--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is just as difficult and dangerous to…" description: "\"It is just as difficult and dangerous to try to free a people that wants to remain servile as it is to enslave a people that wants to remain free.\" — N..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/niccolo-machiavelli-368_dangerous_it-is-just-as-difficult-and-dangerous-to_1409528.jpg" --- # It is just as difficult and dangerous to try to free a… ![“It is just as difficult and dangerous to try to free a people that wants to remain servile as it is to enslave a people that wants to remain free.” quote by Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/niccolo-machiavelli-368_dangerous_it-is-just-as-difficult-and-dangerous-to_1409528.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/niccolo-machiavelli-368_dangerous_it-is-just-as-difficult-and-dangerous-to_1409528.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/niccolo-machiavelli-368_dangerous_it-is-just-as-difficult-and-dangerous-to_1409528.jpg) > “It is just as difficult and dangerous to try to free a people that wants to remain servile as it is to enslave a people that wants to remain free.” [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Both forcing freedom and imposing servitude are dangerous; true liberty requires genuine desire for freedom. **In simple terms:** Freedom must be wanted. Key Takeaway Promote genuine desire for liberty. Themes freedom authority politics Mood cautious reflective Type philosophical political When to use this quote - reforming authoritarian regimes - education on civic rights Key Concepts political philosophy human nature Questions to Reflect On - What motivates people to stay servile? - How to foster true desire for freedom? A Different Perspective People may resist change even when freer. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [Dictators free themselves, but they enslave the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/dictators-free-themselves-but-they-enslave-the-people/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [“HOPE can ENSLAVE people much more than CHAINS.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/hope-can-enslave-people-much-more-than-chains/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We can choose to use our growing knowledge to enslave people in ways never dreamed of before, depersonalizing them, controlling them by means so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-rogers/we-can-choose-to-use-our-growing-knowledge-to-enslave-people-in-ways/) [Carl Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-rogers/) > [To enslave a people, give them money they didn't earn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/to-enslave-a-people-give-them-money-they-didn-t-earn/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [“Agamemnon: "Our prayer was simple — to raze Ilium’s walls to its roots, kill its heroes, rape its women, enslave its people. Is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/agamemnon-our-prayer-was-simple-to-raze-ilium-s-walls-to-its-roots/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [Pleasure can be used to enslave a people just as effectively as pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/pleasure-can-be-used-to-enslave-a-people-just-as-effectively-as-pain/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [There is nothing so difficult or so dangerous as to undertake to change the order of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/there-is-nothing-so-difficult-or-so-dangerous-as-to-undertake-to/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [When the period arrives - come when it may - that this government will be compelled to resort to internal taxes for its support…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-calhoun/when-the-period-arrives-come-when-it-may-that-this-government-will-be/) [John C. 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another which appreciates what others comprehend; and a third which neither comprehends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/because-there-are-three-classes-of-intellects-one-which-comprehends/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [It is the duty of a man of honor to teach others the good which he has not been able to do himself because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/it-is-the-duty-of-a-man-of-honor-to-teach-others-the-good-which-he/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [“Anyone who believes that new benefits make men of high station forget old injuries deceives himself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/anyone-who-believes-that-new-benefits-make-men-of-high-station-forget/) [Niccolò Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [He who has once begun to live by rapine always finds reasons for taking what is not his.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/he-who-has-once-begun-to-live-by-rapine-always-finds-reasons-for/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [Everyone who wants to know what will happen ought to examine what has happened: everything in this world in any epoch has their replicas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/everyone-who-wants-to-know-what-will-happen-ought-to-examine-what-has/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [Speaking generally, men are ungrateful, fickle, hypocritical, fearful odanger and covetous ogain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/speaking-generally-men-are-ungrateful-fickle-hypocritical-fearful/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [There is nothing as likely to succeed as what the enemy believes you cannot attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/there-is-nothing-as-likely-to-succeed-as-what-the-enemy-believes-you/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearance, as though they were realities and are often more influenced by the things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/for-the-great-majority-of-mankind-are-satisfied-with-appearance-as/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [That prince is highly esteemed who conveys this impression of himself, and he who is highly esteemed is not easily conspired against; for, provided…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/that-prince-is-highly-esteemed-who-conveys-this-impression-of-himself/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [“Anyone who studies present and ancient affairs will easily see how in all cities and all peoples there still exist, and have always existed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/anyone-who-studies-present-and-ancient-affairs-will-easily-see-how-in/) [Niccolò Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [I believe that it is possible for one to praise, without concern, any man after he is dead since every reason and supervision for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/i-believe-that-it-is-possible-for-one-to-praise-without-concern-any/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [Men are always averse to enterprises in which they foresee difficulties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/men-are-always-averse-to-enterprises-in-which-they-foresee/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [“He who causes another to become powerful ruins himself, for he brings such a power into being either by design or by force, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/he-who-causes-another-to-become-powerful-ruins-himself-for-he-brings/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [One never finds anything perfectly pure and ... exempt from danger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/one-never-finds-anything-perfectly-pure-and-exempt-from-danger/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) [Explore all 590 Niccolo Machiavelli quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) ## More Dangerous quotes > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; 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