"A nation may lose its liberties in a day and not miss them in a century"
- Charles de Montesquieu
About this Quote
This quote by Baron de Montesquieu is a warning about the fragility of flexibility and democracy. It recommends that a country can lose its liberties in a single day, however might not understand it for a very long time. This is since the erosion of freedom can be progressive and subtle, and it can take a long time for people to acknowledge the loss of their rights. The quote likewise indicates that it is essential to be vigilant and to protect our liberties, as they can be removed without us even noticing. It is a tip that we need to understand the actions of our federal government and to make sure that our rights are not being taken away. It is a call to action to protect our flexibilities and to ensure that our nation stays a democracy.
"My sorrow, when she's here with me, thinks these dark days of autumn rain are beautiful as days can be; she loves the bare, the withered tree; she walks the sodden pasture lane"
"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time"
"Night, the beloved. Night, when words fade and things come alive. When the destructive analysis of day is done, and all that is truly important becomes whole and sound again. When man reassembles his fragmentary self and grows with the calm of a tree"
"I seemed to vow to myself that some day I would go to the region of ice and snow and go on and on till I came to one of the poles of the earth, the end of the axis upon which this great round ball turns"