"A man who has both feet planted firmly in the air can be safely called a liberal as opposed to the conservative, who has both feet firmly planted in his mouth"

This quote by Jacques Barzun is an amusing method of comparing the 2 political ideologies of liberalism and conservatism. By saying that a liberal has both feet planted strongly in the air, Barzun is implying that liberals are open-minded and ready to consider new ideas and perspectives. On the other hand, he implies that conservatives have both feet firmly planted in their mouths, recommending that they are more closed-minded and unwilling to consider new ideas. This quote is an amusing method of highlighting the distinctions in between the two ideologies and how they approach the world. It likewise acts as a tip that it is very important to be open-minded and think about different viewpoints in order to make informed decisions.