normally/) [Nevil Shute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nevil-shute/) > [“You could have done something with newspapers. We didn't do it. No nation did, because we were all too silly. We liked our newspapers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nevil-shute/you-could-have-done-something-with-newspapers-we-didn-t-do-it-no/) [Nevil Shute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nevil-shute/) > [“Until we’re dead, we Service people, the world will always be in danger of another war. We had too good a time in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nevil-shute/until-we-re-dead-we-service-people-the-world-will-always-be-in-danger/) [Nevil Shute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nevil-shute/) > [If what they say is right we're none of us going to have time to do all that we planned to do. But we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nevil-shute/if-what-they-say-is-right-we-re-none-of-us-going-to-have-time-to-do/) [Nevil Shute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nevil-shute/) > [She looked at him in wonder. "Do people think of me like that? I only did what anybody could have done." "That's as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nevil-shute/she-looked-at-him-in-wonder-do-people-think-of-me-like-that-i-only/) [Nevil Shute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nevil-shute/) > [I'm glad we haven't got newspapers now. It's been much nicer without them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nevil-shute/i-m-glad-we-haven-t-got-newspapers-now-it-s-been-much-nicer-without/) [Nevil Shute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nevil-shute/) > [“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,” he said, “from whence cometh my help.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nevil-shute/i-will-lift-up-mine-eyes-unto-the-hills-he-said-from-whence-cometh-my/) [Nevil Shute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nevil-shute/) > [Aircraft do not crash of themselves. They come to grief because men are foolish, or vain, or lazy, or irresolute or reckless. One crash…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nevil-shute/aircraft-do-not-crash-of-themselves-they-come-to-grief-because-men/) [Nevil Shute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nevil-shute/) > [When I was first sent from H.M.S. King Alfred to be interviewed by Goodeve in the Admiralty, I was furious. The War seemed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nevil-shute/when-i-was-first-sent-from-h-m-s-king-alfred-to-be-interviewed-by/) [Nevil Shute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nevil-shute/) > [You cannot argue stupidity, you just have to accept it patiently as one of those things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nevil-shute/you-cannot-argue-stupidity-you-just-have-to-accept-it-patiently-as/) [Nevil Shute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nevil-shute/) > [“Only by an act of treachery to those who believe in us can either of us escape.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nevil-shute/only-by-an-act-of-treachery-to-those-who-believe-in-us-can-either-of/) [Nevil Shute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nevil-shute/) > [“Here they go cruising for a fortnight up in parts where everyone is dead of radiation, and all that they can catch is measles!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nevil-shute/here-they-go-cruising-for-a-fortnight-up-in-parts-where-everyone-is/) [Nevil Shute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nevil-shute/) > [Without work men are utterly undone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nevil-shute/without-work-men-are-utterly-undone/) [Nevil Shute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nevil-shute/) > [Remember that the Clerget lands very fast, at over forty miles an hour, and with that great engine in the nose the tail was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nevil-shute/remember-that-the-clerget-lands-very-fast-at-over-forty-miles-an-hour/) [Nevil Shute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nevil-shute/) [Explore all 39 Nevil Shute quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nevil-shute/) ## More Conscious effort quotes > [“In a world muddled with madness, I made a conscious effort to stay sane.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-colleen-prendergast/in-a-world-muddled-with-madness-i-made-a-conscious-effort-to-stay-sane/) Angela Colleen Prendergast > [What is difficult to understand is that without conscious effort, nothing is possible. Conscious effort is related to higher nature. My lower nature alone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-de-salzmann/what-is-difficult-to-understand-is-that-without-conscious-effort/) [Jeanne de Salzmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-de-salzmann/) > [I came to the big city and I started to get involved in the punk scene and stuff, and I wanted to sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth/i-came-to-the-big-city-and-i-started-to-get-involved-in-the-punk/) [Seth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth/) > [“It would also require a conscious effort to look at the world from unfamiliar standpoints and admit that the West has no monopoly on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-luce/it-would-also-require-a-conscious-effort-to-look-at-the-world-from/) [Edward Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-luce/) > [The people in my life are friends I have by choice. I've made a conscious effort to have them in life. I only have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-zinser/the-people-in-my-life-are-friends-i-have-by-choice-i-ve-made-a/) [Gillian Zinser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-zinser/) > [I make no conscious effort to be tough, or hard-boiled, or grim, or any of the things I am usually called. I merely try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/i-make-no-conscious-effort-to-be-tough-or-hard-boiled-or-grim-or-any/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) > [I made a conscious effort to make a record that would affect people in a good way rather than the last one, which affected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-johns/i-made-a-conscious-effort-to-make-a-record-that-would-affect-people/) [Daniel Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-johns/) > [I made a conscious effort to focus on television so I could stay in Los Angeles, so I wasn't on a location all over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-lowe/i-made-a-conscious-effort-to-focus-on-television-so-i-could-stay-in/) [Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-lowe/) > [If you don't make a conscious effort to control your focus-and decide in advance which things you're going to focus on-you'll be so pulled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/if-you-don-t-make-a-conscious-effort-to-control-your-focus-and-decide/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Design is the conscious effort to impose a meaningful order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-papanek/design-is-the-conscious-effort-to-impose-a-meaningful-order/) [Victor Papanek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-papanek/) > [Happiness isn't a one-size-fits-all proposition. You must define what it looks like for you and then make a conscious effort to access whatever gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-mcgraw/happiness-isn-t-a-one-size-fits-all-proposition-you-must-define-what/) [Phil McGraw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-mcgraw/) > [“It was as if he'd suddenly become intimately aware of the fragility of life and how precious time really was. As a result, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/micah-sparks/it-was-as-if-he-d-suddenly-become-intimately-aware-of-the-fragility/) Micah Sparks > [Whether we meditate individually or collectively, there is one thing we absolutely must do: we have to meditate consciously. Making an unconscious effort is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-chinmoy/whether-we-meditate-individually-or-collectively-there-is-one-thing/) [Sri Chinmoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-chinmoy/) > [There was always a conscious effort on my part to do different cinema. It's taken time for the directors to accept me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/there-was-always-a-conscious-effort-on-my-part-to-do-different-cinema/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [The fact is as you get older you can't just change things or be quite as laissez-faire; you're conscious of the effort and time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-butler-harner/the-fact-is-as-you-get-older-you-can-t-just-change-things-or-be-quite/) [Jason Butler Harner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-butler-harner/) [Browse all 74 Conscious effort quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscious-effort/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Security was now a thing of the past though it took a conscious effort to remember it; with no enemy in all the world there was little but the force of habit in it.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nevil Shute" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nevil-shute/security-was-now-a-thing-of-the-past-though-it-took-a-conscious/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Conscious effort" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nevil-shute/security-was-now-a-thing-of-the-past-though-it-took-a-conscious/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad5/nevil-shute-16517_cybersecurity_security-was-now-a-thing-of-the-past-tho_1058285.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad5/nevil-shute-16517_cybersecurity_security-was-now-a-thing-of-the-past-tho_1058285.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad5/nevil-shute-16517_cybersecurity_security-was-now-a-thing-of-the-past-tho_1058285.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Security was now a thing of the past though it took a conscious effort to remember it; with no enemy in all…” — Nevil Shute", "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": "Nevil Shute", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nevil-shute/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Security was now a thing of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nevil-shute/security-was-now-a-thing-of-the-past-though-it-took-a-conscious/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nevil-shute/security-was-now-a-thing-of-the-past-though-it-took-a-conscious/#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 } } ] } ```