Nothing is more durable than the dynasty of Doubt; for he reigns in the hearts of all his people, but gives satisfaction to none of them, and yet he is the only despot who can never die, while any of his subjects live.
Charles Caleb ColtonRead
Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty; it is a blessing that must be earned before it can be enjoyed.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Liberty is an achievement that requires effort and action from the people rather than something that is given freely.
This quote emphasizes that liberty is not simply handed down to individuals or societies; instead, it is a collective endeavor that requires the active participation and effort of the populace. True freedom and rights come from the individual's and society's struggle to attain them, highlighting the notion that blessings like liberty must be actively pursued and earned before they can be fully appreciated and enjoyed.
Themes
LibertyFreedomEffortSocietySelf-Improvement
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on civil rights, you could quote this to emphasize the need for active participation in the fight for freedoms.
More from Charles Caleb Colton
All quotes βIt is astonishing how much more people are interested in lengthening life than improving it.
Charles Caleb ColtonRead
The benevolent have the advantage of the envious, even in this present life; for the envious man is tormented not only by all the ill that befalls himself, but by all the good that happens to another; whereas the benevolent man is the better prepared to bear his own calamities unruffled, from the complacency and serenity he has secured from contemplating the prosperity of all around him.
Charles Caleb ColtonRead
Happiness, that grand mistress of the ceremonies in the dance of life, impels us through all its mazes and meanderings, but leads none of us by the same route.
Charles Caleb ColtonRead
Our minds are as different as our faces. We are all traveling to one destination: happiness, but few are going by the same road.
Charles Caleb ColtonRead
Moderation is the inseparable companion of wisdom, but with it genius has not even a nodding acquaintance.
Charles Caleb ColtonRead
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