--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Man should be master of his environment…" description: "\"Man should be master of his environment, not its slave. That is what freedom means.\" — Anthony Eden" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e7/anthony-eden-20028_environment_man-should-be-master-of-his-environment_2937852.png" --- # Man should be master of his environment, not its slave… ![“Man should be master of his environment, not its slave. That is what freedom means.” quote by Anthony Eden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e7/anthony-eden-20028_environment_man-should-be-master-of-his-environment_2937852.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e7/anthony-eden-20028_environment_man-should-be-master-of-his-environment_2937852.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e7/anthony-eden-20028_environment_man-should-be-master-of-his-environment_2937852.png) > “Man should be master of his environment, not its slave. That is what freedom means.” [Anthony Eden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-eden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True freedom comes from controlling your surroundings, not being controlled by them. **In simple terms:** Freedom is mastering your environment. Key Takeaway Seek autonomy over your conditions. Themes freedom self‑mastery agency Mood empowering reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career planning - home organization - financial independence Key Concepts philosophy personal sovereignty Questions to Reflect On - What area of your life feels uncontrolled? - How can you regain influence over it? A Different Perspective External forces can still limit freedom despite personal control. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environment/) [Excellence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellence/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) ## Related quotes > [A slave has not the freedom even to do the right thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/a-slave-has-not-the-freedom-even-to-do-the-right-thing/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [His headstone said FREE AT LAST, FREE AT LAST But death is a slave's freedom We seek the freedom of free men And the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-giovanni/his-headstone-said-free-at-last-free-at-last-but-death-is-a-slave-s-2/) [Nikki Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-giovanni/) > [“A freedom-fighter is a slave to freedom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/a-freedom-fighter-is-a-slave-to-freedom/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [His headstone said Free at last, Free at last - But death is a slave's freedom - We seek the freedom of free men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-giovanni/his-headstone-said-free-at-last-free-at-last-but-death-is-a-slave-s/) [Nikki Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-giovanni/) > [Death is a slave's freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-giovanni/death-is-a-slave-s-freedom/) [Nikki Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-giovanni/) > [“If God had designed woman as man's master, he would have taken her from his head; if as his slave, he would have taken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/if-god-had-designed-woman-as-man-s-master-he-would-have-taken-her/) [Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) > [Every man should be master of anything he does and should do it in a masterly manner, with love, no matter what it is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-russell/every-man-should-be-master-of-anything-he-does-and-should-do-it-in-a/) [Walter Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-russell/) > [No man is wise enough to be another man's master. Each man's as good as the next -- if not a damn sight better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/no-man-is-wise-enough-to-be-another-man-s-master-each-man-s-as-good/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [Since God is silent, man is his own master; he must live in a disenchanted world, submit everything to criticism, and make his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gay/since-god-is-silent-man-is-his-own-master-he-must-live-in-a/) [Peter Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gay/) > [The man who is master of himself drinks gravely and wisely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/the-man-who-is-master-of-himself-drinks-gravely-and-wisely/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [“The Kingly Man My master said: That which acts on all and meddles in none - is heaven . . . The Kingly Man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-kingly-man-my-master-said-that-which-acts-on-all-and-meddles-in/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [I call that mind free which jealously guards its intellectual rights and powers, which calls no man master, which does not content itself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ellery-channing/i-call-that-mind-free-which-jealously-guards-its-intellectual-rights/) [William Ellery Channing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ellery-channing/) > [“Given enough time, any man may master the physical. With enough knowledge, any man may become wise. It is the true warrior who can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tien-t-ai/given-enough-time-any-man-may-master-the-physical-with-enough/) Tien T'ai > [Any man who does not think that what he has is more than ample, is an unhappy man, even if he is the master…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/any-man-who-does-not-think-that-what-he-has-is-more-than-ample-is-an/) [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) > [The man who can master his time can master nearly anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-man-who-can-master-his-time-can-master-nearly-anything/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) ## More by Anthony Eden > [Nothing is more destructive of human dignity than a rule which imposes a mute and blind obedience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-eden/nothing-is-more-destructive-of-human-dignity-than-a-rule-which/) [Anthony Eden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-eden/) > [If we had allowed things to drift, everything would have gone from bad to worse. Nasser would have become a kind of Moslem Mussolini,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-eden/if-we-had-allowed-things-to-drift-everything-would-have-gone-from-bad/) [Anthony Eden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-eden/) > [We best avoid wars by taking even physical action to stop small ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-eden/we-best-avoid-wars-by-taking-even-physical-action-to-stop-small-ones/) [Anthony Eden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-eden/) > [You may gain temporary appeasement by a policy of concession to violence, but you do not gain lasting peace that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-eden/you-may-gain-temporary-appeasement-by-a-policy-of-concession-to/) [Anthony Eden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-eden/) > [We have many times led Europe in the fight for freedom. It would be an ignoble end to our long history if we tamely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-eden/we-have-many-times-led-europe-in-the-fight-for-freedom-it-would-be-an/) [Anthony Eden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-eden/) > [We cannot agree that an act of plunder which threatens the livelihood of many nations should be allowed to succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-eden/we-cannot-agree-that-an-act-of-plunder-which-threatens-the-livelihood/) [Anthony Eden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-eden/) > [The worst of being sacked is you can never find your car.