By Maxime Lagacé 
Maxime is the founder and chief editor of WisdomQuotes. He has been collecting quotes since 2004. His goal? To help you develop a calm, peaceful and powerful mind. Learn more about him on his about page.
Here are 155 of the best freedom quotes I could find.
The goal?
To set you free and inspire you to bring the change you want in your life.
You’ll find quotes by Einstein, Bob Marley, Thoreau, Abraham Lincoln, and many more.
Enjoy!
Freedom, in any case, is only possible by constantly struggling for it. Albert Einstein
He only earns his freedom and his life who takes them every day by storm. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Stand for what’s right. Make your life beautiful. Make your life meaningful. Maxime Lagacé
A man who believes in freedom will do anything under the sun to acquire, or preserve his freedom. Malcolm X
Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth. George Washington
The only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from fear. Aung San Suu Kyi
No one outside ourselves can rule us inwardly. When we know this, we become free. Buddha
Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom. Albert Einstein
I know but one freedom and that is the freedom of the mind. Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Freedom (n.): To ask nothing. To expect nothing. To depend on nothing. Ayn Rand
For what avail the plough or sail, or land or life, if freedom fail? Ralph Waldo Emerson
Freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better. Albert Camus
Here is my secret: I don’t mind what happens. Jiddu Krishnamurti
To enjoy freedom we have to control ourselves. Virginia Woolf
Freedom is the will to be responsible to ourselves. Friedrich Nietzsche
Related
- 100 Words of Wisdom From The Best Minds (Ever)
- 100 Simplicity Quotes For More Simplicity In Your Life
- 130 Short Quotes That Will Inspire You (Fast)
The Best Freedom Quotes
Freedom lies in being bold. Robert Frost
The highest sign of inner freedom is when you no longer want to change the present moment. Maxime Lagacé
I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death! Patrick Henry
True freedom is always spiritual. It has something to do with your innermost being, which cannot be chained, handcuffed, or put into a jail. Rajneesh
For 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
I don’t care whether you’re a top Wall Street banker, if somebody has to tell you when to be at work, what to wear, and how to behave, you’re not a free person. Naval Ravikant
Liberty: One of imagination’s most precious possessions. Ambrose Bierce
Freedom is the oxygen of the soul. Moshe Dayan
I read somewhere… how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong… but to feel strong. Christopher McCandless (Into The Wild movie)
The English did not come to America from a mere love of adventure, nor to truck with or convert the savages, nor to hold offices under the crown, as the French to a great extent did, but to live in earnest and with freedom. Henry David Thoreau
In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved. Franklin D. Roosevelt
The freedom from something is not true freedom. The freedom to do anything you want to do is also not the freedom I am talking about. My vision of freedom is to be yourself. Rajneesh
Better to die fighting for freedom then be a prisoner all the days of your life. Bob Marley Click to tweet
We anarchists do not want to emancipate the people; we want the people to emancipate themselves. Errico Malatesta
Everything can be taken from a man but… the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. Victor Frankl
Any fool can make a rule, and any fool will mind it. Henry David Thoreau
Freedom of press is limited to those who own one. H. L. Mencken
The desire of gold is not for gold. It is for the means of freedom and benefit. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything – anger, anxiety, or possessions – we cannot be free. Thich Nhat Hanh
Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does. Jean-Paul Sartre
The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion. Albert Camus
What then is freedom? The power to live as one wishes. Marcus Tullius Cicero Click to tweet
If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and will never be. Thomas Jefferson
It’s beautiful to be alone. To be alone does not mean to be lonely. It means the mind is not influenced and contaminated by society. Jiddu Krishnamurti
If you’re not ready to die for it, put the word ‘freedom’ out of your vocabulary. Malcolm X
Who would be free themselves must strike the blow. Better even to die free than to live slaves. Frederick Douglass
Part 2. Freedom Quotes That Are…
The Most Famous Freedom Quotes
Searching for a famous freedom quote or author? Check out those ones by Lincoln, Rosa Parks, Emerson, Nelson Mandela, Obama, etc.
