--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You and I are told we must choose between…" description: "\"You and I are told we must choose between a left or right, but I suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There is only an up or down. Up to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e66/ronald-reagan-119_age_you-and-i-are-told-we-must-choose-betwee_3040252.jpg" --- # You and I are told we must choose between a left or right… ![“You and I are told we must choose between a left or right, but I suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There is only an up or down. Up to man's age-old dream -- the maximum of individual freedom consistent with order --or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism. Regardless of their…” quote by Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e66/ronald-reagan-119_age_you-and-i-are-told-we-must-choose-betwee_3040252.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e66/ronald-reagan-119_age_you-and-i-are-told-we-must-choose-betwee_3040252.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e66/ronald-reagan-119_age_you-and-i-are-told-we-must-choose-betwee_3040252.jpg) > “You and I are told we must choose between a left or right, but I suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There is only an up or down. Up to man's age-old dream -- the maximum of individual freedom consistent with order --or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism. Regardless of their sincerity, their humanitarian motives, those who would sacrifice freedom for security have embarked on this downward path.” [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom and security are opposing forces; sacrificing liberty for safety leads to authoritarianism. **In simple terms:** Freedom vs. security trade‑off. Key Takeaway Prioritize liberty. Themes politics philosophy ethics Mood thoughtful concerned Type political philosophical When to use this quote - public policy - personal choices - civil discourse Key Concepts liberty security authoritarianism Questions to Reflect On - What freedoms are you willing to limit for safety? - How can societies protect liberty while ensuring security? A Different Perspective Security is sometimes necessary for stability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Ants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ants/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom For Security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-for-security/) [Humanitarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanitarian/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Individual freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual-freedom/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Motive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motive/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path/) [Sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice/) [Security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security/) [Sincerity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sincerity/) [Totalitarianism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/totalitarianism/) ## Related quotes > [“You and I are told increasingly that we have to choose between a left or a right. There is only an up or down:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/you-and-i-are-told-increasingly-that-we-have-to-choose-between-a-left/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [You and I are told increasingly we have to choose between left or right. Well, I'd like to suggest there is no such thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/you-and-i-are-told-increasingly-we-have-to-choose-between-left-or/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Those who are ready to sacrifice freedom for security ultimately will lose both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/those-who-are-ready-to-sacrifice-freedom-for-security-ultimately-will/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Wonders what would you choose. The one to the left...with nothing right? or the one to the right with nothing left.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/wonders-what-would-you-choose-the-one-to-the-left-with-nothing-right/) Unkown > [This is what I choose when it's all left up to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red/this-is-what-i-choose-when-it-s-all-left-up-to-me/) [Red](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red/) > [Ive'd learned a lot of things,when you choose to left me..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misherie/ive-d-learned-a-lot-of-things-when-you-choose-to-left-me/) [Misherie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misherie/) > [I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism. I think conservatism is really a misnomer, just as liberalism is a misnomer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-believe-the-very-heart-and-soul-of-conservatism-is-libertarianism-i/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Isn't our choice really not one of left or right, but of up or down? Down through the welfare state to statism, to more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/isn-t-our-choice-really-not-one-of-left-or-right-but-of-up-or-down/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-basis-of-conservatism-is-a-desire-for-less-government/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [By 1980, we knew it was time to renew our faith, to strive with all our strength toward the ultimate in individual freedom consistent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/by-1980-we-knew-it-was-time-to-renew-our-faith-to-strive-with-all-our/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [f you analyze it I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism. I think conservatism is really a misnomer just as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/f-you-analyze-it-i-believe-the-very-heart-and-soul-of-conservatism-is/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [When we speak of peace, we should not mean just the absence of war. True peace rests on the pillars of individual freedom, human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/when-we-speak-of-peace-we-should-not-mean-just-the-absence-of-war/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I believe the highest aspiration of man should be individual freedom and the development of the individual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-believe-the-highest-aspiration-of-man-should-be-individual-freedom/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-very-heart-and-soul-of-conservatism-is-libertarianism/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [We've gone astray from first principles. We've lost sight of the rule that individual freedom and ingenuity are at the very core of everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/we-ve-gone-astray-from-first-principles-we-ve-lost-sight-of-the-rule/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## More by Ronald Reagan > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [You know, by the time you reach my age, you've made plenty of mistakes if you've lived your life properly. So you learn. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/you-know-by-the-time-you-reach-my-age-you-ve-made-plenty-of-mistakes/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Yes, across Europe, this wall will fall. For it cannot withstand faith; it cannot withstand truth. The wall cannot withstand freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/yes-across-europe-this-wall-will-fall-for-it-cannot-withstand-faith/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Simple fairness dictates that government must not raise taxes on families struggling to pay their bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/simple-fairness-dictates-that-government-must-not-raise-taxes-on/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The time has come to turn to God and reassert our trust in Him for the healing of America - our country is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-time-has-come-to-turn-to-god-and-reassert-our-trust-in-him-for/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Professional politicians like to talk about the value of experience in government. Nuts! The only experience you gain in politics is how to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/professional-politicians-like-to-talk-about-the-value-of-experience/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The WPA was one of the most productive elements of FDR's alphabet soup of agencies because it put people to work building roads, bridges,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-wpa-was-one-of-the-most-productive-elements-of-fdr-s-alphabet/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Where there's liberty, art succeeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/where-there-s-liberty-art-succeeds/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Since I came to the White House, I got two hearing aids, a colon operation, skin cancer, a prostate operation, and I was shot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/since-i-came-to-the-white-house-i-got-two-hearing-aids-a-colon/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [A moment I've been dreading. George brought his ne're-do-well son around this morning and asked me to find the kid a job. Not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/a-moment-i-ve-been-dreading-george-brought-his-ne-re-do-well-son/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [On Father's Day, we pay tribute to all in our society who have taken on the responsibilitie s and joys of fatherhood. Whether our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/on-father-s-day-we-pay-tribute-to-all-in-our-society-who-have-taken/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/there-is-no-limit-to-the-amount-of-good-you-can-do-if-you-don-t-care/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [It's not that liberals aren't smart, it's just that so much of what they know isn't so](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/it-s-not-that-liberals-aren-t-smart-it-s-just-that-so-much-of-what/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Love your country, not for her power or wealth, but for her selflessness and her idealism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/love-your-country-not-for-her-power-or-wealth-but-for-her/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Explore all 1,244 Ronald Reagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## More Age quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. 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Adulthood is a series of lines crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/age-is-an-accumulation-of-life-and-loss-adulthood-is-a-series-of/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [I calculated that if I live up to the age of 80, then I end up using 450 toothbrushes in my life. All that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-calculated-that-if-i-live-up-to-the-age-of-80-then-i-end-up-using/) [Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/) > [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? 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That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/) [Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/) [Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You and I are told we must choose between a left or right, but I suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There is only an up or down. Up to man's age-old dream -- the maximum of individual freedom consistent with order --or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism. 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