#mit

Human rights' are a fine thing, but how can we make ourselves sure that our rights do not expand at the expense of the rights of others. A society with unlimited rights is incapable of standing to adversity. If we do not wish to be ruled by a coercive authority, then each of us must rein himself in...A stable society is achieved not by balancing opposing forces but by conscious self-limitation: by the principle that we are always duty-bound to defer to the sense of moral justice. ↗

— Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

#human-rights #limitations #personal-autonomy #personal-responsibility #freedom

At times it seems as if arranging to have no commitment of any kind to anyone would be a special freedom. But in fact the whole idea works in reverse. The most deadly commitment of all is to be committed only to one's self. Some come to realize this after they are in the nursing home. ↗

— John D. MacDonald

#freedom

Similarly, establishing a firm timeline for bringing our troops home could accelerate the development of Iraqi security forces and deepen their commitment to defending their own country and their own government. ↗

— Peter DeFazio

#bringing #commitment #could #country #deepen

I was at dinner with Gene Wilder and imitated Ethel Barrymore for everyone. ↗

— Dom DeLuise

#dinner #everyone #gene #i #imitated

I think the reason working-class people don't write books is because they are encouraged to believe that only certain people are permitted to write books. ↗

— Len Deighton

#believe #books #certain #encouraged #i

If Columbus had an advisory committee he would probably still be at the dock. ↗

— Arthur Goldberg

#columbus #committee #dock #had #probably

Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker. Expose your ideas to the dangers of controversy. Speak your mind and fear less the label of 'crackpot' than the stigma of conformity. And on issues that seem important to you, stand up and be counted at any cost. ↗

— Chauncey Depew

#conformity #controversy #cost #counted #crackpot

I made a commitment to myself; that I wanted to be an actress, and I wanted to do films that make a difference. It has to move people. ↗

— Laura Dern

#commitment #difference #films #i #made

I haven't been given many things, but I've been given ample, limitless patience. ↗

— Lincoln Diaz-Balart

#been #given #haven #i #limitless

I love thinking about the film, the project and committing myself as much as possible. ↗

— Vin Diesel

#committing #film #i #i love #love