121 Quotes about Freedom & 5 Poems on Being Free

Jacqueline Eisenbraun (Senior Editor)

Enjoying freedom is the absolute height of human well-being and those who are free can achieve just about anything that they want to. Here you will find beautiful, funny and exciting quotes about freedom.

To enjoy freedom is the highest good of human beings. We present you freedom sayings that will inspire you and make you think. We also present quotes from famous personalities.

Quotes about Freedom

Quotes about Freedom

For most people, freedom means happiness, a sense of independence and living at ease. As a free person, you can live your life according to your desires without fear and feeling restricted.

In this article we bring you sayings about freedom and hope to inspire your thoughts.

Here you will find more wise quotes for any occasion.

Quotes for Financial Freedom

Quotes for Financial Freedom

Financial freedom is so much more than having money. It is about your mindset, your willingness to stay dedicated, your bravery and your commitment to your goals.

What defines financial freedom differs from person to person, but what doesn’t differ is the fact that it takes a certain amount of courage to obtain. It isn’t about the big house and fancy car, it is so much more than that.

We have taken the time to find a few of the best quotes and sayings out there that open your eyes to the different perspectives of true financial freedom.

Here are a few for you to think about:

1. Too many people spend money they earned..to buy things they don’t want..to impress people that they don’t like.
   (Will Rogers, American vaudeville performer, 1879-1935)
2. Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.
   (Mark Twain, American writer, 1835-1910)
3. Money is a guarantee that we may have what we want in the future. Though we need nothing at the moment it ensures the possibility of satisfying a new desire when it arises.
   (Aristotle, Greek philosopher, 384-322 B.C.)
4. If we command our wealth, we shall be rich and free. If our wealth commands us, we are poor indeed.
   (Edmund Burke, Irish statesman, 1729-1797)
5. There is no dignity quite so impressive, and no one independence quite so important, as living within your means.
   (Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States, 1872-1933)
6. Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it … he who doesn’t … pays it.
   (Unknown)
7. It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor.
   (Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Roman philosopher, c. 4 B.C.-65 A.D.)
8. Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.
   (Epictetus, Greek stoic philosopher, c. 50-135 AD)
9. A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone.
   (Henry David Thoreau, American essayist and philosopher, 1817-1862)
10. The art is not in making money, but in keeping it.
    (Proverb)
11. The money you save is like a seed; plant it wisely and it will grow.
    (Proverb)
12. Wealth is not his that has it, but his that enjoys it.
    (Benjamin Franklin, American statesman and inventor, 1706-1790)

Here you will find more smart quotes to think about.

Quotes about a Free Spirit

Quotes about a Free Spirit

A free spirit reflects a soul that is different from everybody else.

It belongs to a soul that doesn’t allow itself to be restricted by societal conformity and remains untamed at heart. Those with this spirit are passionate about their lives and what brings them joy. This unconventional way of life can be challenging because of the open minded living.

Although challenging, a free spirit is made to live a limitless life going against the flow which is exciting in itself.

Here are a few quotes about being a free spirit which will help you stay inspired:

1. I’m not a bird. No net will ensnare me. I’m a human being that has her own independent will.
   (Charlotte Brontë, English writer, 1816-1855)
2. I’ve found safety and freedom in my madness… The safety from having to be understood; those that understand us enslave us.
   (Khalil Gibran, Lebanese-American poet, philosopher and painter, 1883-1931)
3. Lock your libraries if you choose to; there isn’t a lock, bolt, or gate that you’ll be able to put on my mind.
   (Virginia Woolf, English writer, 1882-1941)
4. Man’s first duty is to start thinking for himself.
   (Jose Marti, Cuban poet and philosopher, 1853-1895)
5. A free spirit takes liberties even with liberty itself.
   (Francis Picabia, French artist and writer, 1879-1953)
6. Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.
   (Mahatma Gandhi, Indian political leader, 1869-1948)
7. Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.
   (Oscar Wilde, Irish writer and poet, 1854-1900)
8. To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.
   (Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist and poet, 1803-1882)
9. I would rather die of passion than of boredom.
   (Vincent van Gogh, Dutch painter, 1853-1890)
10. Freedom is not a gift bestowed upon us by other men, but a right that belongs to us by the laws of God and nature.
    (Benjamin Franklin, American statesman and inventor, 1706-1790)

Quotes and Wisdoms about Freedom of Speech

Quotes and Wisdoms about Freedom of Speech

Every person deserves to be heard and to demonstrate our expressions even when we feel our voices become drowned out in a fast-paced society.

