"How far you can go without destroying from within what you are trying to defend from without?"

This quote by Dwight D. Eisenhower assesses the delicate balance in between protecting something from external threats and keeping its inner integrity. It recommends that even the most well-intentioned efforts to secure something can be self-defeating if they wear down the very thing being protected. It raises the question of whether the costs of protecting something deserve it if the defense itself undermines the essence of what is being secured. This quote encourages us to consider not only the external risks we face however likewise the prospective effect of our own actions on the things we are attempting to protect.