--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You see, freedom has a way of destroying…" description: "\"You see, freedom has a way of destroying things.\" — Scott Westerfeld" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a4/scott-westerfeld-928_destroying_you-see-freedom-has-a-way-of-destroying_893517.png" --- # You see, freedom has a way of destroying things. ![“You see, freedom has a way of destroying things.” quote by Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a4/scott-westerfeld-928_destroying_you-see-freedom-has-a-way-of-destroying_893517.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a4/scott-westerfeld-928_destroying_you-see-freedom-has-a-way-of-destroying_893517.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a4/scott-westerfeld-928_destroying_you-see-freedom-has-a-way-of-destroying_893517.png) > “You see, freedom has a way of destroying things.” [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom can unintentionally destroy the very things it protects. **In simple terms:** Freedom sometimes harms what it aims to save. Key Takeaway Guard against unintended consequences of liberty. Themes freedom unintended harm protective paradox Mood cautionary reflective Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy making - personal freedom - social reform Key Concepts destruction paradox liberty Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards prevent freedom’s excesses? - How to balance liberty with responsibility? A Different Perspective Freedom can be misused without checks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Destroying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroying/) [Destroying things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroying-things/) [Destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destruction/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-way-1171753/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Way Destroying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way-destroying-1171752/) ## Related quotes > [There is no faster way of destroying a man, or mocking his ideas, than making him fashionable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/there-is-no-faster-way-of-destroying-a-man-or-mocking-his-ideas-than/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [I can run fast when I want to run fast, and I've always been good at destroying things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/i-can-run-fast-when-i-want-to-run-fast-and-i-ve-always-been-good-at/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [I wish I could have built without destroying things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/i-wish-i-could-have-built-without-destroying-things/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [I wish I could, instead of destroying things like that, I wish I could build, build, build.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/i-wish-i-could-instead-of-destroying-things-like-that-i-wish-i-could/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [Freedom is what everyone wants - to be able to act and live with freedom. But the only way to get to a place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocko-willink/freedom-is-what-everyone-wants-to-be-able-to-act-and-live-with/) [Jocko Willink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocko-willink/) > [America is the land of freedom and that’s the way I enjoy living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/america-is-the-land-of-freedom-and-that-s-the-way-i-enjoy-living/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [“Our freedom is the way in which we are able to let the world open before us, and ourselves stand open within it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barrett/our-freedom-is-the-way-in-which-we-are-able-to-let-the-world-open/) [William Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barrett/) > [The Arab awakening has been, up to now, a lot about freedom from dictatorial regimes - Syria, Yemen, Libya, Tunisia, Bahrain and Egypt. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/the-arab-awakening-has-been-up-to-now-a-lot-about-freedom-from/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [“My boys had grown up.  They were destroying things all by themselves, now. “We”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mancour/my-boys-had-grown-up-they-were-destroying-things-all-by-themselves/) [Terry Mancour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mancour/) > [Destroying things is much easier than making them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/destroying-things-is-much-easier-than-making-them/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [If people really stopped and realized how much art and creative people move the world versus politics and religion, I mean it’s not even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-manson/if-people-really-stopped-and-realized-how-much-art-and-creative/) [Marilyn Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-manson/) > [It occurred to me then that I was the opposite of my father. Because I was very, very good at destroying things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/it-occurred-to-me-then-that-i-was-the-opposite-of-my-father-because-i/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [You can grow without destroying the things that you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-mcmahon/you-can-grow-without-destroying-the-things-that-you-love/) [Ed McMahon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-mcmahon/) > [Grace is what matters. In anything. Especially life, especially growth, tragedy, pain, love, death. About people, that's what matters. That's a quality I admire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-buckley/grace-is-what-matters-in-anything-especially-life-especially-growth-2/) [Jeff Buckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-buckley/) > [Left alone, human beings are a plague. They multiply relentlessly, consuming every resource, destroying everything they