I may not agree with you, but I will defend to the death your right to make an ass of yourself.

This quip is a sardonic twist on a famous liberal principle: defending free expression even when one finds the speaker’s views foolish or offensive. The added sting—“make an ass of yourself”—frames tolerance not as admiration but as a commitment to rights despite contempt or exasperation. It highlights the distinction between endorsing an opinion and protecting the liberty to voice it, while also warning that free speech includes the freedom to be ridiculous. In practice, the line is often used to signal robust support for open debate paired with sharp personal judgment.