My liberty depends on you being free, too. Barack Obama
I would like to be remembered as a person who wanted to be free… so other people would be also free. Rosa Parks
They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security. Benjamin Franklin
No man is good enough to govern another man without his consent. Abraham Lincoln
Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves. Abraham Lincoln
Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err. Mahatma Gandhi
When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw. Nelson Mandela
A part of fate is the freedom of man. Forever wells up the impulse of choosing and acting in his soul. Ralph Waldo Emerson
No person is your friend who demands your silence, or denies your right to grow. Alice Walker
A discriminating irreverence is the creator and protector of human liberty. Mark Twain
As soon as we left the ground, I knew I had to fly. Amelia Earhart
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No borders, just horizons – only freedom. Amelia Earhart
We have no right to believe that freedom can be won without struggle. Che Guevara
The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened. John F. Kennedy
You will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make a good use of it. John Adams (Founding Fathers)
However weak our country may be, I hope we shall never sacrifice our liberties. Alexander Hamilton (Founding Fathers)
I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery. Thomas Jefferson
Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech. Benjamin Franklin
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same. Ronald Reagan
Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed — else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die. Dwight D. Eisenhower
Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. Martin Luther King Jr
That government is best which governs the least, because its people discipline themselves. Henry David Thoreau
Freedom of teaching and of opinion in book or press is the foundation for the sound and natural development of any people. Albert Einstein
Science can flourish only in an atmosphere of free speech. Albert Einstein
Tame birds sing of freedom. Wild birds fly. John Lennon
Related: 11 Freedom Fighters Who Have Inspired Me (buzzfeed.com)
Short Freedom Sayings
One-liners, short freedom quotes, thoughts, sayings, and captions for your bio, social status, self-talk, motto, mantra, signs, posters, wallpapers, and backgrounds.
I exist as I am, that is enough. Walt Whitman Click to tweet
Freedom is the power to say no. James Clear
Freedom begins between the ears. Edward Abbey
Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Without freedom there can be no morality. Carl Jung
Freedom is dearer than bread or joy. Jessie E. Sampter
Freedom is a fast car and an open road. Naval Ravikant
The lure of flying is the lure of beauty. Amelia Earhart
After you get your freedom, your enemy will respect you. Malcolm X
This is slavery, not to speak one’s thought. Euripides
Let freedom never perish in your hands. Joseph Addison
Power is duty; freedom is responsibility. Marie Dubsky
Freedom is submission to truth. Robert Breedlove
Life without liberty is like a body without spirit. Kahlil Gibran
When I discover who I am, I’ll be free. Ralph Ellison
On the other side of fear lies freedom. Unknown
Sometimes what you’re most afraid of doing is the one thing that will set you free. Unknown
Freedom is not for the weak. Tony Calderone
Slavery is the next thing to hell. Harriet Tubman
Nobody’s free until everybody’s free. Fannie Lou Hamer
You’ll be free or die! Harriet Tubman
My vision of freedom is to be yourself. Osho
The function of freedom is to free someone else. Toni Morrison
The day you stop racing, is the day you win the race. Bob Marley
It is your attachment that creates hell. Rajneesh
If you cannot be free be as free as you can. Ralph Waldo Emerson
He moves fastest who moves alone. Milton Friedman
The best freedom is being yourself. Jim Morrison
Liberty is the first condition of growth. Swami Vivekananda
The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Phil Plait
Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave. Frederick Douglass
Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils. General John Stark
Inspirational Freedom Sayings
Freedom is never free. It requires risk taking. Nassim Nicholas Taleb
When you come to the point where you have no need to impress anybody, your freedom will begin. Unknown
Freedom is not the absence of commitments, but the ability to choose and to commit ourselves to our goals and values. Paulo Coelho
There are two freedoms – the false, where a man is free to do what he likes; the true, where he is free to do what he ought. Charles Kingsley
What if the greater good is protecting our freedoms. Jemma Palmer (Source)
I value freedom above anything else. Freedom to do what I want, freedom from not doing what I don’t want to do, and freedom from my own reactions and emotions… things that may disturb my peace. Naval Ravikant
Each man has his own vocation; his talent is his call. There is one direction in which all space is open to him. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Real wealth is not about money. Real wealth is: -not having to go to meetings -not having to spend time with jerks -not being locked into status games -not feeling like you have to say “yes” -not worrying about others claiming your time and energy. Real wealth is about freedom. James Clear
