---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Rather, they must keep their balance and…"
description: "\"“Rather, they must keep their balance and stay focused on, in Havel’s words, “the everyday, thankless, and never-ending struggle of human beings to liv..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/619/rod-dreher-13031_respect_rather-they-must-keep-their-balance-and_2973351.jpg"
---

#  Rather, they must keep their balance and stay focused on…

![“Rather, they must keep their balance and stay focused on, in Havel’s words, “the everyday, thankless, and never-ending struggle of human beings to live more freely, truthfully, and in quiet dignity.” quote by Rod Dreher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/619/rod-dreher-13031_respect_rather-they-must-keep-their-balance-and_2973351.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/619/rod-dreher-13031_respect_rather-they-must-keep-their-balance-and_2973351.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/619/rod-dreher-13031_respect_rather-they-must-keep-their-balance-and_2973351.jpg)

> ““Rather, they must keep their balance and stay focused on, in Havel’s words, “the everyday, thankless, and never-ending struggle of human beings to live more freely, truthfully, and in quiet dignity.””

[Rod Dreher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-dreher/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Human dignity requires continuous, often thankless effort to live truthfully and freely, despite ongoing struggles.

**In simple terms:** Live truthfully despite struggle.

Key Takeaway

Persist in seeking dignity.

Themes

dignity truth freedom

Mood

inspirational reflective

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- personal growth
- social activism
- daily challenges

Key Concepts

existential struggle human rights

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you sustain dignity?
- What supports quiet dignity?

A Different Perspective

Constant struggle can cause burnout.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Beings Live](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beings-live-385959/) [Havel Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/havel-words-4588281/) [Live Freely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-freely/) [Quiet Dignity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quiet-dignity-452187/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Stay focused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stay-focused/)

## Related quotes

> [Live Freely, Stay Focused, Work Hard and be Committed to your Hustle, Have this at the Back of your Mind:- Your Destiny is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleeyou/live-freely-stay-focused-work-hard-and-be-committed-to-your-hustle/)

[Aleeyou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleeyou/)

> [Receiving far less attention are the working class heroes, who go about their solitary work routines with quiet dignity, come home from another grueling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armstrong-williams/receiving-far-less-attention-are-the-working-class-heroes-who-go/)

[Armstrong Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armstrong-williams/)

> [My voice had a long, nonstop career. It deserves to be put to bed with quiet and dignity, not yanked out every once in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-sills/my-voice-had-a-long-nonstop-career-it-deserves-to-be-put-to-bed-with/)

[Beverly Sills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-sills/)

> [We had people of all backgrounds coming together - all races, all creeds, all colors, all status in life. And coming together there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-height/we-had-people-of-all-backgrounds-coming-together-all-races-all-creeds/)

[Dorothy Height](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-height/)

> [“IF SCIENCE TEACHES ANYTHING, IT TEACHES US TO ACCEPT OUR FAILURES, AS WELL AS OUR SUCCESSES, WITH QUIET DIGNITY AND GRACE.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-hand/if-science-teaches-anything-it-teaches-us-to-accept-our-failures-as/)

[Cynthia Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-hand/)

> [We Woosters freeze like the dickens when we seek sympathy and meet with cold reserve. "Nothing further Jeeves", I said with quiet dignity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-woosters-freeze-like-the-dickens-when-we-seek-sympathy-and-meet/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Greatness of spirit can be achieved not through wealth, power or popularity, but by living your life with quiet dignity...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aika-robredo/greatness-of-spirit-can-be-achieved-not-through-wealth-power-or/)

[Aika Robredo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aika-robredo/)

> [Her legacy was her quiet dignity and instinctive rage against injustice, ... What she determined on the spot was that her dignity would not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-watson/her-legacy-was-her-quiet-dignity-and-instinctive-rage-against/)

[Diane Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-watson/)

> [“Nearly half of all human beings live on less than US$2 a day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-palmer/nearly-half-of-all-human-beings-live-on-less-than-us-2-a-day/)

[Gabrielle Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-palmer/)

> [As social beings we live with our eyes upon our reflection, but have no assurance of the tranquillity of the waters in which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-horton-cooley/as-social-beings-we-live-with-our-eyes-upon-our-reflection-but-have/)

[Charles Horton Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-horton-cooley/)