The term “freedom of speech” is often associated with people acting recklessly and harming others, when the truth is that it aims to uncover truths that are so often silenced. Truths in the actions of leaders, governance, and movements to promote fairness among people.

Here are a few great quotes and wisdoms about freedom of speech that we have for you:

1. If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.
   (George Washington, 1st President of the United States, 1732-1799)
2. Proclaim the truth and do not be silent through fear.
   (St. Catherine of Siena, Italian activist and author, 1347-1380)
3. If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.
   (George Orwell, British novelist and essayist, 1903-1950)
4. I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
   (Voltaire, French writer and philosopher, 1694-1778)
5. Freedom of speech is a principal pillar of a free government; when this support is taken away, the constitution of a free society is dissolved.
   (Benjamin Franklin, American statesman and inventor, 1706-1790)
6. The freedom of speech is a sacred right that must be protected at all costs.
   (William Jennings Bryan, American politician and orator, 1860-1925)
7. We have a natural right to make use of our pens as of our tongue, at our peril, risk, and hazard.
   (Voltaire, French writer and philosopher, 1694-1778)
8. 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, American statesman and inventor, 1706-1790)
9. If there is any principle of the Constitution that more imperatively calls for attachment than any other, it is the principle of free thought – not free thought for those who agree with us but freedom for the thought that we hate.
   (Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., American jurist, 1841-1935)
10. The freedom of speech and of the press is one of the great bulwarks of liberty, and can never be restrained but by despotic governments.
    (George Mason, American statesman and Founding Father, 1725-1792)

Short Quotes and Wisdoms about Freedom

Short Quotes and Wisdoms about Freedom

In this section we bring you a collection of short quotes on freedom, self-determinations and independence.

These are as follows:

1. The freedom of souls is the freedom of the world.
   (Jean Baptiste Henri Lacordaire, French priest, 1802-1861)
2. Only those who respect the freedom of others are worthy of freedom themselves.
   (Johann Jacoby, German-Jewish politician, 1805-1877)
3. My freedom ends where the freedom of my counterpart begins.
   (Unknown)
4. Life without freedom is like a body without a soul.
   (Khalil Gibran, Lebanese-American poet, philosopher and painter, 1883-1931)
5. Freedom is indivisible.
   (Luise Otto-Peters, German writer, 1819-1895)
6. Individuality is freedom lived.
   (Unknown)
7. Freedom means responsibility. That’s why most people are afraid of it.
   (George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright, 1856-1950)
8. Better a freedom in obedience than to rest in slavery.
   (Publius Cornelius Tacitus, a Roman historian, 55-120 A.D.)
9. Peace is freedom undisturbed.
   (Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman orator and statesman, 106-43 B.C.)
10. Freedom is not the right to do as one pleases; it is the freedom to do what one should.
    (Unknown)

Quotes about Being Wild and Free

Quotes about Being Wild and Free

A free spirit is somebody who lives life to the fullest – destined for adventure and living out their passion.

Although not always easy, living life like this resembles an individual who trusts their soul, dances to the beat of their own drum and embraces the beauty that comes from within.

We have put together a list of quotes and sayings for those who are drawn to not living by the book and love to run wild and free.

