--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: These countries formally achieved…" description: "\"“These countries formally achieved independence ,but they didn't achieve real freedom, since freedom of any kind is primarily spiritual.the independenc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/alija-izetbegovic-8920_freedom_these-countries-formally-achieved-indepe_883428.png" --- # These countries formally achieved independence ,but they… ![“These countries formally achieved independence ,but they didn't achieve real freedom, since freedom of any kind is primarily spiritual.the independence of a people which has not first won this is soon reduced to an anthem and a flag , two very minor factors for true independence” quote by Alija Izetbegović](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/alija-izetbegovic-8920_freedom_these-countries-formally-achieved-indepe_883428.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/alija-izetbegovic-8920_freedom_these-countries-formally-achieved-indepe_883428.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/alija-izetbegovic-8920_freedom_these-countries-formally-achieved-indepe_883428.png) > ““These countries formally achieved independence ,but they didn't achieve real freedom, since freedom of any kind is primarily spiritual.the independence of a people which has not first won this is soon reduced to an anthem and a flag , two very minor factors for true independence”” [Alija Izetbegović](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alija-izetbegovic/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom requires spiritual liberation; political independence alone is insufficient for true autonomy. **In simple terms:** Freedom is more than a flag. Key Takeaway Cultivate inner freedom alongside political rights. Themes political independence spiritual freedom national identity Mood reflective serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - nation building - human rights activism - education reform Key Concepts self-determination psychology of liberty Questions to Reflect On - How can societies nurture spiritual freedom? - What role does culture play in true independence? A Different Perspective Spiritual freedom is hard to measure and may be contested. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Independence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independence/) [Real freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-freedom/) [True independence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-independence/) ## Related quotes > [Independence didn't have to be exile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-alvarez/independence-didn-t-have-to-be-exile/) [Julia Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-alvarez/) > [“For in marriage a little licence, a little independence there must be between people living together day in day out in the same house;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/for-in-marriage-a-little-licence-a-little-independence-there-must-be/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [True independence means being free from the domination of your own internal automatic behaviors, not doing what you feel like when the urge strikes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lore/true-independence-means-being-free-from-the-domination-of-your-own/) [Nicholas Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lore/) > [Of course such a failed state as Indonesia is fully supported by Western academia and the mass media, because it does what it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-vltchek/of-course-such-a-failed-state-as-indonesia-is-fully-supported-by/) [Andre Vltchek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-vltchek/) > [True independence is not a gift to be received. It can't be a hand-out to people. It must be an achievement by the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/y-c-james-yen/true-independence-is-not-a-gift-to-be-received-it-can-t-be-a-hand-out/) [Y. C. James Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/y-c-james-yen/) > [The day a woman can walk freely on the roads at night, that day we can say that India has achieved independence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-day-a-woman-can-walk-freely-on-the-roads-at-night-that-day-we-can/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [It was by one Union that we achieved our independence and liberties, and by it alone can they be maintained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-monroe/it-was-by-one-union-that-we-achieved-our-independence-and-liberties/) [James Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-monroe/) > [For two hundred years Haiti has been swimming upstream. We were the first country in which independence was won by a group of slaves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-montas/for-two-hundred-years-haiti-has-been-swimming-upstream-we-were-the/) [Michele Montas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-montas/) > [“In Pakistan when women say they want independence, people think this means we don’t want to obey our fathers, brothers or husbands. But it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/in-pakistan-when-women-say-they-want-independence-people-think-this/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [I know this independence is what people like most about my brand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raf-simons/i-know-this-independence-is-what-people-like-most-about-my-brand/) [Raf Simons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raf-simons/) > [“When an independent company undertakes to travel across the plains, they are generally too independent for their own safety and good. There never was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigham-young/when-an-independent-company-undertakes-to-travel-across-the-plains/) [Brigham Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigham-young/) > [I think Nigerians got it wrong from independence as people became so conscious of the divisions because we wanted so much to satisfy the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wole-soyinka/i-think-nigerians-got-it-wrong-from-independence-as-people-became-so/) [Wole Soyinka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wole-soyinka/) > [Aid leads to more aid and more aid and more aid and less independence of the people that are receiving aid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kagame/aid-leads-to-more-aid-and-more-aid-and-more-aid-and-less-independence/) [Paul Kagame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kagame/) > [In marriage a little licence, a little independence there must be between people living together day in and day out in the same house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/in-marriage-a-little-licence-a-little-independence-there-must-be/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“For in marriage a little licence, a little independence there must be between people living together day in day out in the same house;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/for-in-marriage-a-little-licence-a-little-independence-there-must-be-2/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## More by Alija Izetbegović > [As far as the sovereignty of Bosnia-Hercegovina is concerned we agreed to have limited sovereignty for a limited time and that is clear from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alija-izetbegovic/as-far-as-the-sovereignty-of-bosnia-hercegovina-is-concerned-we/) [Alija Izetbegovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alija-izetbegovic/) > [“Marxism rejected the family and the state, but in practice it kept these institutions. Every pure religion disapproved of man's worrying about this world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alija-izetbegovic/marxism-rejected-the-family-and-the-state-but-in-practice-it-kept/) [Alija Izetbegović](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alija-izetbegovic/) > [All man's failures are either because of the religious denial of man's biological needs or the materialistic denial of man's spiritual desires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alija-izetbegovic/all-man-s-failures-are-either-because-of-the-religious-denial-of-man/) [Alija Izetbegovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alija-izetbegovic/) > [“What we call happiness is sometimes the accordance between our life and circumstances,our biography and history ,our personal aspirations and historical currents .If i…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alija-izetbegovic/what-we-call-happiness-is-sometimes-the-accordance-between-our-life/) [Alija Izetbegović](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alija-izetbegovic/) > [“In a poem, melody, or picture, we are forced with a mystery: quality in the metaphysical sense of the word. 