About this quote

One group's liberty bought at the cost of another's is a fragile thing, always one grievance away from collapse. Liberty worth the name stretches to cover every person's dignity, because rights hoarded by a few eventually erode even for the few who hoard them.

When to use it

• A workplace that accommodates only senior staff, then wonders why junior morale and retention crater.
• A neighborhood group that secures quiet for some homes by shoving the noise onto others.
• A household where one member's autonomy quietly depends on overriding everyone else's.