--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is an old song which asserts 'the…" description: "\"There is an old song which asserts 'the best things in life are free.' Not true! Utterly false! This was the tragic fallacy which brought on the decade..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/432/robert-a-heinlein-209_believe_there-is-an-old-song-which-asserts-the-b_2841787.jpg" --- # There is an old song which asserts 'the best things in… ![“There is an old song which asserts 'the best things in life are free.' Not true! Utterly false! This was the tragic fallacy which brought on the decadence and collapse of the democracies of the twentieth century; those noble experiments failed because the people had been led to believe that they…” quote by Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/432/robert-a-heinlein-209_believe_there-is-an-old-song-which-asserts-the-b_2841787.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/432/robert-a-heinlein-209_believe_there-is-an-old-song-which-asserts-the-b_2841787.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/432/robert-a-heinlein-209_believe_there-is-an-old-song-which-asserts-the-b_2841787.jpg) > “There is an old song which asserts 'the best things in life are free.' Not true! Utterly false! This was the tragic fallacy which brought on the decadence and collapse of the democracies of the twentieth century; those noble experiments failed because the people had been led to believe that they could simply vote for whatever they wanted...and get it without toil, without sweat, without tears. Nothing of value is free. Even the breath of life is purchased at birth only through gasping effort and pain.” [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote warns that believing in cost‑free benefits leads to societal decay and loss of effort. **In simple terms:** Nothing valuable comes without effort. Key Takeaway Value hard work over easy promises. Themes economics politics culture Mood critical skeptical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - public policy - education reform - personal budgeting - career planning Key Concepts Entitlement consumerism democratic fragility Questions to Reflect On - What costs are hidden in "free" offers? - How can societies balance fairness and effort? A Different Perspective Idealism may ignore necessary incentives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Best things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-things/) [Best things in life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-things-in-life/) [Best things in life are free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-things-in-life-are-free/) [Birth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birth/) [Breaths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breaths/) [Century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/century/) [Collapse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collapse/) [Decadence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decadence/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Experiments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experiments/) [Fallacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fallacy/) [Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-free/) [Life is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-is/) [Life Purchased](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-purchased-3730085/) [Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noble/) [Old song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-song/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Sweat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sweat/) [Tears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tears/) [Things in life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-in-life/) [Things In Life Are Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-in-life-are-free/) [Toil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toil/) [Tragic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragic/) [Tragic Fallacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragic-fallacy-3111397/) [Twentieth century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twentieth-century/) [Value Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/value-free-748326/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Vote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vote/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) ## Related quotes > [“This very personal relationship, ‘value,’ has two factors for a human being: first, what he can do with a thing, its use to him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/this-very-personal-relationship-value-has-two-factors-for-a-human/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [The best things in life are free. Sunsets and sunrises are free. Air is free. Love is free. Death is free. The best things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-best-things-in-life-are-free-sunsets-and-sunrises-are-free-air-is/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [The best things in life are free - and $19.95.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-mays/the-best-things-in-life-are-free-and-19-95/) [Billy Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-mays/) > [“They say the best things in life are free. 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Wherever you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/the-best-things-in-life-are-free-and-it-is-important-never-to-lose/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [Best things in life are free, and money can't buy you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-crowley/best-things-in-life-are-free-and-money-can-t-buy-you-love/) [Monica Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-crowley/) > [“According to the fortune-cookie logic most people live by, the best things in life are free. That's crap. I have a gold-plated robot that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lieb/according-to-the-fortune-cookie-logic-most-people-live-by-the-best/) [Josh Lieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lieb/) > [The best things in life are free, but you can keep them for the birds and bees; I want money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/the-best-things-in-life-are-free-but-you-can-keep-them-for-the-birds/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [Nothing of value is free. Even the breath of life is purchased at birth only through gasping effort and pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-of-value-is-free-even-the-breath-of-life-is-purchased-at/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Nothing of value is free. Even the breath of life is purchased at birth only through gasping effort and pain... The best things in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-of-value-is-free-even-the-breath-of-life-is-purchased-at-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The Best Things In Life Are Free Sunshine, songs of birds, the blue heavens, sunrise, the sea air, the field full of flowers, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-armand-montapert/the-best-things-in-life-are-free-sunshine-songs-of-birds-the-blue/) [Alfred Armand Montapert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-armand-montapert/) > [“I have been told the best things in life are free ~ I found them very expensive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-a-bucchianeri/i-have-been-told-the-best-things-in-life-are-free-i-found-them-very/) [E.A. Bucchianeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-a-bucchianeri/) > [The best things in life are free. The rest are too expensive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-best-things-in-life-are-free-the-rest-are-too-expensive/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If the best things in life are free then why the fuck do we pay attention?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-the-best-things-in-life-are-free-then-why-the-fuck-do-we-pay/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Robert A. Heinlein > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [My folks tried to make a preacher of me and missed by a narrow margin… I would have made a good one if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/my-folks-tried-to-make-a-preacher-of-me-and-missed-by-a-narrow-margin/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ninety percent of all human wisdom is the ability to mind your own business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ninety-percent-of-all-human-wisdom-is-the-ability-to-mind-your-own/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [If we blow ourselves up we will do it by misapplication of science; if we manage to keep from blowing ourselves up, it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/if-we-blow-ourselves-up-we-will-do-it-by-misapplication-of-science-if/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Nor would anybody suspect. If was one thing all people took for granted, was conviction that if you feed honest figures into a computer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/nor-would-anybody-suspect-if-was-one-thing-all-people-took-for/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Women will forgive anything. Otherwise, the race would have died out long ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/women-will-forgive-anything-otherwise-the-race-would-have-died-out/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Most neuroses and some psychoses can be traced to the unnecessary and unhealthy habit of daily wallowing in the troubles and sins of five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/most-neuroses-and-some-psychoses-can-be-traced-to-the-unnecessary-and/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [No statement should be believed because it is made by an authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/no-statement-should-be-believed-because-it-is-made-by-an-authority/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“Some people are ants by nature; they have to work, even when it’s useless. Few people have a talent for constructive laziness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/some-people-are-ants-by-nature-they-have-to-work-even-when-it-s/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“The instinct to survive is human nature itself, and every aspect of our personalities derives from it. Anything that conflicts with the survival instinct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/the-instinct-to-survive-is-human-nature-itself-and-every-aspect-of/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“I tried to dig out of the computer a call directory for Luna. But it was still sulking. I could not get it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/i-tried-to-dig-out-of-the-computer-a-call-directory-for-luna-but-it/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“this has more aspects than a cat has hair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/this-has-more-aspects-than-a-cat-has-hair/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Never own more than you can carry in both hands at a dead run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/never-own-more-than-you-can-carry-in-both-hands-at-a-dead-run/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“In Wilson's scale of evaluations breakfast rated just after life itself and ahead of the chance of immortality." ~ By His Bootstraps / Robert A. Heinlein”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/in-wilson-s-scale-of-evaluations-breakfast-rated-just-after-life/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ignorance is curable, stupid is forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ignorance-is-curable-stupid-is-forever/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) [Explore all 888 Robert A. Heinlein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. 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I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is an old song which asserts 'the best things in life are free.' Not true! Utterly false! This was the tragic fallacy which brought on the decadence and collapse of the democracies of the twentieth century; those noble experiments failed because the people had been led to believe that they could simply vote for whatever they wanted...and get it without toil, without sweat, without tears. Nothing of value is free. 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