--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Personal liberty is not personal license." description: "\"Personal liberty is not personal license.\" — Billy Sunday" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ef/billy-sunday-4239_freedom_personal-liberty-is-not-personal-license_2841545.png" --- # Personal liberty is not personal license. ![“Personal liberty is not personal license.” quote by Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ef/billy-sunday-4239_freedom_personal-liberty-is-not-personal-license_2841545.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ef/billy-sunday-4239_freedom_personal-liberty-is-not-personal-license_2841545.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ef/billy-sunday-4239_freedom_personal-liberty-is-not-personal-license_2841545.png) > “Personal liberty is not personal license.” [Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Personal freedom should not become a license to harm or disregard others. **In simple terms:** Freedom ≠ license. Key Takeaway Respect others while exercising liberty. Themes freedom responsibility ethics Mood thoughtful balanced Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - public policy - personal conduct - community life Key Concepts civil rights social contract Questions to Reflect On - When does personal liberty become harmful? - How can societies protect both freedom and order? A Different Perspective Balancing liberty and regulation is complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Liberty Personal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty-personal-3728334/) [License](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/license/) [Personal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal/) [Personal liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-liberty/) [Personal License](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-license-3728335/) ## Related quotes > [The more you socialize the costs of personal liberty, the more license you give others to regulate it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/the-more-you-socialize-the-costs-of-personal-liberty-the-more-license/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [I dare not exercise personal liberty if it infringes on the liberty of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/i-dare-not-exercise-personal-liberty-if-it-infringes-on-the-liberty/) [Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) > [Some minds corrode and grow inactive under the loss of personal liberty; others grow morbid and irritable; but it is the nature of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-irving/some-minds-corrode-and-grow-inactive-under-the-loss-of-personal/) [Washington Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-irving/) > [If you care about your personal liberty, you'll be cautious when you feel comfortable, blame all the illegal immigrants for everything. What you need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/if-you-care-about-your-personal-liberty-you-ll-be-cautious-when-you/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [... we have gratefully to receive from the hand of God the institution of the state with its magistrates as a means of preservation……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-kuyper/we-have-gratefully-to-receive-from-the-hand-of-god-the-institution-of/) [Abraham Kuyper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-kuyper/) > [It is a misfortune that necessity has induced men to accord greater license to this formidable engine, in order to obtain liberty, than can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/it-is-a-misfortune-that-necessity-has-induced-men-to-accord-greater/) [James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/) > [License they mean when they cry Liberty; For who loves that, must first be wise and good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/license-they-mean-when-they-cry-liberty-for-who-loves-that-must-first/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [“The ethic of autonomy is based on the idea that people are, first and foremost, autonomous individuals with wants, needs, and preferences. People should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/the-ethic-of-autonomy-is-based-on-the-idea-that-people-are-first-and/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [“Human history is the ancient story of the umbilical conflict between a lone individual versus a cabalistic society. A love-hate relationship defines our personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/human-history-is-the-ancient-story-of-the-umbilical-conflict-between/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [It is not enough to call yourself a feminist because you are a strong woman. Thatcher was an enemy to feminism, as is Nadine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-bindel/it-is-not-enough-to-call-yourself-a-feminist-because-you-are-a-strong/) [Julie Bindel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-bindel/) > [ \[A\] republic . . . \[is\] a government, in which the property of the public, or people, and of every one of them was… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/a-republic-is-a-government-in-which-the-property-of-the-public-or/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [“It is difficult for me to imagine what "personal liberty" is enjoyed by an unemployed person, who goes about hungry, and cannot find employment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/it-is-difficult-for-me-to-imagine-what-personal-liberty-is-enjoyed-by/) [Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [Unbounded hopes were placed on each successive extension of the electoral franchise, culminating in the enfranchisement of women.These hopes have been disappointed, because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/unbounded-hopes-were-placed-on-each-successive-extension-of-the/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [ We built \[socialistic society\] for the sake of real personal liberty, liberty without quotation marks. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/we-built-socialistic-society-for-the-sake-of-real-personal-liberty/) [Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [Democracies have been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and in general been as short in their lives as they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/democracies-have-been-found-incompatible-with-personal-security-or/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) ## More by Billy Sunday > [The Bible says forgive your debtors; the world says "sue them for their dough."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/the-bible-says-forgive-your-debtors-the-world-says-sue-them-for-their/) [Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) > [It is not necessary to be in a big place to do big things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/it-is-not-necessary-to-be-in-a-big-place-to-do-big-things/) [Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) > [The Democratic party of Florida has put a temperance plank in its platform and the Republican party of every state would nail that plank…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/the-democratic-party-of-florida-has-put-a-temperance-plank-in-its/) [Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) > [There is no law, divine or human, that the saloon respects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/there-is-no-law-divine-or-human-that-the-saloon-respects/) [Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) > [Give your face to God, and He will put his shine on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/give-your-face-to-god-and-he-will-put-his-shine-on-it/) [Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) > [The fellow that has no money is poor. The fellow that has nothing but money is poorer still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/the-fellow-that-has-no-money-is-poor-the-fellow-that-has-nothing-but/) [Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) > [God Almighty never intended that the devil should triumph over the Church. He never intended that the saloons should walk rough-shod over Christianity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/god-almighty-never-intended-that-the-devil-should-triumph-over-the/) [Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) > [If you lack joy, your Christianity must be leaking somewhere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/if-you-lack-joy-your-christianity-must-be-leaking-somewhere/) [Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) > [Jesus gave his life on the cross for any who will believe. We're not redeemed by silver or gold. Jesus paid for it with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/jesus-gave-his-life-on-the-cross-for-any-who-will-believe-we-re-not/) [Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) > [Nine! The Navy Diver is not a fighting man, he is a salvage expert. Ten! If it is lost underwater, he finds it. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/nine-the-navy-diver-is-not-a-fighting-man-he-is-a-salvage-expert-ten/) [Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) > [If good preaching could save the world, it would have been done long ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/if-good-preaching-could-save-the-world-it-would-have-been-done-long/) [Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) > [They tell me a revival is only temporary; so is a bath, but it does you good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/they-tell-me-a-revival-is-only-temporary-so-is-a-bath-but-it-does-you/) [Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) > [Wealth is not the standard of worth. Some people put cash before character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/wealth-is-not-the-standard-of-worth-some-people-put-cash-before/) [Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) > [Temptation is the devil looking through the keyhole. Yielding is opening the door and inviting him in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/temptation-is-the-devil-looking-through-the-keyhole-yielding-is/) [Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) > [I am a temperance Republican down to my toes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/i-am-a-temperance-republican-down-to-my-toes/) [Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) [Explore all 114 Billy Sunday quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) ## 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. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. 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. Better than your words, your eye tells me all your peril. You are not yet free, you still search for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-breaks-my-heart-better-than-your-words-your-eye-tells-me-all-your/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [I don't want to be famous famous. 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": "Personal liberty is not personal license.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Billy Sunday" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/personal-liberty-is-not-personal-license/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Freedom" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/personal-liberty-is-not-personal-license/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ef/billy-sunday-4239_freedom_personal-liberty-is-not-personal-license_2841545.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ef/billy-sunday-4239_freedom_personal-liberty-is-not-personal-license_2841545.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ef/billy-sunday-4239_freedom_personal-liberty-is-not-personal-license_2841545.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Personal liberty is not personal license.” — Billy Sunday", "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": "Billy Sunday", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Personal liberty is not personal license.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/personal-liberty-is-not-personal-license/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/personal-liberty-is-not-personal-license/#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 } } ] } ```