touch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/left-alone-human-beings-are-a-plague-they-multiply-relentlessly/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) ## More by Scott Westerfeld > [“She thought of the orchids spreading across the plains below, choking the life out of the other plants, out of the soil itself, selfish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/she-thought-of-the-orchids-spreading-across-the-plains-below-choking/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) > [But it's always taking a risk, when you ... kiss someone new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/but-it-s-always-taking-a-risk-when-you-kiss-someone-new/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) > [The Rusty Ruins were the remains of an old city, a hulking reminder of back when there'd been way too many people, and everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/the-rusty-ruins-were-the-remains-of-an-old-city-a-hulking-reminder-of/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) > [High school wasn't a trial by fire or some ordeal that had to be survived. It was all a big joke. You just had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/high-school-wasn-t-a-trial-by-fire-or-some-ordeal-that-had-to-be/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) > [And you've actually watched it yourself?' I asked. 'Willingly?' Sure. I had to see it, you know? Besides we should be safe. 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But she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/you-don-t-look-very-happy-tally-tried-to-smile-david-had-shared-his/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) > [Dude, I just watched you climb up a f\*cking building!-Lace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/dude-i-just-watched-you-climb-up-a-f-cking-building-lace/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) > [“Weird, even for one of us. Or maybe she's worse." "Worse how?" "Normal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/weird-even-for-one-of-us-or-maybe-she-s-worse-worse-how-normal/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) > [Tally smiled. At least she was causing trouble to the end. "I'm Tally Youngblood," she said. "make me pretty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/tally-smiled-at-least-she-was-causing-trouble-to-the-end-i-m-tally/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) > [Out here, you find out that the city fools you about how things really work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/out-here-you-find-out-that-the-city-fools-you-about-how-things-really/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) > [“Growing up like rewriting is simply admitting how clueless you were not so long ago.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/growing-up-like-rewriting-is-simply-admitting-how-clueless-you-were/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) > [“The beauty of the world…has two edges, one of laughter, one of anguish, cutting the heart asunder. —Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/the-beauty-of-the-world-has-two-edges-one-of-laughter-one-of-anguish/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) > [Cure for writer's block: blow something up(in the story)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/cure-for-writer-s-block-blow-something-up-in-the-story/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) [Explore all 321 Scott Westerfeld quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) ## More Destroying quotes > [Life as we know it is fundamentally unsatisfying. 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Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [If the civil magistrate be a Christian, a disciple or follower of the meek Lamb of God, he is bound to be far from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-williams/if-the-civil-magistrate-be-a-christian-a-disciple-or-follower-of-the/) [Roger Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-williams/) > [You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-h-boetcker/you-cannot-help-the-poor-by-destroying-the-rich/) [William J. H. Boetcker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-h-boetcker/) > [Do not suppose that abuses are eliminated by destroying the object which is abused. Men can go wrong with wine and women. Shall we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/do-not-suppose-that-abuses-are-eliminated-by-destroying-the-object/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [The future is religion and commerce, aphrodisiac and Benzedrine, a mother of mysterious comfort and a mistress of familiar ravishments ever on the verge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-kennedy/the-future-is-religion-and-commerce-aphrodisiac-and-benzedrine-a/) [Eugene Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-kennedy/) > [Time is a corrosive fluid, dissolving motivation, destroying novelty, and leaching the joy from life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/time-is-a-corrosive-fluid-dissolving-motivation-destroying-novelty/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [Religion grants its adherents malign, intoxicating and morally corrosive sensations. Destroying intellectual freedom is always evil, but only religion makes doing evil feel quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/religion-grants-its-adherents-malign-intoxicating-and-morally/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [Even if we are destroying this planet, we are playing our role perfectly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-kest/even-if-we-are-destroying-this-planet-we-are-playing-our-role/) [Bryan Kest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-kest/) > [Love creates an "us" without destroying the "me".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-buscaglia/love-creates-an-us-without-destroying-the-me/) [Leo Buscaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-buscaglia/) > [As societies grow decadent, the language grows decadent, too. 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