--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Liberty is a harsh mistress. You cannot…" description: "\"Liberty is a harsh mistress. You cannot pick and choose what you like and dislike about her. Liberty will not change her principles for you, no matter ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/169/william-h-masters-106433_acceptance_liberty-is-a-harsh-mistress-you-cannot-p_658701.png" --- # Liberty is a harsh mistress. You cannot pick and choose… ![“Liberty is a harsh mistress. You cannot pick and choose what you like and dislike about her. Liberty will not change her principles for you, no matter how much you claim to love her. She will stand fast in her demands for total acceptance. If you can't receive her, she will recognize you as a…” quote by William H. Masters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/169/william-h-masters-106433_acceptance_liberty-is-a-harsh-mistress-you-cannot-p_658701.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/169/william-h-masters-106433_acceptance_liberty-is-a-harsh-mistress-you-cannot-p_658701.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/169/william-h-masters-106433_acceptance_liberty-is-a-harsh-mistress-you-cannot-p_658701.png) > “Liberty is a harsh mistress. You cannot pick and choose what you like and dislike about her. Liberty will not change her principles for you, no matter how much you claim to love her. She will stand fast in her demands for total acceptance. If you can't receive her, she will recognize you as a false lover and leave you. And when you hear that door slam, it will take every tear in your eye, every ounce of blood in your veins, and all the nerve in your heart to win her back.” William H. Masters ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Liberty is portrayed as a demanding partner who requires total acceptance; rejecting her leads to loss and emotional pain. **In simple terms:** Liberty demands total acceptance. Key Takeaway Accept liberty fully to avoid loss. Themes freedom responsibility acceptance principles emotion Mood serious intense Type philosophical political When to use this quote - civic engagement - personal relationships - social activism Key Concepts political philosophy personal liberty ethical commitment Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to fully accept liberty? - How do you balance personal desires with societal principles? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) [Demand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demand/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Lovers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lovers/) [Mistress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistress/) [Nerves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nerves/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Tears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tears/) [Tears in your eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tears-in-your-eyes/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) ## Related quotes > [Liberty can change habits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/liberty-can-change-habits/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [There is no such thing as liberty. You only change one sort of domination for another. All we can do is to choose our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/there-is-no-such-thing-as-liberty-you-only-change-one-sort-of/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [The aim of education is to make the pupil like and dislike what he ought…The little human animal will not at first have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-aim-of-education-is-to-make-the-pupil-like-and-dislike-what-he/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The great way is not difficult for those who have no preferences. When like and dislike are both absent everything becomes clear and undisguised.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sengcan/the-great-way-is-not-difficult-for-those-who-have-no-preferences-when-2/) [Sengcan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sengcan/) > [To like and dislike the same things that is indeed true friendship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sallust/to-like-and-dislike-the-same-things-that-is-indeed-true-friendship/) [Sallust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sallust/) > [this was I and not yet I, this was the wife of the President of the United States and she took precedence over me;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-coolidge/this-was-i-and-not-yet-i-this-was-the-wife-of-the-president-of-the/) Grace Coolidge > [“The moon tolerates no mistakes, she is indeed a harsh mistress. Bobby Heinlein was spot on there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-daley/the-moon-tolerates-no-mistakes-she-is-indeed-a-harsh-mistress-bobby/) [Ray Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-daley/) > [Reality is a harsh mistress. She demands our honesty. She demands our work. She demands that we give up comforts, that we let ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-christina/reality-is-a-harsh-mistress-she-demands-our-honesty-she-demands-our/) [Greta Christina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-christina/) > [I made numerous attempts to find a way to do it all, to be a creative singer, songwriter, producer, and to be the mother,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-baker/i-made-numerous-attempts-to-find-a-way-to-do-it-all-to-be-a-creative/) [Anita Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-baker/) > [“Gravity is a harsh mistress.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-tick/gravity-is-a-harsh-mistress/) The Tick > [“The secret to a happy life is not in getting what you want. It is in learning to want what you get. Don’t waste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/the-secret-to-a-happy-life-is-not-in-getting-what-you-want-it-is-in/) [Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/) > [“When it comes to victory in life, stop doubting yourself because of the tears in your eyes. No matter how long you have cried,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gift-gugu-mona/when-it-comes-to-victory-in-life-stop-doubting-yourself-because-of/) [Gift Gugu Mona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gift-gugu-mona/) > [Well, for me, my favourite 'Indiana Jones' is 'The Last Crusade,' because you get tears in your eyes when you see the old guard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-winstone/well-for-me-my-favourite-indiana-jones-is-the-last-crusade-because/) [Ray Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-winstone/) > [“Oftentimes we call Life bitter names, but only when we ourselves are bitter and dark. And we deem her empty and unprofitable, but only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/oftentimes-we-call-life-bitter-names-but-only-when-we-ourselves-are/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [Don't show them that you are affected.. Instead, show them that you are happy even without them.. To put a sad face on your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharlene05/don-t-show-them-that-you-are-affected-instead-show-them-that-you-are/) Sharlene05 ## More by William H. Masters > [The genetic theory of homosexuality has been generally discarded today. . . . Despite the interest in possible hormone mechanisms in the origin of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-masters/the-genetic-theory-of-homosexuality-has-been-generally-discarded/) William H. Masters Explore all 2 William H. Masters quotes ## More Acceptance quotes > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Acceptance of death when it arrives is one thing, but to allow it to upstage the joys of living is ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-blythe/acceptance-of-death-when-it-arrives-is-one-thing-but-to-allow-it-to/) [Ronald Blythe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-blythe/) > [“Loving someone who does not love you back hurts, alot, i know. It is liking seeing these pair of shoes at the retail store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomthandazo-tsembeni/loving-someone-who-does-not-love-you-back-hurts-alot-i-know-it-is/) [Nomthandazo Tsembeni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomthandazo-tsembeni/) > [Take responsibily for your past, the bad memories of poor decisions you took were your choices once, and you liked them for the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marvin/take-responsibily-for-your-past-the-bad-memories-of-poor-decisions/) [Aruho Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruho-marvin/) > [Let us learn to accept and appreciate things now, and we'll find more happiness in every moment we live. Happiness comes when we stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/let-us-learn-to-accept-and-appreciate-things-now-and-we-ll-find-more/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [“Love first; ask questions later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-courtney/love-first-ask-questions-later/) [Jeremy Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-courtney/) > [“There was beauty in chaos, she'd just never known it before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-linsmeier/there-was-beauty-in-chaos-she-d-just-never-known-it-before/) [Amanda Linsmeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-linsmeier/) > [Accepting the challenges in life makes it interesting and overcoming them makes it eloquent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/accepting-the-challenges-in-life-makes-it-interesting-and-overcoming/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Acceptance is the only thing you should teach. Be it Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Dalit, you must inculcate acceptance, not tolerance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamal-haasan/acceptance-is-the-only-thing-you-should-teach-be-it-christian-muslim/) [Kamal Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamal-haasan/) > [There just seems to be more acceptance now of other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/there-just-seems-to-be-more-acceptance-now-of-other-kinds-of-british/) [Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/) > [You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sense-that-in-this-universe-we-are-treated-as-strangers-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 3,960 Acceptance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Liberty is a harsh mistress. You cannot pick and choose what you like and dislike about her. Liberty will not change her principles for you, no matter how much you claim to love her. She will stand fast in her demands for total acceptance. 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