1. Each one of us has it in themselves to be a free spirit, just as every rose bud has in it a rose.
   (Rudolf Steiner, Austrian occultist and social reformer, 1861-1925)
2. I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.
   (Louisa May Alcott, American novelist, 1832-1888)
3. The earth has music for those who listen.
   (William Shakespeare, English playwright and poet, 1564-1616)
4. Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
   (Ralph Waldo Emerson, American philosopher and essayist, 1803-1882)
5. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.
   (Jack London, American author and journalist, 1876-1916)
6. It is better to be a lion for a day than a sheep all your life.
   (Elizabeth Kenny, Australian nurse and polio treatment pioneer, 1880-1952)

Freedom Quotes from Benjamin Franklin

Freedom Quotes from Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin is known to be one of the most influential founders in the history of the United States of America. He assisted in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence and served on the committee of the Constitutional Convention.

Moreover, Franklin was involved in the Treaty of Alliance and was involved in French and British wars.

An inventor at heart, Benjamin Franklin was responsible for the invention of a stove, had his own newspaper, developed a fertilizer and was involved in political cartoons. The list of his accomplishments is endless and includes milestones like the founding of the University of Pennsylvania.

Although he has made so many significant contributions to society, Franklin had many inspirational quotes on freedom too. We have a few of them here for you:

1. From a persuasion that equal liberty was originally the portion, it is still the birthright of all men.
2. Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.
3. Frequent recurrence to fundamental principles is absolutely necessary to preserve the blessings of liberty and keep a government free.
4. Our cause is the cause of all mankind… we are fighting for their liberty in defending our own.
5. Sell not liberty to purchase power.
6. I hope that all mankind will at length have reason and sense enough to settle their differences without cutting throats.
7. Every man is of common right… a free man, and entitled to the free enjoyment of liberty.
8. Without freedom of thought there can be no such thing as wisdom; and no such thing as public liberty, without freedom of speech.
9. Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.
10. Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.

Free your Mind: Quotes to Think about

Free your Mind: Quotes to Think about

Freedom is a topic that has many different ways of interpretation. Poets and thinkers have been addressing it for thousands of years and within it you will find a significant amount of wisdom. Take the time to philosophize as you read the quotes and sayings we have for you below.

Here are a few quotes and sayings to get you thinking:

1. The highest achievement of the spiritual being is freedom. Freedom from people, freedom from opinions, freedom from things, freedom only for yourself.
   (Stefan Zweig, Austrian writer, 1881-1942)
2. Real freedom is not being free from something, but freedom to do something.
   (Unknown)
3. The secret to happiness is freedom and the secret of freedom is courage.
   (Thucydides, Greek naval commander and historian, c. 455-396 B.C.)
4. What is the use of freedom of thought if it does not lead to freedom of action?
   (Jonathan Swift, Irish author, 1667-1745)
5. As long as we have the freedom to dream, we dream of having the freedom.
   (Unknown)
6. Where there is no justice, there is no freedom too.
   (Johann Gottfried Seume, German writer, 1763-1810)   
7. Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err.
   (Mahatma Gandhi, Indian revolutionary, 1869-1948)
8. If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.
   (George Orwell, English writer, 1903-1950)
9. Those who give up liberty for the sake of security, deserve neither liberty nor security.
   (Benjamin Franklin, American politician, 1706-1790)
10. People have only as much liberty as they have the intelligence to want and the courage to take.
    (Emma Goldman, American activist, 1869-1940)
11. Pleasure and freedom from pain are the only things desirable as ends.
    (John Stuart Mill, British philosopher, 1806-1873)
12. For what avail the plough or sail, or land or life, if freedom fail?
    (Ralph Waldo Emerson, American philosopher, 1803-1882)

Inspirational Wisdoms on Freedom and Independence

Inspirational Wisdoms on Freedom and Independence

It goes without saying that quotes about freedom are naturally inspirational. Truth be told, they make us appreciate the privilege of freedom even more. Here are our top inspirational sayings on freedom:

1. Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves.
   (Henry David Thoreau, American philosopher, 1817-1862)
2. He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself.
   (Thomas Paine, englischer writer, 1737-1809)
3. Freely we serve, because we freely love, as in our will to love or not; in this we stand or fall.
   (John Milton, English poet and intellectual, 1608-1674)
4. I have never believed that man’s freedom consisted in doing what he wants, but rather in never doing what he does not want to do.
   (Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Swiss writer, 1712-1778)
5. You cannot cut a piece off of freedom, because the freedom will immediately draw to that piece.
   (Michail Alexandrowitsch Bakunin, Russian revolutionary, 1814-1876)
6. Freedom is a good that allows other goods to be enjoyed.
   (Charles de Montesquieu, French writer, 1689-1755)
7. While we are contending for our own liberty, we should be very cautious not to violate the conscience of others…
   (George Washington, 1st President of the United States, 1732-1799)
8. The ability to say the word “no”is the first step to freedom.
   (Nicolas Chamfort, French moralist, 1741-1794)
9. The love of liberty is the love of others; the love of power is the love of ourselves.
   (William Hazlitt, English writer, 1778-1830)
10. The tremendous thing which has been granted to man is the choice, the freedom.
    (Søren Kierkegaard, Danish philosopher, theologian and writer, 1813-1855)
11. A free-thinking person does not stop where chance throws him.
    (Henry von Kleist, German writer, 1777-1811)
12. Happy slaves are the bitterest enemies of freedom.
    (Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, Moravian-Austrian writer, 1830-1916)
13. Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth.
    (George Washington)
14. Freedom is the property of beings in whom the consciousness of a rule is the ground of actions.
    (Immanuel Kant, German philosopher, 1724-1804)

Famous Freedom Quotes

Famous Freedom Quotes

It is no secret that many well-known individuals have addressed liberality. They have written some of the most popular sayings and quotes – and we have a whole list waiting to be read. Below are a few of the most famous quotes about freedom you can find:

1. Freedom is always and exclusively freedom for the one who thinks differently.
   (Rosa Luxemburg, Polish socialist and philosopher, 1871-1919)
2. Freedom calls wild desire to reason.
   (Friedrich von Schiller, German playwright, 1759-1805)
3. There is no way to peace, there is only peace.
   (Mahatma Gandhi, Indian revolutionary, 1869-1948)
4. Better to starve free than to be a fat slave.
   (Aesop, Greek author, 620-564 B.C.)
5. Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves…
   (Abraham Lincoln, American president, 1809-1865)
6. Freedom is not worth having if it doesn’t include the freedom to make mistakes.
   (Mahatma Gandhi, Indian revolutionary, 1869-1948)
7. Individual liberty is not an asset of civilization. It was greatest before there was any civilization.
   (Sigmund Freud, Austrian psychologist, 1856-1939)
8. Everyone’s freedom begins where someone else’s freedom ends.
   (Immanuel Kant, German philosopher, 1724-1804)
9. Those who do not move, do not notice their chains.
   (Rosa Luxemburg)
10. Freedom of thought is the only true and greatest freedom man can attain.
    (Maxim Gorky, Russian writer, 1868-1936)
11. The most beautiful dreams of freedom are dreamed in a dungeon.
    (Friedrich Schiller, German dramatist, 1759-1805)
12. Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains.
    (Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Swiss writer, 1712-1778)
13. No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.
    (Buddha, founder of Buddhism, 560 B.C.-483 B.C.)
14. Mankind is at its best when it is most free.
    (Dante Alighieri, Italian poet and philosopher, 1265-1321)
15. Set free what you love. If it comes back it is yours – forever.
    (Confucius, Chinese philosopher, 551 B.C.-479 B.C.)
16. Where there are no slaves, there are no tyrants.
    (Johann Gottfried Seume, German writer, 1763-1810)   
17. Those who choose security over freedom are rightly slaves.
    (Aristotle, Greek philosopher, 384-322 B.C.)
18. I have found that there is always some beauty left – in nature, sunshines, freedom, in yourself; these can all help you.
    (Anne Frank, German-jewish writer, 1929-1945)
19. Only he deserves freedom in life, who has to conquer it every day.
    (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German poet, 1749-1832)
20. Just living is not enough… one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.
    (Hans Christian Andersen, Danish author, 1805-1875)

Quotes about Freedom and Nature

Quotes about Freedom and Nature

Nature is synonymous with freedom. It could be the freedom of being outdoors and not stuck in four walls, or perhaps it is the exhilaration we feel when soaking up the sun, feeling the crisp wind on our faces or the sand between our toes.

