Freedom Quotes – 60 Sayings About Self-Determination And Independence

Looking for inspirational freedom quotes? Then you've come to the right place! Freedom is probably man's greatest good. We all strive to be free, self-determined and independent, without restrictions, ties, obligations, constraints and burdens. But we are also influenced by external factors on a daily basis - and old habits can also be a real restriction on our freedom of thought and action. As you can see, defining freedom is quite a Herculean task.

In this article, I would like to give you a collection of the best quotes about self-determination, independence and equality to help you get closer to your personal definition of "freedom". Let's go!

My please: Keep in mind that many of the quotes about freedom have been translated into English from other languages. I cannot guarantee that it is the original quote in each case. Therefore, double check them before you share them. If you like and share any of the quotes in the internet, please link this elaborately created collection. Thank you for your support!

60 inspiring sayings about freedom and self-determination

We always strive for maximum freedom. But it is not a bad thing per se that our freedom also has its limits to a certain extent. If we could simply always do what we want, we would in turn be restricting the freedom of other people. Respecting this as well, for example, is an important aspect of the sustainable life and one of the essential Reasons why I live vegan.

Use the following sayings from famous people as a permanent source of inspiration. Have fun!

Freedom quotes 1 - 10

1. "I have never thought, for my part, that man's freedom consists in his being able to do whatever he wills, but that he should not, by any human power, be forced to do what is against his will." (Jean-Jacques Rousseau)
2. "True freedom is nothing else but justice." (Johann Gottfried Seume)
3. "The more freely you breathe, the more you live." (Theodor Fontane)
4. "Freedom of thought is the only true freedom and the greatest freedom that man can achieve." (Maxim Gorky)
5. "A prisoner is a preacher of freedom." (Friedrich Hebbel)
6. "To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others." (Nelson Mandela)
7. "To be free is to be condemned to be free." (Jean-Paul Sartre)
8. "Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves; and, under a just God, can not long retain it." (Abraham Lincoln)
9. "I am free because I am not at the mercy of a reality, I can shape it." (Paul Watzlawick)
10. "There is only one thing greater than the love of freedom: hatred of the person who takes it away from you." (Che Guevara)

Tip: I have also given you a Collection of quotes against hate and agitation compiled. And if you like, you can also get involved in the best Tips against hate on the net read in.

Freedom Quotes 11 - 20

11. "Freedom is surrender - surrender to a self-chosen idea." (Carl Ludwig Schleich)
12. "A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself - and especially to feel, or not feel." (Jim Morrison)
13. "The secret to happiness is freedom. And the secret to freedom is courage." (Pericles)
14. "Nothing in the world makes people so afraid as the influence of independent-minded people." (Albert Einstein)
15. "There is no freedom without intelligence or without mutual understanding." (Albert Camus)
16. "To love freedom means to love others. To love power means to love oneself." (William Hazlitt)
17. "The strange thing that is granted to a human being is to have the choice, the freedom." (Søren Kierkegaard)
18. "We are the slaves of that, what does not make us happy." (Hans Arndt)
19. "You must remember that freedom is the first condition of growth. What you do not make free, will never grow." (Swami Vivekananda)
20. "Freedom is a good whose existence brings less pleasure than its absence brings pain." (Jean Paul)

Freedom Quotes 21 - 30

21. "He who does not have two-thirds of his day for himself is a slave." (Friedrich Nietzsche)
22. "A free-thinking man does not stop where conicidences have lead him." (Heinrich von Kleist)
23. "As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison." (Nelson Mandela)
24. "A free-thinking man does not stop where conicidences have lead him." (René Esteban Jiménez)
25. "Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains." (Jean-Jacques Rousseau)
26. "Marriage: mutual deprivation of liberty by mutual consent." (Oscar Wilde)
27. "Whoever says freedom reigns here is lying, because freedom does not reign." (Erich Fried)
28. "To depend on no one, to be the man of one's heart, one's principles, one's feelings: nothing I have seen more rarely." (Nicolas Chamfort)
29. "Freedom is not the arbitrary power to act at will, but the ability to act rationally." (Rudolf Virchow)
30. "Freedom is a luxury that not everyone can afford." (Otto von Bismarck)

Good to know: Again and again I hear that Veganism a luxury problem is. But it is actually probably the largest social movement in the world, which campaigns for the freedom of animals and humans - and much more than just a form of nutrition.

