--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Freedom is baffling: men having it often…" description: "\"Freedom is baffling: men having it often know not they have it till it is gone and they no longer have it.\" — Carl Sandburg" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a4/carl-sandburg-952_freedom_freedom-is-baffling-men-having-it-often_547699.png" --- # Freedom is baffling: men having it often know not they… ![“Freedom is baffling: men having it often know not they have it till it is gone and they no longer have it.” quote by Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a4/carl-sandburg-952_freedom_freedom-is-baffling-men-having-it-often_547699.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a4/carl-sandburg-952_freedom_freedom-is-baffling-men-having-it-often_547699.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a4/carl-sandburg-952_freedom_freedom-is-baffling-men-having-it-often_547699.png) > “Freedom is baffling: men having it often know not they have it till it is gone and they no longer have it.” [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom is often unnoticed until it disappears, revealing its value only in loss. **In simple terms:** We only appreciate freedom after it’s gone. Key Takeaway Recognize and cherish freedom now. Themes freedom appreciation loss awareness Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal relationships - political activism - daily gratitude - rights advocacy Key Concepts existential psychology value perception Questions to Reflect On - How do you notice freedom in everyday life? - What habits help you value it continuously? A Different Perspective People may take freedom for granted, leading to complacency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ## Related quotes > [“Their sons go out to nightclubs looking for meat and get their girlfriends pregnant, they have kids out of wedlock and no one says…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/their-sons-go-out-to-nightclubs-looking-for-meat-and-get-their/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [“some men still don’t believe that a woman’s sexual appetite can be as important to satisfy as theirs. Or they don’t believe a woman’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-marie-adeline/some-men-still-don-t-believe-that-a-woman-s-sexual-appetite-can-be-as/) L. Marie Adeline > [Men are having sex with animals and we wonder why the animals attack us. And I'll tell you why: it's cuz of that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-attell/men-are-having-sex-with-animals-and-we-wonder-why-the-animals-attack/) [Dave Attell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-attell/) > [It's definitely part of it, that the men were having fun and doing the interesting things but also, I don't know, I'm just thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-bechdel/it-s-definitely-part-of-it-that-the-men-were-having-fun-and-doing-the/) [Alison Bechdel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-bechdel/) > [ Happy will be the men who, having the power and the love and the benevolent forecast to \[create a park\], will do it. They… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/happy-will-be-the-men-who-having-the-power-and-the-love-and-the/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [I don't think I'm ever forgiven for anything, which is baffling because I'm not on TV that much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-think-i-m-ever-forgiven-for-anything-which-is-baffling/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ It's baffling why the issues relating to climate change - \[which\] have far more obvious and tangible and much more clear-cut evidence about the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/it-s-baffling-why-the-issues-relating-to-climate-change-which-have/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [Early youth is a baffling time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-catton/early-youth-is-a-baffling-time/) [Bruce Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-catton/) > [Sometimes a concept is baffling not because it is profound but because it is wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-a-concept-is-baffling-not-because-it-is-profound-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“All this, this luck – what did it mean? Coming so suddenly, and on such a scale, it was as baffling as a misfortune.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/all-this-this-luck-what-did-it-mean-coming-so-suddenly-and-on-such-a/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [When things are baffling they usually don't unbaffle themselves.There's just, you know, a certain amount of baffling stuff that always, like, really baffles you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/when-things-are-baffling-they-usually-don-t-unbaffle-themselves-there/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“If you think about the class-size puzzle this way, then what seems baffling starts to make a little more sense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/if-you-think-about-the-class-size-puzzle-this-way-then-what-seems/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [If then, your world be such a baffling riddle, it is because you are that baffling riddle. And if your speech be such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-naimy/if-then-your-world-be-such-a-baffling-riddle-it-is-because-you-are/) [Mikhail Naimy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-naimy/) > [“The most baffling mystery about American democracy is why putting such a brilliant idea into practice seems to attract all the wrong people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gustafson/the-most-baffling-mystery-about-american-democracy-is-why-putting/) [David Gustafson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gustafson/) > [What's really baffling to me