--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The idea is that the state doesn't have…" description: "\"The idea is that the state doesn't have rights to limit individuals' wants and passions. I disagree with that. I think we absolutely have rights becaus..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c73/rick-santorum-1840_consequence_the-idea-is-that-the-state-doesn-t-have_938748.jpg" --- # The idea is that the state doesn't have rights to limit… ![“The idea is that the state doesn't have rights to limit individuals' wants and passions. I disagree with that. I think we absolutely have rights because there are consequences to letting people live out whatever wants or passions they desire.” quote by Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c73/rick-santorum-1840_consequence_the-idea-is-that-the-state-doesn-t-have_938748.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c73/rick-santorum-1840_consequence_the-idea-is-that-the-state-doesn-t-have_938748.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c73/rick-santorum-1840_consequence_the-idea-is-that-the-state-doesn-t-have_938748.jpg) > “The idea is that the state doesn't have rights to limit individuals' wants and passions. I disagree with that. I think we absolutely have rights because there are consequences to letting people live out whatever wants or passions they desire.” [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The state should not restrict personal desires, but rights must consider societal consequences of unchecked passions. **In simple terms:** Rights must balance freedom and impact. Key Takeaway Advocate responsible liberty with accountability. Themes freedom responsibility public policy Mood critical thoughtful Type political philosophical When to use this quote - legislation debates - public forums - ethical education Key Concepts ethics of liberty consequentialism Questions to Reflect On - How can laws protect both liberty and societal welfare? - What mechanisms ensure passions don’t cause harm? A Different Perspective Unrestricted freedom can harm others. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Consequence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequence/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Disagree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disagree/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Individuals Wants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individuals-wants-1587322/) [Letting People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letting-people/) [Limit Individuals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limit-individuals-1587321/) [Limits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limits/) [Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Rights Limit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights-limit-1587320/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [The idea is that the state doesn't have rights to limit individuals' wants and passions. I disagree with that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/the-idea-is-that-the-state-doesn-t-have-rights-to-limit-individuals-2/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [There is no upper limit to what individuals are capable of doing with their minds. There is no age limit that bars them from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells/there-is-no-upper-limit-to-what-individuals-are-capable-of-doing-with/) [H. G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells/) > [In life, you can do what ever you like but every rights has a limit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie/in-life-you-can-do-what-ever-you-like-but-every-rights-has-a-limit/) [Julie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie/) > [There are consequences to letting people live out whatever wants or passions they desire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/there-are-consequences-to-letting-people-live-out-whatever-wants-or/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [“First you guess. Don't laugh, this is the most important step. Then you compute the consequences. Compare the consequences to experience. If it disagrees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-you-guess-don-t-laugh-this-is-the-most-important-step-then-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ Some have said that the thesis \[of indeterminacy\] is a consequence of my behaviorism. Some have said that it is a reductio ad absurdum… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willard-van-orman-quine/some-have-said-that-the-thesis-of-indeterminacy-is-a-consequence-of/) [Willard Van Orman Quine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willard-van-orman-quine/) > [I'm super reserved in letting people in my house. A lot of guys don't trust anybody in their homes but they would trust somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iman-shumpert/i-m-super-reserved-in-letting-people-in-my-house-a-lot-of-guys-don-t/) [Iman Shumpert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iman-shumpert/) > [Yet sometimes being a friend meant letting people do things that hurt, like putting distance between you, just because it made them happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-aguirre/yet-sometimes-being-a-friend-meant-letting-people-do-things-that-hurt/) [Ann Aguirre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-aguirre/) > [Good manners are made up of letting people tell you what you already know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/good-manners-are-made-up-of-letting-people-tell-you-what-you-already/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Right through to the end of the last World Cup game, I still couldn't bear the thought of not being perfect or letting people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-wilkinson/right-through-to-the-end-of-the-last-world-cup-game-i-still-couldn-t/) [Jonny Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-wilkinson/) > [Sometimes it's hard to admit, though, especially if you're known as a happy person, because you feel you're letting people down if you're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-atack/sometimes-it-s-hard-to-admit-though-especially-if-you-re-known-as-a/) [Emily Atack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-atack/) > [Letting people be okay without us is how we get to be okay without them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merrit-malloy/letting-people-be-okay-without-us-is-how-we-get-to-be-okay-without/) [Merrit Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merrit-malloy/) > [The great thing about letting people be true to themselves is they often do very good things indeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-hopkins/the-great-thing-about-letting-people-be-true-to-themselves-is-they/) [Katie Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-hopkins/) > [“Cruelty is all about money, making a plan trying to help ourselves and letting other people fish .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crisci/cruelty-is-all-about-money-making-a-plan-trying-to-help-ourselves-and/) [Crisci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crisci/) > [We might make money and be in the careers we're in, but we don't need a bunch of stuff. We like showcasing that and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brie-bella/we-might-make-money-and-be-in-the-careers-we-re-in-but-we-don-t-need/) [Brie Bella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brie-bella/) ## More by Rick Santorum > [We know the candidate Barack Obama, what he was like - the anti-war government nig... America was a source for division around the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/we-know-the-candidate-barack-obama-what-he-was-like-the-anti-war/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [We had 90 percent rates, but nobody paid them. And so you had all these exemptions, exclusions, shelters, all this kind of stuff. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/we-had-90-percent-rates-but-nobody-paid-them-and-so-you-had-all-these/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [I would say any type of sexual activity has absolutely no place in the military.