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-eden/the-worst-of-being-sacked-is-you-can-never-find-your-car/) [Anthony Eden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-eden/) > [“... if one hasn't been through, as our people mercifully did not go through, the horrors of an occupation by a foreign power, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-eden/if-one-hasn-t-been-through-as-our-people-mercifully-did-not-go/) [Anthony Eden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-eden/) > [Slowly and painfully man is learning that he must do unto others what he would have them do to him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-eden/slowly-and-painfully-man-is-learning-that-he-must-do-unto-others-what/) [Anthony Eden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-eden/) > [Everyone is always in favour of general economy and particular expenditure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-eden/everyone-is-always-in-favour-of-general-economy-and-particular/) [Anthony Eden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-eden/) > [Every succeeding scientific discovery makes greater nonsense of old-time conceptions of sovereignty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-eden/every-succeeding-scientific-discovery-makes-greater-nonsense-of-old/) [Anthony Eden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-eden/) > [It is a common happening that those in power, as their tenure of office continues, find themselves less and less able to contemplate relinquishing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-eden/it-is-a-common-happening-that-those-in-power-as-their-tenure-of/) [Anthony Eden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-eden/) > [Everybody is always in favor of general economy and particular expenditure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-eden/everybody-is-always-in-favor-of-general-economy-and-particular/) [Anthony Eden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-eden/) > [All prejudices are equally fatal to good government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-eden/all-prejudices-are-equally-fatal-to-good-government/) [Anthony Eden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-eden/) > [The more the planners, the worse the plans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-eden/the-more-the-planners-the-worse-the-plans/) [Anthony Eden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-eden/) [Explore all 31 Anthony Eden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-eden/) ## More Environment quotes > [I feel like the future is unwritten. So many of the things that we write now haven't been about educating people on the environment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/i-feel-like-the-future-is-unwritten-so-many-of-the-things-that-we/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [This welfare for wealthy companies wastes taxpayer dollars, harms the environment, and makes a mockery of the recent reductions in federal social spending programs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/this-welfare-for-wealthy-companies-wastes-taxpayer-dollars-harms-the/) [Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/) > [We must master our egoism, and through this mastery, step outside ourselves and educate ourselves in giving. Fasting requires that we rediscover all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/we-must-master-our-egoism-and-through-this-mastery-step-outside/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [Plainly, the environment must be a living one, directed by a higher intelligence, arranged by an adult who is prepared for his mission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/plainly-the-environment-must-be-a-living-one-directed-by-a-higher/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [In the current climate, things that are true, brave human stories become political.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/in-the-current-climate-things-that-are-true-brave-human-stories/) [Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/) > [They paved paradise and put up a parkin lot With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swingin' hot spot Don't it always seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/they-paved-paradise-and-put-up-a-parkin-lot-with-a-pink-hotel-a/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [Life as we know it is fundamentally unsatisfying. I think most folks feel this to be true. They know that a life of aimless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-yates/life-as-we-know-it-is-fundamentally-unsatisfying-i-think-most-folks/) [Michael Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-yates/) > [To assist a child we must provide him with an environment which will enable him to develop freely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/to-assist-a-child-we-must-provide-him-with-an-environment-which-will/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [Daily life is both the subject and environment of the work I am making.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-henrot/daily-life-is-both-the-subject-and-environment-of-the-work-i-am-making/) [Camille Henrot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-henrot/) > [If, as I anticipate, a wide array of personal, portable information/communication devices becomes increasingly important and widespread for information-intensive users, it will be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/if-as-i-anticipate-a-wide-array-of-personal-portable-information/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [Create an environment for people to fail, to learn, and to grow. Their creativity and productivity will increase.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/create-an-environment-for-people-to-fail-to-learn-and-to-grow-their/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are many more traits that the climate deniers share with the creationists and Holocaust deniers and others who distort the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-r-prothero/there-are-many-more-traits-that-the-climate-deniers-share-with-the/) [Donald R. Prothero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-r-prothero/) > [Assuming normal winter weather, we currently anticipate the coal markets to remain difficult through 2015; while we always strive to operate a full capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-craft/assuming-normal-winter-weather-we-currently-anticipate-the-coal/) [Joe Craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-craft/) > [It's the same with this idea of a literate public, and also of a democracy in which people have access to and really read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hass/it-s-the-same-with-this-idea-of-a-literate-public-and-also-of-a/) [Robert Hass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hass/) > [Of course, learning is strengthened and solidified when it occurs in a safe, secure and normal environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-bertrand-aristide/of-course-learning-is-strengthened-and-solidified-when-it-occurs-in-a/) [Jean-Bertrand Aristide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-bertrand-aristide/) [Browse all 8,669 Environment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Man should be master of his environment, not its slave. 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