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His wisdom is the sum of his knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alija-izetbegovic/modern-man-s-narrow-mindedness-is-best-shown-in-his-belief-that-there/) [Alija Izetbegović](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alija-izetbegovic/) > [There are only three integral views of the world: the religious, the materialistic, and the Islamic. They reflect three elemental possibilities (conscience, nature, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alija-izetbegovic/there-are-only-three-integral-views-of-the-world-the-religious-the/) [Alija Izetbegovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alija-izetbegovic/) > [“All the dilemmas and questions of today were known in ethics more than 2,000 years ago. All the greatest teachers of mankind whether prophets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alija-izetbegovic/all-the-dilemmas-and-questions-of-today-were-known-in-ethics-more/) [Alija Izetbegović](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alija-izetbegovic/) > [In some socialist states well-performed work is rewarded with moral stimulants instead of material ones. However, the moral stimulants cannot be explained by materialistic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alija-izetbegovic/in-some-socialist-states-well-performed-work-is-rewarded-with-moral/) [Alija Izetbegovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alija-izetbegovic/) > [Bosnia is a complicated country: three religions, three nations and those "others". Nationalism is strong in all three nations; in two of them there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alija-izetbegovic/bosnia-is-a-complicated-country-three-religions-three-nations-and/) [Alija Izetbegovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alija-izetbegovic/) > [“Ne može se islamski vjerovati, a neislamski raditi, privređivati, zabavljati se, vladati. Ovo stanje nesuglasnosti stvorit će ili licemjerje (oni u džamiji slave Boga,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alija-izetbegovic/ne-mo-e-se-islamski-vjerovati-a-neislamski-raditi-privre-ivati/) [Alija Izetbegović](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alija-izetbegovic/) > [“There are not many people who work according to the law of virtue, but this small minority is the pride of mankind and every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alija-izetbegovic/there-are-not-many-people-who-work-according-to-the-law-of-virtue-but/) [Alija Izetbegović](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alija-izetbegovic/) > [“Nonetheless, out of a life of 60 or 70 years, three years is more than a thousand days and a thousand nights”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alija-izetbegovic/nonetheless-out-of-a-life-of-60-or-70-years-three-years-is-more-than/) [Alija Izetbegović](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alija-izetbegovic/) [Explore all 75 Alija Izetbegović quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alija-izetbegovic/) ## More Freedom quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. 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If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [We live in the greatest country in the world because of the veterans who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and the security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-husted/we-live-in-the-greatest-country-in-the-world-because-of-the-veterans/) [Jon Husted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-husted/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [“No one was more surprised than I to realize that my newfound freedom had been purchased by giving up on eternity and settling for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-jessop/no-one-was-more-surprised-than-i-to-realize-that-my-newfound-freedom/) [Carolyn Jessop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-jessop/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“In any case, white people, who had robbed black people of their liberty and who profited by this theft every hour that they lived,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/in-any-case-white-people-who-had-robbed-black-people-of-their-liberty/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“I have to blame myself for not finding any way of reaching him, but I can't feel that either Ruth or I had anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-have-to-blame-myself-for-not-finding-any-way-of-reaching-him-but-i/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [“It breaks my heart. 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I'm happy on the second tier, where I have autonomy on a professional level but I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-reece/i-don-t-want-to-be-famous-famous-i-m-happy-on-the-second-tier-where-i/) [Gabrielle Reece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-reece/) [Browse all 30,110 Freedom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“These countries formally achieved independence ,but they didn't achieve real freedom, since freedom of any kind is primarily spiritual.the independence of a people which has not first won this is soon reduced to an anthem and a flag , two very minor factors for true independence”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alija Izetbegović" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alija-izetbegovic/these-countries-formally-achieved-independence-but-they-didn-t/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Freedom" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alija-izetbegovic/these-countries-formally-achieved-independence-but-they-didn-t/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/alija-izetbegovic-8920_freedom_these-countries-formally-achieved-indepe_883428.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/alija-izetbegovic-8920_freedom_these-countries-formally-achieved-indepe_883428.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27c/alija-izetbegovic-8920_freedom_these-countries-formally-achieved-indepe_883428.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“These countries formally achieved independence ,but they didn't achieve real freedom, since freedom of any…” — Alija Izetbegović", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alija Izetbegović", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alija-izetbegovic/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“These countries formally achieved independence ,but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alija-izetbegovic/these-countries-formally-achieved-independence-but-they-didn-t/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alija-izetbegovic/these-countries-formally-achieved-independence-but-they-didn-t/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```