It is the common fate of the indolent to see their rights become a prey to the active.
Interpretation
Laziness often leads to losing one's rights to those who are proactive.
This quote highlights the consequences of inaction and laziness, suggesting that those who do not actively defend or pursue their rights may find themselves at the mercy of more active individuals. It serves as a reminder that passivity can result in the erosion of one's entitlements and freedoms, emphasizing the importance of being vigilant and engaged in the pursuit of one's interests.
In practice
During a public debate on civic engagement, one could use this quote to stress the importance of participation.
It is the common fate of the indolent to see their rights become prey to the active. The conditions upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime, and the punishment of his guilt.
Evil prospers when good men do nothing.
Reason, too late perhaps, may convince you of the folly of misspending time.
Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor by taking up another.
If a man insisted always on being serious, and never allowed himself a bit of fun and relaxation, he would go mad or become unstable without knowing it.
When we give up our images of self-importance and our ideas of what should be, we can help things become what they need to be.
A man watches his pear tree day after day, impatient for the ripening of the fruit. Let him attempt to force the process, and he may spoil both fruit and tree. But let him patiently wait, and the ripe pear at length falls into his lap.
Life is too short to read a bad book.
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