is the way that the technology has risen up to help us become more materialistic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/what-s-really-baffling-to-me-is-the-way-that-the-technology-has-risen/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) ## More by Carl Sandburg > [Arithmetic is numbers you squeeze from your head to your hand to your pencil to your paper till you get the answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/arithmetic-is-numbers-you-squeeze-from-your-head-to-your-hand-to-your/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [Gather the stars if you wish it so Gather the songs and keep them. Gather the faces of women. Gather for keeping years and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/gather-the-stars-if-you-wish-it-so-gather-the-songs-and-keep-them/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [Back of every mistaken venture and defeat is the laughter of wisdom, if you listen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/back-of-every-mistaken-venture-and-defeat-is-the-laughter-of-wisdom/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [Somebody's little girl- how easy it is to make a sob story over who she once was and who she now is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/somebody-s-little-girl-how-easy-it-is-to-make-a-sob-story-over-who/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [Let your heart look on white sea spray and be lonely. Love is a fool star. You and a ring of stars may mention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/let-your-heart-look-on-white-sea-spray-and-be-lonely-love-is-a-fool/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [Two bubbles found they had rainbows on their curves. They flickered out saying: "It was worth being a bubble, just to have held that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/two-bubbles-found-they-had-rainbows-on-their-curves-they-flickered/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [Poetry is a series of explanations of life, fading off into horizons too swift for explanations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/poetry-is-a-series-of-explanations-of-life-fading-off-into-horizons/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [There are ten men in me and I do not know or understand one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/there-are-ten-men-in-me-and-i-do-not-know-or-understand-one-of-them/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [The drum in a dream pounds loud to the dreamer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/the-drum-in-a-dream-pounds-loud-to-the-dreamer/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [“Time is the most valuable coin in your life. You and you alone will determine how that coin will be spent. Be careful that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/time-is-the-most-valuable-coin-in-your-life-you-and-you-alone-will/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [Poetry is the opening and closing of a door, leaving those who look through to guess about what is seen during the moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/poetry-is-the-opening-and-closing-of-a-door-leaving-those-who-look/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [a women is like a tea bag.it's only when she is in hot water that you realize how strong she is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/a-women-is-like-a-tea-bag-it-s-only-when-she-is-in-hot-water-that-you/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [My name is Truth and I am the most elusive captive in the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/my-name-is-truth-and-i-am-the-most-elusive-captive-in-the-universe/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [I won't take my religion from any man who never works except with his mouth and never cherishes any memory except the face of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/i-won-t-take-my-religion-from-any-man-who-never-works-except-with-his/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [Rest is not a word of free people. Rest is a monarchical word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/rest-is-not-a-word-of-free-people-rest-is-a-monarchical-word/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) [Explore all 320 Carl Sandburg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) ## 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": "Freedom is baffling: men having it often know not they have it till it is gone and they no longer have it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Carl Sandburg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/freedom-is-baffling-men-having-it-often-know-not-they-have-it-till-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Freedom" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/freedom-is-baffling-men-having-it-often-know-not-they-have-it-till-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a4/carl-sandburg-952_freedom_freedom-is-baffling-men-having-it-often_547699.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a4/carl-sandburg-952_freedom_freedom-is-baffling-men-having-it-often_547699.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a4/carl-sandburg-952_freedom_freedom-is-baffling-men-having-it-often_547699.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Freedom is baffling: men having it often know not they have it till it is gone and they no longer have it.” — Carl Sandburg", "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": "Carl Sandburg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Freedom is baffling: men having it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/freedom-is-baffling-men-having-it-often-know-not-they-have-it-till-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/freedom-is-baffling-men-having-it-often-know-not-they-have-it-till-it/#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 } } ] } ```