> [“1. First, human beings are linguistic beings and, as we’ll show, live in concerns unavoidable for linguistic beings.        2. Second, human beings live in history:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-flores/1-first-human-beings-are-linguistic-beings-and-as-we-ll-show-live-in/)

[Fernando Flores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-flores/)

> [...one interior life in which all beings live with God, themselves are God, existing in the mighty whole, indistinguishable as the cloudless east is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/one-interior-life-in-which-all-beings-live-with-god-themselves-are/)

[William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/)

> [Human beings cannot live without stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-douglas/human-beings-cannot-live-without-stories/)

[Ann Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-douglas/)

> [“This is it, I thought. This is the part of us that makes our brief, improbable little lives worth living: the ability to reach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/this-is-it-i-thought-this-is-the-part-of-us-that-makes-our-brief/)

[Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/)

> [“Gardens by their very nature are fragile beings that live in the two dimensions of time and care.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-eck/gardens-by-their-very-nature-are-fragile-beings-that-live-in-the-two/)

[Joe Eck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-eck/)

## More by Rod Dreher

> [“To love requires loving others and letting others love you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-dreher/to-love-requires-loving-others-and-letting-others-love-you/)

[Rod Dreher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-dreher/)

> [“Art really does instruct us in how to think, feel, and behave. To be an artist is to have great power. To be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-dreher/art-really-does-instruct-us-in-how-to-think-feel-and-behave-to-be-an/)

[Rod Dreher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-dreher/)

> [“With a few exceptions, conservative Christian political activists are as ineffective as White Russian exiles, drinking tea from samovars in their Paris drawing rooms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-dreher/with-a-few-exceptions-conservative-christian-political-activists-are/)

[Rod Dreher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-dreher/)

> [“The overweight person diets not to punish him- or herself for being heavy but to become healthier. The athlete works out not because he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-dreher/the-overweight-person-diets-not-to-punish-him-or-herself-for-being/)

[Rod Dreher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-dreher/)

> [“A Christian who practices asceticism trains himself to say no to his desires and yes to God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-dreher/a-christian-who-practices-asceticism-trains-himself-to-say-no-to-his/)

[Rod Dreher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-dreher/)

> [“For the traditional Christian, establishing internal order is not mere discipline, nor is it simply an act of will. Rather, it is what theologian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-dreher/for-the-traditional-christian-establishing-internal-order-is-not-mere/)

[Rod Dreher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-dreher/)

> [If you believe that man is inherently flawed-what religious people call 'original sin'-it follows that man, if left to his own devices, will tend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-dreher/if-you-believe-that-man-is-inherently-flawed-what-religious-people/)

[Rod Dreher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-dreher/)

> [“In his book After Virtue, philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre likened the present cultural moment to the fall of the Roman Empire in the West. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-dreher/in-his-book-after-virtue-philosopher-alasdair-macintyre-likened-the/)

[Rod Dreher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-dreher/)

> [“It is not feasible for most of us to abandon the Internet entirely. But at the very least we can impose on ourselves a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-dreher/it-is-not-feasible-for-most-of-us-to-abandon-the-internet-entirely/)

[Rod Dreher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-dreher/)

> [“Father Martin said that those who think stability is meant to hold you back, and to stifle personal and spiritual growth, are missing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-dreher/father-martin-said-that-those-who-think-stability-is-meant-to-hold/)

[Rod Dreher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-dreher/)

> [Ideology is a partial truth masquerading as the whole truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-dreher/ideology-is-a-partial-truth-masquerading-as-the-whole-truth/)

[Rod Dreher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-dreher/)

> [As it turns out, the ecological catastrophe Kirk feared that would be the consequence of our impiety appears not to be one of radically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-dreher/as-it-turns-out-the-ecological-catastrophe-kirk-feared-that-would-be/)

[Rod Dreher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-dreher/)

> [“Here's how to get started with the antipolitical politics of the Benedict Option. Secede culturally from the mainstream. Turn off the television. Put the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-dreher/here-s-how-to-get-started-with-the-antipolitical-politics-of-the/)

[Rod Dreher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-dreher/)

> [“Inferno was for learning about the nature of our sins. Purgatorio is for learning how to overcome our tendencies to fall victim to them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-dreher/inferno-was-for-learning-about-the-nature-of-our-sins-purgatorio-is/)