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/i-would-say-any-type-of-sexual-activity-has-absolutely-no-place-in/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [I support the death penalty and will continue to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/i-support-the-death-penalty-and-will-continue-to-do-that/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [Suffering, if you're a Christian, suffering is a part of life. And it's not a bad thing, it is an essential thing in life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/suffering-if-you-re-a-christian-suffering-is-a-part-of-life-and-it-s/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [Priests, like all of us, are affected by culture, ... When the culture is sick, every element in it becomes infected. While it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/priests-like-all-of-us-are-affected-by-culture-when-the-culture-is/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [“The basic unit of society is the family. No one comes into this world as a self-sufficient individual. We start out as the helpless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/the-basic-unit-of-society-is-the-family-no-one-comes-into-this-world/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [In 1923 there were no government benefits for immigrants except one: Freedom!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/in-1923-there-were-no-government-benefits-for-immigrants-except-one/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [Now is the time to act or get stuck with a bland, boring, career politician who will lose to Barack Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/now-is-the-time-to-act-or-get-stuck-with-a-bland-boring-career/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [My mom was a working woman. She made more money than my dad. Both my parents worked. And this was in the '60s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/my-mom-was-a-working-woman-she-made-more-money-than-my-dad-both-my/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [Almost 60,000 average Americans had the courage to go out and charge those beaches on Normandy, to drop out of airplanes who knows where,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/almost-60-000-average-americans-had-the-courage-to-go-out-and-charge/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [ The state has a right to do that \[outlaw contraceptives\], I have never questioned that the state has a right to do that. It… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/the-state-has-a-right-to-do-that-outlaw-contraceptives-i-have-never/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [ One of Governor Romney's aides today on television said that Governor Romney, after he wins the primaries, will be like an \[Etch A Sketch\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/one-of-governor-romney-s-aides-today-on-television-said-that-governor/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [I dont know of one group of people thats more disliked than politicians -- it may be the folks who gave us the Wall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/i-dont-know-of-one-group-of-people-thats-more-disliked-than/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [Obviously the first thing we need to do is repeal “Obamacare.” That's one entitlement that we can get rid of. And that's a couple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/obviously-the-first-thing-we-need-to-do-is-repeal-obamacare-that-s/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) [Explore all 204 Rick Santorum quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) ## More Consequence quotes > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [The world's problems are, by and large, human problems-the unavoidable consequence of egoic sleepwalking. If we care to look, all the signs are present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/the-world-s-problems-are-by-and-large-human-problems-the-unavoidable/) [Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/) > [The prediction of nuclear winter is drawn not, of course, from any direct experience with the consequences of global nuclear war, but rather from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-prediction-of-nuclear-winter-is-drawn-not-of-course-from-any/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [It's easy to make mistakes. It's living with the consequences of them that's the hardest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/it-s-easy-to-make-mistakes-it-s-living-with-the-consequences-of-them/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Actions have consequences... first rule of life. And the second rule is this - you are the only one responsible for your own actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/actions-have-consequences-first-rule-of-life-and-the-second-rule-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The contempt for law and the contempt for the human consequences of lawbreaking go from the bottom to the top of American society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-contempt-for-law-and-the-contempt-for-the-human-consequences-of/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [Cultivate the habit of thinking ahead, and of anticipating the necessary and immediate consequences of all your actions… Likewise in your pleasures, ask yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/cultivate-the-habit-of-thinking-ahead-and-of-anticipating-the/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [There is no silver bullet. There are always options and the options have consequences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/there-is-no-silver-bullet-there-are-always-options-and-the-options/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [“Each day I learn that every single action we take has its own consequence – for either good or bad.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginny-dye/each-day-i-learn-that-every-single-action-we-take-has-its-own/) [Ginny Dye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginny-dye/) > [Washington bureaucrats have classified the very air we exhale as a pollutant and have gone unchallenged in this incredible assertion. The logical consequence is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/washington-bureaucrats-have-classified-the-very-air-we-exhale-as-a/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [If you wish to be a lawyer, attach no consequence to the place you are in, or the person you are with; but get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/if-you-wish-to-be-a-lawyer-attach-no-consequence-to-the-place-you-are/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Any kind of restrictions put on free speech would have worse consequences than bullying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-starlight/any-kind-of-restrictions-put-on-free-speech-would-have-worse/) [Lady Starlight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-starlight/) > [So, I'm not the only one who believes that there is such a thing as "the law of gravity," and if it's a law,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/so-i-m-not-the-only-one-who-believes-that-there-is-such-a-thing-as/) [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) > [The average American expends more time becoming informed about choosing a car than choosing a candidate. But, then, the consequences of the former choice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/the-average-american-expends-more-time-becoming-informed-about/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) [Browse all 3,099 Consequence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The idea is that the state doesn't have rights to limit individuals' wants and passions. I disagree with that. I think we absolutely have rights because there are consequences to letting people live out whatever wants or passions they desire.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rick Santorum" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/the-idea-is-that-the-state-doesn-t-have-rights-to-limit-individuals/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Consequence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/the-idea-is-that-the-state-doesn-t-have-rights-to-limit-individuals/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c73/rick-santorum-1840_consequence_the-idea-is-that-the-state-doesn-t-have_938748.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c73/rick-santorum-1840_consequence_the-idea-is-that-the-state-doesn-t-have_938748.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c73/rick-santorum-1840_consequence_the-idea-is-that-the-state-doesn-t-have_938748.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The idea is that the state doesn't have rights to limit individuals' wants and passions. I disagree with…” — Rick Santorum", "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": "Rick Santorum", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The idea is that the state...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/the-idea-is-that-the-state-doesn-t-have-rights-to-limit-individuals/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/the-idea-is-that-the-state-doesn-t-have-rights-to-limit-individuals/#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 } } ] } ```