Freedom Quotes 31 - 40

31. "Today's slaves are not driven with whips, but with schedules." (John Steinbeck)
32. "Freedom is the right to tell others what they don't want to hear." (George Orwell)
33. "Of what use is freedom of thought, if it will not produce freedom of action?" (Jonathan Swift)
34. "With very few prisons, you can see the bars." (Oliver Hassencamp)
35. "Trust your heart. Value its intuition. Choose to let go of fear, and to open to the true and you will awaken to the freedom, clarity and joy of being." (Mooji)
36. "The most beautiful dreams of freedom are dreamed in the dungeon." (Friedrich Schiller)
37. "He who desires to rule over slaves is himself a runaway slave. Free is he whom the free follow willingly, and he who serves the free willingly." (Walther Rathenau)
38. "The deeper we see through suffering, the closer we come to the goal of liberation from suffering." (Dalai Lama)
39. "If you're not ready to die for it, put the word »freedom« out of your vocabulary." (Malcolm X)
40. "The freedom of each has as as its logical limits, the freedom of others." (Alphonse Karr)

Freedom Quotes 41 - 50

41. "The world has never had a good definition of the word liberty." (Abraham Lincoln)
42. "People hardly ever make use of the freedom which they have, for example, freedom of thought; instead they demand freedom of speech as compensation." (Søren Kierkegaard)
43. "You can displace an idea with another, except the idea of freedom." (Ludwig Börne)
44. "Convictions are prisons." (Friedrich Nietzsche)
45. "The ability to say the word »no« is the first step towards freedom." »No« speaking out is the first step toward freedom." (Nicolas Chamfort)
46. "Some people would be free if they could come to the consciousness of their freedom." (Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach)
47. "The happy slaves are the bitterest enemies of freedom." (Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach)
48. "Those who do not move, do not notice their chains." (Rosa Luxemburg)
49. "Belief in a bigger and better future is one of the most powerful enemies of contemporary freedom." (Aldous Huxley)
50. "Set free what you love. If it comes back it is yours – forever." (Confucius)

Tip: I have also given you a list of the best Quotes from the freedom fighter Nelson Mandela compiled. Be sure to take a look there, too!

Freedom Quotes 51 - 60

51. "Where there are no slaves, there are no tyrants." (Johann Gottfried Seume)
52. "Not in the flight of thoughts, in deed alone is freedom." (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
53. "Freedom is not freedom to do what you want, it is the responsibility to do what you have to do." (Yehudi Menuhin)
54. "Swing out of everything that constricts you!" (Bettina von Arnim)
55. "As far as your self-control goes, as far goes your freedom." (Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach)
56. "The worst thing about slavery is that the slaves eventually get to like it." (Aristotle)
57. "Consider what you are: first of all, a human being, which means a being who has no more essential task than his free will." (Epictetus)
58. "We all want to be famous people, and the moment we want to be something we are no longer free." (Jiddu Krishnamurti)
59. "Freedom without justice is arbitrariness." (Jean Anouilh)
60. "Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." (Benjamin Franklin)

Can you think of any other sayings about freedom that you are missing here? Then always come up with your ideas in the comments!

Frequently asked questions about freedom

The best quotes about freedom and self-determination as a constant source of inspiration!

Have we come any closer to defining the term "freedom"? I think so! For me personally, freedom meansI don't want to be forced to do anything and to be free in my decisions and statements - and that living out my freedom does not restrict the freedom of others.

At this point I can warmly recommend the Book "The freedom to be free" by the Jewish German-American political theorist Hannah Arendt. If you like, get it here*.

If you would like to read more, I will also give you here further contributions that could bring you closer to your own definition of freedom:

• Plastic-free living without waste - how does it work?
• "Eating meat is my personal choice!" - Is that true?
• Vegan for people - Why vegans also protect people
• Sustainability without sacrifice - why it works without restrictions

Do you have any questions or other quotes about self-determination, independence and free thinking? Then simply write me a comment.

Stay inspired,

PS: Have a look at the Quotes blog around. There you will also learn, for example, the best Hiking Quotes and Sayings about traveling know