The most important lesson in the writing trade is that any manuscript is improved if you cut away the fat.
Robert A. HeinleinRead
The price of freedom is the willingness to do sudden battle anywhere, any time and with utter recklessness.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Freedom requires bravery and readiness to confront challenges at any moment, often without hesitation.
This quote by Robert A. Heinlein emphasizes that true freedom is not free; it demands courage and the willingness to fight against oppression or danger whenever necessary. It suggests that to maintain freedom, one must be prepared to take bold actions, sometimes irrationally, to safeguard it against threats.
Themes
FreedomCourageBattleWillingnessRecklessness
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of standing up for one's rights.
More from Robert A. Heinlein
All quotes →An armed society is a polite society.
Robert A. HeinleinRead
Democracy is a poor system of government at best; the only thing that can honestly be said in its favor is that it is eight times as good as any other method the human race has ever tried.
Robert A. HeinleinRead
Long human words (the longer the better) were easy, unmistakable, and rarely changed their meanings . . . but short words were slippery, unpredictable, changing their meanings without any pattern.
Robert A. HeinleinRead
Progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things.
Robert A. HeinleinRead
When a place gets crowded enough to require ID's, social collapse is not far away. It is time to go elsewhere. The best thing about space travel is that it made it possible to go elsewhere.
Robert A. HeinleinRead
Similar quotes
Who wants to leave the door open to being dominated physically by another human being? Jiu Jitsu gives you the ability to not be dominated by that person, and to me, that's real peace of mind. I don't have to worry about that when I'm walking around in the world.
Jocko WillinkRead
It is very normal for people on the ground to look at somebody apparently walking in midair and thinking first that person is crazy and thinking secondly that person risks his or her life.
Philippe PetitRead
Be fearless, be brave, be bold, love yourself
Haruki MurakamiRead
Sometimes people try to destroy you, precisely because they recognize your power - not because they don't see it, but because they see it and they don't want it to exist.
Bell HooksRead
You wouldn’t be normal if you were never afraid. Even the bravest men experience fear. One of the biggest jobs we all face in combat is to overcome fear.
Joseph HellerRead
The only kinds of fights worth fighting are those you’re going to lose, because somebody has to fight them and lose and lose and lose until someday, somebody who believes as you do wins.
I. F. StoneRead