Appointment with Death (Hercule Poirot, #19)

by Agatha Christie

Mr Cope rose. ‘In America,’ he said, ‘we’re great believers in absolute freedom.’ Dr Gerard rose also. He was unimpressed by the remark. He had heard it made before by people of many different nationalities. The illusion that freedom is the prerogative of one’s own particular race is fairly widespread.

Oh, it is difficult—Man is an animal very delicately balanced. He has one prime necessity—to survive. To advance too quickly is as fatal as to lag behind.