You always know the mark of a coward. A coward hides behind freedom. A brave person stands in front of freedom and defends it for others. Henry Rollins
The free man is he who does not fear to go to the end of his thought. Leon Blum
Nothing matters and that’s a good thing as it sets you free. Naval Ravikant
I believe in a vision of equality and justice and freedom and multi-racial democracy, built on the premise that all people are created equal, and they’re endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights. Barack Obama
You get your freedom by letting your enemy know that you’ll do anything to get it. Then you’ll get it. It’s the only way you’ll get it. Malcolm X
The only way we’ll get freedom for ourselves is to identify ourselves with every oppressed people in the world. We are blood brothers to the people of Brazil, Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba – yes Cuba too. Malcolm X
Liberty is the possibility of doubting, of making a mistake, of searching and experimenting, of saying no to any authority — literary, artistic, philosophical, religious, social, and even political. Ignazio Silone
Our duty is to encourage every one in his struggle to live up to his own highest idea, and strive at the same time to make the ideal as near as possible to the Truth. Swami Vivekananda
Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves. Henry David Thoreau Click to tweet
Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide. Napoleon Bonaparte
In the last analysis, our only freedom is the freedom to discipline ourselves. Bernard Baruch
Forget safety. Live where you fear to live. Destroy your reputation. Be notorious. Rumi
The highest activity a human being can attain is learning for understanding, because to understand is to be free. Baruch Spinoza
Everyone has oceans to fly, if they have the heart to do it. Is it reckless? Maybe. But what do dreams know of boundaries? Amelia Earhart
You can do anything. You can go anywhere. Christopher McCandless (Into The Wild movie)
Part 1. Don’t think in terms of comfort; think in terms of freedom. Don’t think in terms of safety, think in terms of being more alive. And the only way to be more alive is to live dangerously, is to risk, is to go on an adventure. Rajneesh
Part 2. And the greatest adventure is not going to the moon – the greatest adventure is going to your own innermost core. Rajneesh
We are a nation of politicians, concerned about the outmost defenses only of freedom. It is our children’s children who may perchance be really free. Henry David Thoreau
The man who takes the liberty to live is superior to all the laws, by virtue of his relation to the lawmaker. Henry David Thoreau
A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom. Bob Dylan
When one door is closed. Don’t you know what many more are open. Bob Marley
Wise Freedom Sayings
Liberty, taking the word in its concrete sense, consists in the ability to choose. Simone Weil
This is the highest wisdom that I own; freedom and life are earned by those alone who conquer them each day anew. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
No man can put a chain about the ankle of his fellow man without at last finding the other end fastened about his own neck. Frederick Douglass
Most will give up an acre of freedom for a closet of security. Dr. Idel Dreimer
There is no such thing as freedom of choice unless there is freedom to refuse. David Hume
Is freedom anything else than the right to live as we wish? Nothing else. Epictetus (wikipedia.org)
For a man to act himself, he must be perfectly free; otherwise he is in danger of losing all sense of responsibility or of self- respect. Henry David Thoreau
The sound of tireless voices is the price we pay for the right to hear the music of our own opinions. Adlai Stevenson
A society that puts equality before freedom will get neither. A society that puts freedom before equality will get a high degree of both. Milton Friedman
We are not rich by what we possess but by what we can do without. Immanuel Kant Click to tweet
It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you. Dick Cheney
How absurd men are! They never use the liberties they have, they demand those they do not have. They have freedom of thought, they demand freedom of speech. Soren Kierkegaard
He who is allowed to do as he likes will soon run his head into a brick wall out of sheer frustration. Robert Musil
None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Who speaks of liberty while the human mind is in chains? Francis Wright
To seek fulfillment is to invite frustration. Jiddu Krishnamurti
Freedom is not caprice but room to enlarge. C. A. Bartol
Related: 10 Simple Tips to Live Happy, Wild, and Free (tinybuddha.com)
Conclusion
Liberty is slow fruit. It is never cheap; it is made difficult because freedom is the accomplishment and perfectness of man. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Further Readings (For Wisdom And Life Lessons)
- Topic: Life
- 100 Life Quotes That Will Inspire You
- 100 Deep Quotes That Will Make You Think
- 30 Ways to Free Your Mind Immediately (lifehack.org)
- 100 Positive Quotes To Uplift Yourself
- 100 Stoic Quotes For A Wiser Perspective On Life
- 115 Philosophy Quotes From The Best Philosophers
- 78 Conscience Quotes To Improve Your Inner World
- 100 Time Quotes (Profound, Important, Inspiring)
- 100 Decision Quotes For Better Decision Making (And Life)
- 77 Life Lessons Quotes (To Learn And Grow)
Did you like those inspiring freedom quotes? If you did, please share them with a friend today!