[Rod Dreher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-dreher/)

> [I quite often feel that my greatest task as a father is to raise children who love what is good, true, and beautiful, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-dreher/i-quite-often-feel-that-my-greatest-task-as-a-father-is-to-raise/)

[Rod Dreher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-dreher/)

[Explore all 52 Rod Dreher quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-dreher/)

## More Respect quotes

> [Self-respect and a clear conscience are powerful components of integrity and are the basis for enriching your relationships with others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-waitley/self-respect-and-a-clear-conscience-are-powerful-components-of/)

[Denis Waitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-waitley/)

> [“some of my good Baptist brethren in Georgia had done a little preaching from the pulpit against the KKK, I would have a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-moss/some-of-my-good-baptist-brethren-in-georgia-had-done-a-little/)

[Norman Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-moss/)

> [My team and I have reunited two elements that coexist with diffiulty: respect and affection, because when they love you they don't respect you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakira/my-team-and-i-have-reunited-two-elements-that-coexist-with-diffiulty/)

[Shakira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakira/)

> [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/)

[Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/)

> [Few political debates have been as divisive as the European one. I fought as hard as I could on the Remain side, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-green/few-political-debates-have-been-as-divisive-as-the-european-one-i/)

[Damian Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-green/)

> [Almost everywhere we find . . . the use of various coercive measures, to rid ourselves as quickly as possible of the child withinus--i.e.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/almost-everywhere-we-find-the-use-of-various-coercive-measures-to-rid/)

[Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/)

> [How could you feel worthless when God has honoured you by creating you and choosing you to be with Him, in this life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/how-could-you-feel-worthless-when-god-has-honoured-you-by-creating/)

[Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/)

> [The older you've gotten, the more respect and admiration you've received.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jupp-heynckes/the-older-you-ve-gotten-the-more-respect-and-admiration-you-ve/)

[Jupp Heynckes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jupp-heynckes/)

> [I don't believe in an afterlife. I don't believe in a single or multiple godhead. I respect people who do, but I don't believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/i-don-t-believe-in-an-afterlife-i-don-t-believe-in-a-single-or/)

[Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/)

> [“Don’t waste your time trying to explain yourself to people that are committed to misunderstanding you. Instead, commit your time to explaining who they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/don-t-waste-your-time-trying-to-explain-yourself-to-people-that-are/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/)

[Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/)

> [I request to God,, to every boy of the world, must provide at least two daughters,So that everyman, should be forced to learn to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/i-request-to-god-to-every-boy-of-the-world-must-provide-at-least-two/)

[Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/)

> [Needs cause motivation. Deep-rooted desires for esteem, affection, belonging, achievement, self-actualization, power, and control motivate us to push for what we want and need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorii-myers/needs-cause-motivation-deep-rooted-desires-for-esteem-affection/)

[Lorii Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorii-myers/)

> [Society understands the architecture of academia and knows there are relevant qualifications in different fields, and the media accepts the idea of specialisations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-griffiths/society-understands-the-architecture-of-academia-and-knows-there-are/)

[Jay Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-griffiths/)

> [Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within the reach of every hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/love-is-a-fruit-in-season-at-all-times-and-within-the-reach-of-every/)

[Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/)

[Browse all 16,669 Respect quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Rather, they must keep their balance and stay focused on, in Havel’s words, “the everyday, thankless, and never-ending struggle of human beings to live more freely, truthfully, and in quiet dignity.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Rod Dreher"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-dreher/rather-they-must-keep-their-balance-and-stay-focused-on-in-havel-s/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Respect"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-dreher/rather-they-must-keep-their-balance-and-stay-focused-on-in-havel-s/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/619/rod-dreher-13031_respect_rather-they-must-keep-their-balance-and_2973351.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/619/rod-dreher-13031_respect_rather-they-must-keep-their-balance-and_2973351.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/619/rod-dreher-13031_respect_rather-they-must-keep-their-balance-and_2973351.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Rather, they must keep their balance and stay focused on, in Havel’s words, “the everyday, thankless, and…” — Rod Dreher",
                "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": "Rod Dreher",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-dreher/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Rather, they must keep their balance...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-dreher/rather-they-must-keep-their-balance-and-stay-focused-on-in-havel-s/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-dreher/rather-they-must-keep-their-balance-and-stay-focused-on-in-havel-s/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