Whatever the feeling may be, nature just has that special touch that brings us back to being mindful about our bodies and does our soul well.

We have found a few inspiring quotes about nature to remind you what inspiration and freedom it brings, they are as follows:

1. If you wish to know the divine, feel the wind on your face and the warm sun on your hand.
   (Buddha, founder of Buddhism, 560 B.C.-483 B.C.)
2. The richness I achieve comes from Nature, the source of my inspiration.
   (Claude Monet, French painter, 1840-1926)
3. Every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.
   (John Muir, American environmentalist, 1838-1914)
4. Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.
   (Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher, 365 B.C.-290 B.C.)
5. The mountains are calling and I must go.
   (John Muir, Scottish-American naturalist, 1838-1914)
6. In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.
   (John Muir)
7. He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.
   (Socrates, Greek philosopher, c. 469 BC-399 BC)
8. Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.
   (Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist and poet, 1803-1882)
9. The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature, and God.
   (Anne Frank, German diarist, 1929-1945)
10. One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.
    (William Shakespeare, English playwright and poet, 1564-1616)
11. I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.
    (John Burroughs, American naturalist and essayist, 1837-1921)
12. The earth laughs in flowers.
    (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
13. The clearest way into the universe is through a forest wilderness.
    (John Muir)
14. Afoot and lighthearted I take to the open road, healthy, free, the world before me.
    (Walt Whitman, American poet, 1819-1892)

Top 3: Funny Sayings about Freedom

Top 3: Funny Sayings about Freedom

The topic of freedom is generally quite deep and serious. However, that doesn’t mean a little humor can’t be present. We have found three of the funniest sayings about freedom and you can find them here below:

1. Marriage is the mutual deprivation of liberty by mutual consent.
   (Oscar Wilde, Irish poet, 1854-1900)
2. Today’s slaves are no longer in chains, but tied to the office chair.
   (Unknown)
3. I’ve always believed in freedom of speech – until I had to pay my first phone bill.
   (Unknown)

Poems About Freedom

Poems About Freedom

A timeless topic that has remained popular among poets is that of freedom.

From ancient times right up until today, we have picked five poems on freedom for your reading pleasure.

1)

Nuns Fret Not at Their Convent’s Narrow Room

[…] Pleased if some Souls (for such there needs must be)
Who have felt the weight of too much liberty,
Should find brief solace there, as I have found …

(William Wordsworth, English poet, 1770-1850)

2)

No Rack can torture me

[…] Eagle of his Nest
No easier divest—
And gain the Sky
Than mayest Thou—

Except Thyself may be
Thine Enemy—
Captivity is Consciousness—
So’s Liberty.
[…]

(Emily Dickinson, American poet, 1830-1886)

3)

Of Old Sat Freedom on the Heights

Of old sat Freedom on the heights,
The thunders breaking at her feet:
Above her shook the starry lights:
She heard the torrents meet.
There in her place she did rejoice,
Self-gather’d in her prophet-mind,
But fragments of her mighty voice
Came rolling on the wind
[…]

(Alfred Lord Tennyson, British poet, 1809-1892)

4)

The New Colossus

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame
[…]

(Emma Lazarus, American poet, 1849-1887)

5)

Liberty

It is as if everything else had slept
Many an age, unforgotten and lost –
The men that were, the things done, long ago,
All I have thought; and but the moon and I
Live yet and here stand idle over a grave
Where all is buried. Both have liberty
To dream what we could do if we were free
To do some thing we had desired long,
The moon and I. There’s none less free than who
Does nothing and has nothing else to do,
Being free only for what is not to his mind,
And nothing is to his mind …

(Edward Thomas, British poet, 1878-1917)

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