190 Powerful Freedom Quotes That Will Set You Free

Here are 190 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. 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 (See also: meaningful quotes)

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

See also: positive quotes, simplicity quotes, zen quotes

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The Best Freedom Quotes

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Freedom lies in being bold. Robert Frost Click to tweet

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

I read somewhere… how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong… but to feel strong. Christopher McCandless (Into The Wild movie)

Freedom is the oxygen of the soul. Moshe Dayan

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

Better to die fighting for freedom then be a prisoner all the days of your life. Bob Marley Click to tweet

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

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

What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. Thomas Jefferson

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 Click to tweet

The desire of gold is not for gold. It is for the means of freedom and benefit. Ralph Waldo Emerson Click to tweet

All the Men will be sailors then, until the sea shall free them. Leonard Cohen

We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it. William Faulkner

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

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

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

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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 Click to tweet

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

A discriminating irreverence is the creator and protector of human liberty. Mark Twain

No person is your friend who demands your silence, or denies your right to grow. Alice Walker

As soon as we left the ground, I knew I had to fly. Amelia Earhart

No borders, just horizons – only freedom. Amelia Earhart Click to tweet

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

Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth. John F. Kennedy

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty. John F. Kennedy

I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery. Thomas Jefferson Click to tweet

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)

Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech. Benjamin Franklin

Without freedom of thought, there can be no such thing as wisdom – and no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech. Benjamin Franklin

Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! Patrick Henry

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

Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Martin Luther King Jr

Every subject’s duty is the Kings, but every subject’s soul is his own. William Shakespeare

They may take away our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom! William Wallace (Braveheart)

I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended. Nelson Mandela

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

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See also: 11 Freedom Fighters Who Have Inspired Me (buzzfeed.com)

Short Freedom Sayings

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One-liners, short freedom quotes, thoughts, sayings and captions for your bio, social status, self-talk, motto, mantra, signs, posters, wallpapers, 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

Man is free at the moment he wishes to be. Voltaire

Freedom is dearer than bread or joy. Jessie E. Sampter

You can do anything you decide to do. Amelia Earhart

The lure of flying is the lure of beauty. Amelia Earhart

After you get your freedom, your enemy will respect you. Malcolm X

Freedom is what you do with what’s been done to you. Jean-Paul Sartre

Freedom means choosing your burden. Hephzibah Menuhin

Let freedom never perish in your hands. Joseph Addison

Power is duty; freedom is responsibility. Marie Dubsky

Freedom is the outside of the inside. Joyce Carey

This is slavery, not to speak one’s thought. Euripides

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 (Submitted by the Wisdom Quotes Community)

Freedom is not for the weak. Tony Calderone

Slavery is the next thing to hell. Harriet Tubman

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 Click to tweet

It is your attachment that creates hell. Rajneesh

Can you remember who you were before the world told you who you should be? Unknown

If you cannot be free be as free as you can. Ralph Waldo Emerson

He moves fastest who moves alone. Milton Friedman

Resist much, obey little. Walt Whitman

Without virtue there can be no liberty. Benjamin Rush

To be free is to have achieved your life. Tennessee Williams

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

Freedom exists only with power. Friedrich Schiller

Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave. Frederick Douglass (See also: education quotes)

Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils. General John Stark

Be – don’t try to become. Osho

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Inspirational Freedom Sayings

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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 Click to tweet

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

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

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 don’t have to be a man to fight for freedom. All you have to do is to be an intelligent human being. Malcolm X

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

Forget safety. Live where you fear to live. Destroy your reputation. Be notorious. Rumi

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

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

Strong. 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

See also: strength quotes

Deep Freedom Sayings

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Nothing matters and that’s a good thing as it sets you free. Naval Ravikant

If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Frederick Douglass Click to tweet

Most people want security in this world, not liberty. H.L. Mencken

You have freedom when you’re easy in your harness. Robert Frost

Never trust the words of a man who is not free. Nassim Nicholas Taleb

The history of men’s opposition to women’s emancipation is more interesting perhaps than the story of that emancipation itself. Virginia Woolf

Freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another. Toni Morrison

Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it. Thomas Paine

The law will never make a man free; it is men who have got to make the law free. Henry David Thoreau

Men talk of freedom! How many are free to think? Free from fear, from perturbation, from prejudice? Nine hundred and ninety-nine in a thousand are perfect slaves. Henry David Thoreau

The whole world seems to live under the banner: “Freedom is wonderful – but only for me.” Isaac Asimov

Nobody’s free until everybody’s free. Fannie Lou Hamer

True freedom means that we are alone. We alone decide what we believe, how we act, and who we become. We are responsible for our lives – nobody else. True freedom is both liberating and terrifying. Eric Peng

The man who has no inner life is a slave to his surroundings. Henri-Frederic Amiel

If you put a chain around the neck of a slave, the other end fastens itself around your own. Ralph Waldo Emerson

The best government is that which teaches us to govern ourselves. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Click to tweet

Whatever liberates our spirit, without also giving us mastery over ourselves, is destructive. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Human history begins with man’s act of disobedience which is at the very same time the beginning of his freedom and development of his reason. Erich Fromm

If you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in the woods, keep going. If there’s shouting after you, keep going. Don’t ever stop. Keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going. Harriet Tubman

I had reasoned this out in my mind, there was one of two things I had a right to, liberty or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other. Harriet Tubman

Liberty doesn’t work as well in practice as it does in speeches. Will Rogers

We are free, truly free, when we don’t need to rent our arms to anybody in order to be able to lift a piece of bread to our mouths. Ricardo Flores Magon

The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable. James A. Garfield

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Wise Freedom Sayings (Words of wisdom)

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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

Is freedom anything else than the right to live as we wish? Nothing else. Epictetus

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

Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them. Frederick Douglass

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

Confidence is knowing who you are and not changing it a bit because of someone’s version of reality is not your reality. Shannon L. Alder

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

Knowledge is an addiction, as drink; knowledge does not bring understanding. Knowledge can be taught, but not wisdom; there must be freedom from knowledge for the coming of wisdom. Jiddu Krishnamurti

To seek fulfillment is to invite frustration. Jiddu Krishnamurti

Freedom is not caprice but room to enlarge. C. A. Bartol

More words of wisdom

See also: 10 Simple Tips to Live Happy, Wild, and Free (tinybuddha.com)

Part 3. Conclusion

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Liberty is slow fruit. It is never cheap; it is made difficult because freedom is the accomplishment and perfectness of man. Ralph Waldo Emerson Click to tweet

Call to action: Read 30 Ways to Free Your Mind Immediately