Are you free? What’s your favorite freedom quote? Please let us know in the comment section below!
Table Of Contents
Part 1
Top 15 Images
Best Quotes
Part 2
Freedom Quotes That ARE
The Most Famous
Short
Inspirational
Wise
Part 3
Conclusion
What a beautiful collection of inspirational freedom quotes. I really love the one “He only earns his freedom and his life. Who takes them every day by storm.” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
I have discovered Goethe recently and loved most of his work.
Hi Divya,
Goethe has indeed many great quotes.
I’ll certainly do a page featuring him in the next few weeks.
Thank you,
Maxime
I’d like to echo what Sami said above, this is just what I was looking for too. This is an extraordinary collection, with a diversity of perspectives that offers much food for thought. A group of us is about to meet to discuss what freedom is for us. Having the gift of this rich stimulation is a gift indeed! Thank you, Maxime. Many blessings to you.
Thank you so much Kea for your great comment.
Glad to help! 🙂
“Liberty and sweet Love,
These two I ever need;
Willingly I would yield
For Love my life’s poor meed;
But even my love would yield
To Freedom’s claim thereof.”
Alexander Petõfi, hungarian poet.
That’s beautiful Taulant. I’ve never heard of Sándor Petőfi before.
Thanks for sharing with us.
Maxime
Thanks for sharing this great content. I enjoyed reading them.
Great job for compiling these motivational quotes.
Thank you Jullie.
Glad you liked them!
YOU made me cry, laugh, and think! You helped clear my mind, and formalize why I hate the growing pressure to make people responsible go the happiness (whims) of others.
Freedom only comes as a society when we accept personally complete responsibility for ourselves and the connection between what we do, who we become, and what we get.
And hence be grateful for a society that helps us, if we have a less-than-happy start, or a bad accident of circumstances. BUT never seek to curtail someone else’s freedom so I can get a handout or an excuse for not taking my own responsibility.
thank you, thank you. What a wonderful collection you have made of thoughts. I love how I had to think on some: why I ‘disagreed a little’, why I wanted more discussion about it. And why I want everyone to read these, maybe cry a little, laugh and think.
Thank you for your beautiful comment, Jenny.
I think people should not rush into quotes like these.
They should really reflect on them, pause, and reflect some more. (But most people are looking for shortcuts)
Glad you liked the post.
Best,
Maxime
P.S. “Freedom and responsibility are two aspects of the same coin. If you are not ready to feel responsible, you will never be free”. -Osho
Thanks for consolidating all of these quotes. I go through from top to below and I am still hungry for more.
If I may ask, how do I subscribe to your newsletter?
I can’t find your subscription link/box anywhere on this page. It would help to provide me with a link and I’ll subscribe to you.
Thanks,
Jeremiah
Hi Jeremiah,
you can subscribe to the quote of the day here: https://wisdomquotes.com/subscribe/
or to the newsletter here: http://bit.ly/WisdomQuotesEmail
Thanks,
Maxime
I have never seen such a great collection on single web. This is really what I was looking for and I could not stop myself to thanks author and admin for such a nice effort.
Thanks for your comment.
Appreciated it!
Maxime
What an extensive collection of inspirational freedom quotes. I really love the one “Sometimes a people lose their right to remain silent when pressured to remain silent.” Criss Jami
Thanks, Jeff.
Criss Jami is an author I discovered recently.
He’s really good.
You should check him out: http://www.azquotes.com/author/52468-Criss_Jami
Regards,
Maxime