Are you looking for inspirational freedom quotes? Then you are exactly right here! Freedom is probably the greatest good of man. We all strive to be free, self-determined and independent. Without restrictions, bonds, obligations, constraints and burdens. But we are also influenced from outside on a daily basis – and even old habits can be a real limitation of our free thinking and acting. As you can see, defining freedom is quite a Herculean task.
Here I would like to give you a collection of the best quotes about self-determination, independence and equality to get closer to your personal definition of “freedom”. Here we go!
My request: If you use one of the quotes about self-determination on your website or elsewhere on the Internet, I would be very happy if you linked to this elaborately compiled collection of sayings. Many thanks for your support!
60 inspirational sayings about freedom and self-determination
We always strive for maximum freedom. But it’s not a bad thing per se that our freedom also comes up against its limits in a certain way if we simply always do what we want and in turn restrict the freedom of others. Because respecting this too is an important aspect of sustainable living and one of the reasons why I live vegan.
Feel free to use the following sayings by famous people as a permanent source of inspiration. Have fun!
Freedom Quotes 1-10
- “Man’s freedom does not lie in his being able to do what he wants, but in not having to do what he does not want to.” (Jean Jacques Rousseau)
- “True freedom is nothing but justice.” (Johann Gottfried Seume)
- “The more freely one breathes, the more one lives.” (Theodor Fontane)
- “Freedom of thought is the only true and greatest freedom that man can attain.” (Maxim Gorky)
- “A prisoner is a preacher of liberty.” (Friedrich Hebbel)
- “Being free is not just about untying yourself, but living a life that respects and promotes the freedom of others.” (Nelson Mandela)
- “To be free is to be condemned to be free.” (Jean Paul Sartre)
- “He who denies freedom to others does not deserve it for himself.” (Abraham Lincoln)
- “I am free because I am not at the mercy of a reality, I can shape it.” (Paul Watzlawick)
- “There is only one thing greater than the love of freedom: hating the person who takes it away from you.” (Che Guevara)
Tip: I have also put together a collection of quotes against hate and hate speech for you. Feel free to take a look!
Freedom Quotes 11-20
- “Freedom is devotion – devotion to a self-chosen idea.” (Carl Ludwig Schleich)
- “A friend is someone who gives you complete freedom to be yourself.” (Jim Morrison)
- “The secret of happiness is freedom, and the secret of freedom is courage.” (Pericles)
- “Nothing in the world is so feared as the influence of men who are spiritually independent.” (Albert Einstein)
- “There is no freedom without mutual understanding.” (Albert Camus)
- “To love freedom is to love others. Love the power, love yourself.” (William Hazlitt)
- “The tremendous thing that a human being is granted is the choice, the freedom.” (Søren Kierkegaard)
- “We are the slaves of what doesn’t make us happy.” (Hans Arndt)
- “What you don’t release will never grow. Give the people the light of freedom. That is the only condition of growth.” (Swami Vivekananda)
- “Liberty is a good whose existence brings less pleasure than its absence pains.” (Jean-Paul)
Freedom Quotes 21-30
- “He who does not have two-thirds of his day to himself is a slave.” (Friedrich Nietzsche)
- “A free-thinking person does not stop where chance throws him.” (Henry von Kleist)
- “As I walked out of the cell through the door toward freedom, I knew I had to leave behind my bitterness and hate or I would be imprisoned for life.” (Nelson Mandela)
- “Live according to your values, then you are free.” (Rene Esteban Jimenez)
- “Man is born free, and everywhere he lies in chains.” (Jean Jacques Rousseau)
- “Marriage: mutual deprivation of liberty by mutual consent.” (Oscar Wilde)
- “Whoever says: freedom reigns here is lying, because freedom does not reign.” (Erich Fried)
- “Not depending on anyone, being the man of your heart, of your principles, of your feelings: I have seen nothing more rarely.” (Nicolas Chamfort)
- “Freedom is not the arbitrariness to act arbitrarily, but the ability to act rationally.” (Rudolf Virchow)
- “Freedom is a luxury that not everyone can afford.” (Otto von Bismarck)
Good to know: I keep hearing that veganism is a luxury problem. But actually it is probably the largest social movement in the world that campaigns for the freedom of animals and people – and much more than just a form of nutrition.
