--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Eternal Vigilance is the price of…" description: "\"Eternal Vigilance is the price of democracy.\" — Thomas Jefferson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da8/thomas-jefferson-43_democracy_eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-democr_553655.jpg" --- # Eternal Vigilance is the price of democracy. ![“Eternal Vigilance is the price of democracy.” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da8/thomas-jefferson-43_democracy_eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-democr_553655.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da8/thomas-jefferson-43_democracy_eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-democr_553655.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da8/thomas-jefferson-43_democracy_eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-democr_553655.jpg) > “Eternal Vigilance is the price of democracy.” [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Democracy requires constant vigilance by its citizens to protect freedoms. **In simple terms:** Freedom needs watchful citizens. Key Takeaway Stay alert, protect democracy. Themes citizenship responsibility politics Mood concerned determined Type political civic When to use this quote - voting - community organizing - public discourse - media consumption Key Concepts civic duty surveillance accountability Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay informed? - What actions keep democracy healthy? A Different Perspective Vigilance alone cannot stop systemic oppression without structural change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Eternal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternal/) [Eternal vigilance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternal-vigilance/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Vigilance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vigilance/) ## Related quotes > [Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty; power is ever stealing from the many to the few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-liberty-power-is-ever-stealing-from/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [Vigilance is not only the price of liberty, but of success of any sort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/vigilance-is-not-only-the-price-of-liberty-but-of-success-of-any-sort/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-liberty/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Eternal vigilance is the price of sexual confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-tiger/eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-sexual-confidence/) [Lionel Tiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-tiger/) > [Card players have a saying: "It's all right to play if you keep your eyes on the deck" - which is another way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra/card-players-have-a-saying-it-s-all-right-to-play-if-you-keep-your/) [Frank Sinatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra/) > [Eternal vigilance is only part of the price of freedom. The maturity to live with imperfections is another crucial part of the price of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/eternal-vigilance-is-only-part-of-the-price-of-freedom-the-maturity/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Eternal vigilance is the price of knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-knowledge/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [Let eternal vigilance be the price of liberty and integrity of the country hereafter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-bedi/let-eternal-vigilance-be-the-price-of-liberty-and-integrity-of-the/) [Kiran Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiran-bedi/) > [The price of barbecue is eternal vigilance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-price-of-barbecue-is-eternal-vigilance/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The cost of freedom is eternal vigilance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-cost-of-freedom-is-eternal-vigilance/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The price if freedom us eternal vigilance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-price-if-freedom-us-eternal-vigilance/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Once you get a tyranny, you don't easily get rid of it. Much better to remember about eternal vigilance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/once-you-get-a-tyranny-you-don-t-easily-get-rid-of-it-much-better-to/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-condition-upon-which-god-hath-given-liberty-to-man-is-eternal/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The price of peace is eternal vigilance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-marshall/the-price-of-peace-is-eternal-vigilance/) [George C. Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-marshall/) > [“External vigilance is the price of liberty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/external-vigilance-is-the-price-of-liberty/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) ## More by Thomas Jefferson > [A man has a right to use a saw, an axe, a plane, separately; may he not combine their uses on the same piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/a-man-has-a-right-to-use-a-saw-an-axe-a-plane-separately-may-he-not/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [ \[States and the Federal government are\] coordinate departments of one simple and integral whole... The one is the domestic, the other the foreign branch… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/states-and-the-federal-government-are-coordinate-departments-of-one/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [I am for freedom of religion, and against all maneuvers to bring about a legal ascendency of one sect over another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/i-am-for-freedom-of-religion-and-against-all-maneuvers-to-bring-about/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Single acts of tyranny may be ascribed to the accidental opinion of a day; but a series of oppressions, begun at a distinguished period…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/single-acts-of-tyranny-may-be-ascribed-to-the-accidental-opinion-of-a/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“Perceiving the order of nature to be that individual happiness shall be inseparable from the practice of virtue, I am willing to hope it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/perceiving-the-order-of-nature-to-be-that-individual-happiness-shall/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Free government is founded in jealousy, and not in confidence; it is jealousy, and not confidence, which prescribes limited constitutions, to bind down those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/free-government-is-founded-in-jealousy-and-not-in-confidence-it-is/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Though you cannot see, when you take one step, what will be the next, yet follow truth, justice, and plain dealing, and never fear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/though-you-cannot-see-when-you-take-one-step-what-will-be-the-next/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [A well informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/a-well-informed-citizenry-is-the-best-defense-against-tyranny/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The two principles on which our conduct towards the Indians should be founded are justice and fear. 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The artificial aristocracy is a mischievous ingredient in government,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/there-is-an-artificial-aristocracy-founded-on-wealth-and-birth/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Nothing but free argument, raillery and even ridicule will preserve the purity of religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/nothing-but-free-argument-raillery-and-even-ridicule-will-preserve/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [When the people are afraid of the government, that's tyranny. But when the government is afraid of the people, that's liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/when-the-people-are-afraid-of-the-government-that-s-tyranny-but-when/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/we-hold-these-truths-to-be-self-evident-that-all-men-are-created/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) [Explore all 2,098 Thomas Jefferson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) ## More Democracy quotes > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. 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But right now, as of October 17, 2014, the Republican Senate candidates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-continetti/there-is-plenty-of-time-for-republicans-to-have-a-macaca-moment-but/) [Matthew Continetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-continetti/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [ Vote for Donald Trump. You're going to see something and you'll be so happy, you'll be so thrilled. 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