Freedom quotes 31-40
- “Today’s slaves are driven not with whips but with appointment books.” (John Steinbeck)
- “Freedom is the right to tell others what they don’t want to hear.” (George Orwell)
- “What is the use of freedom of thought if it does not lead to freedom of action.” (Jonathan Swift)
- “Only very few prisons show the bars.” (Oliver Hassencamp)
- “Trust your heart. Appreciate his intuition. Choose to let go of fear and open yourself to truth and you will awaken to freedom, clarity and joy of being.” (Mooji)
- “The sweetest dreams of freedom are dreamed in the dungeon.” (Friedrich Schiller)
- “Anyone who desires to rule over slaves is himself a runaway slave. Free is he whom the free will willingly follow, and whoever the free willingly serve.” (Walther Rathenau)
- “The deeper we see through suffering, the closer we come to the goal of liberation from suffering.” (Dalai Lama)
- “If you’re not willing to die for it, then eliminate the word ‘freedom’ from your vocabulary.” (Malcolm X)
- “The freedom of everyone has logical limits, the freedom of others.” (Alphonse Karr)
Freedom Quotes 41-50
- “The world has never found a good definition for the word freedom.” (Abraham Lincoln)
- “People are inconsistent. They don’t use the freedoms they have, but always demand those they don’t have.” (Søren Kierkegaard)
- “One idea can be superseded by another, except that of freedom.” (Ludwig Borne)
- “Beliefs are prisons.” (Friedrich Nietzsche)
- “The ability to speak the word »no« Speaking out is the first step to freedom.” (Nicolas Chamfort)
- “Some people would be free if they could come to the consciousness of their freedom.” (Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach)
- “Happy slaves are the bitterest enemies of freedom.” (Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach)
- “If you don’t move, you don’t feel your bonds.” (Rosa Luxemburg)
- “The belief in a bigger and better future is one of the most powerful enemies of contemporary freedom.” (Aldous Huxley)
- “Let go, what you love. When it comes back, it’s yours – forever.” (Confucius)
Tip: I have also compiled a list for you of the best quotes from freedom fighter Nelson Mandela. Be sure to check it out!
Freedom quotes 51-60
- “Where there are no slaves, there are no tyrants.” (Johann Gottfried Seume)
- “Not in the flight of thoughts, alone in action is freedom.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
- “Freedom is not freedom to do what you want, it is the responsibility to do what you have to do.” (Yehudi Menuhin)
- “Swing yourself out of everything that restricts you!” (Bettina von Arnim)
- “As far as your self-control goes, so far goes your freedom.” (Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach)
- “Those who choose security over liberty are rightly slaves.” (Aristotle)
- “Consider what you are: a human being first and foremost, that means a being who has no more essential task than free will.” (Epictetus)
- “We all want to be famous and the moment we want to be something, we’re not free anymore.” (Jiddu Krishnamurti)
- “Freedom without justice is arbitrariness.” (Jean Anouilh)
- “Those who give up freedom in order to gain security will end up losing both.” (Benjamin Franklin)
Can you think of other sayings about freedom that you still miss here? Then bring your ideas in the comments!
The best quotes about freedom and self-determination as a constant source of inspiration!
Have we come a little closer to defining the term “freedom”? I guess so: for me personally, freedom means not being forced into anything and being free in my decisions and expressions – and that living out my freedom does not restrict the freedom of others at the same time.
Finally, I want you here further posts give you the hand that could help you with your own definition of freedom:
Do you have any questions or further quotes about self-determination, independence and free thinking? Then just write me a comment.
stay inspired
