--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Freedom only exists when it doesn't…" description: "\"Freedom only exists when it doesn't belong to anybody.\" — Carlos Varela" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/315/carlos-varela-95020_exists_freedom-only-exists-when-it-doesn-t-belo_1123887.png" --- # Freedom only exists when it doesn't belong to anybody. ![“Freedom only exists when it doesn't belong to anybody.” quote by Carlos Varela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/315/carlos-varela-95020_exists_freedom-only-exists-when-it-doesn-t-belo_1123887.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/315/carlos-varela-95020_exists_freedom-only-exists-when-it-doesn-t-belo_1123887.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/315/carlos-varela-95020_exists_freedom-only-exists-when-it-doesn-t-belo_1123887.png) > “Freedom only exists when it doesn't belong to anybody.” Carlos Varela ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom only truly exists when it is not owned by anyone. **In simple terms:** Freedom is non-ownership. Key Takeaway Value shared liberty. Themes philosophy politics freedom ownership Mood thoughtful philosophical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - legal systems - personal relationships Key Concepts liberal theory anarchism Questions to Reflect On - What does ownership of freedom mean? - Can freedom be truly free? A Different Perspective Absolute freedom may conflict with order. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) ## Related quotes > [Time exists so that everything doesn't happen at once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/time-exists-so-that-everything-doesn-t-happen-at-once/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [Time exists in order that everything doesn’t happen all at once…and space exists so that it doesn’t all happen to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/time-exists-in-order-that-everything-doesn-t-happen-all-at-once-and/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [“Freedom only exists in the choice. When you don't have the choice you are not free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/freedom-only-exists-in-the-choice-when-you-don-t-have-the-choice-you/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [Freedom exists only with power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-schiller/freedom-exists-only-with-power/) [Friedrich Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-schiller/) > [“Freedom only exists when love is present.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/freedom-only-exists-when-love-is-present/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I do not know exactly why, but it seems to me that images do not belong to anybody but are instead there, at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurizio-cattelan/i-do-not-know-exactly-why-but-it-seems-to-me-that-images-do-not/) [Maurizio Cattelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurizio-cattelan/) > [Thoughts don't belong to anybody. When you have fully digested my thought, it becomes as much yours as it's mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/thoughts-don-t-belong-to-anybody-when-you-have-fully-digested-my/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [Oh, she doesn't belong to anybody now,' he said, and suddenly I saw her for what she was - a piece of refuse waiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/oh-she-doesn-t-belong-to-anybody-now-he-said-and-suddenly-i-saw-her/) [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) > [Writers don't own their words. Since when do words belong to anybody. "Your very own words," indeed ! And who are you?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brion-gysin/writers-don-t-own-their-words-since-when-do-words-belong-to-anybody/) [Brion Gysin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brion-gysin/) > [Hope isn't the kind of thing that you can say either exists or doesn't exist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lara-flores/hope-isn-t-the-kind-of-thing-that-you-can-say-either-exists-or-doesn/) [Lara Flores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lara-flores/) > [I rather live as if God exists to find out that He doesn't than live as if he doesn't exist to find out He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/i-rather-live-as-if-god-exists-to-find-out-that-he-doesn-t-than-live/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [The answer is that if God exists, he doesn't seem to mind if you believe in him or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill/the-answer-is-that-if-god-exists-he-doesn-t-seem-to-mind-if-you/) [A. A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill/) > [It is a sad law of politics that just because a problem exists, it doesn't mean a solution exists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-green/it-is-a-sad-law-of-politics-that-just-because-a-problem-exists-it/) [Damian Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-green/) > [Ideal mental health, like freedom, exists for one person only if it exists for all people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-chesler/ideal-mental-health-like-freedom-exists-for-one-person-only-if-it/) [Phyllis Chesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-chesler/) > [The greatest act of self-revelation occurs when we choose what we will believe, in that space of freedom that exists between knowing that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-greatest-act-of-self-revelation-occurs-when-we-choose-what-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Carlos Varela > [A word does not say anything And at the same time it hides everything Just as the wind that hides the water Like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-varela/a-word-does-not-say-anything-and-at-the-same-time-it-hides-everything/) Carlos Varela Explore all 2 Carlos Varela quotes ## More Exists quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [What's gone will never come back, but it exists when you think of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-frusciante/what-s-gone-will-never-come-back-but-it-exists-when-you-think-of-it/) [John Frusciante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-frusciante/) > [ Does God know he \[exists\]?" "Of course he does. Otherwise, you could not have asked the question, and I could not have answered. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/does-god-know-he-exists-of-course-he-does-otherwise-you-could-not/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [I have to admit that I get quite emotional listening to the amazing talent that exists in the New York subways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-o-hare/i-have-to-admit-that-i-get-quite-emotional-listening-to-the-amazing/) [Lisa O'Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-o-hare/) > [No good end exists for any dictator!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/no-good-end-exists-for-any-dictator/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“Nothing exists until it is created.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-coalson/nothing-exists-until-it-is-created/) Les Coalson > [I don't spend much time thinking about whether God exists. I don't consider that a relevant question. It's unanswerable and irrelevant to my life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kaminer/i-don-t-spend-much-time-thinking-about-whether-god-exists-i-don-t/) [Wendy Kaminer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kaminer/) > [Once you realize just the sort of glut of books that exists out there, it does become incumbent on you not to add to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kirn/once-you-realize-just-the-sort-of-glut-of-books-that-exists-out-there/) [Walter Kirn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kirn/) > [The launch of phase 1 Ebola vaccine studies is a first step in developing a vaccine that could be licensed and used in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-launch-of-phase-1-ebola-vaccine-studies-is-a-first-step-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What do I believe? I believe in God, if he exists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/what-do-i-believe-i-believe-in-god-if-he-exists/) [Stanislaw Jerzy Lec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/) > [Love exists to show us how much we can endure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-hesse/love-exists-to-show-us-how-much-we-can-endure/) [Herman Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-hesse/) > [More than ever, Romania now needs to see that a force exists that puts an end to Ponta and Antonescu's abuses and coup d'etat.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/traian-basescu/more-than-ever-romania-now-needs-to-see-that-a-force-exists-that-puts/) [Traian Basescu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/traian-basescu/) > [“Love exists to the extent that you give it away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-woodward-thomas/love-exists-to-the-extent-that-you-give-it-away/) [Katherine Woodward Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-woodward-thomas/) > [Attention may sound dull, but it is an essential aspect of consciousness. In fact, it governs what it is that we turn out to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-mcgilchrist/attention-may-sound-dull-but-it-is-an-essential-aspect-of/) [Iain McGilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-mcgilchrist/) > [That is what poetry can do. It speaks to us of what does not exist, which is not only better than what exists, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-turgenev/that-is-what-poetry-can-do-it-speaks-to-us-of-what-does-not-exist/) [Ivan Turgenev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-turgenev/) Browse all 647 Exists quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Freedom only exists when it doesn't belong to anybody.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Carlos Varela" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-varela/freedom-only-exists-when-it-doesn-t-belong-to-anybody/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Exists" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-varela/freedom-only-exists-when-it-doesn-t-belong-to-anybody/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/315/carlos-varela-95020_exists_freedom-only-exists-when-it-doesn-t-belo_1123887.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/315/carlos-varela-95020_exists_freedom-only-exists-when-it-doesn-t-belo_1123887.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/315/carlos-varela-95020_exists_freedom-only-exists-when-it-doesn-t-belo_1123887.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Freedom only exists when it doesn't belong to anybody.” — Carlos Varela", "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": "Carlos Varela", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-varela/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Freedom only exists when it doesn't...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-varela/freedom-only-exists-when-it-doesn-t-belong-to-anybody/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-varela/freedom-only-exists-when-it-doesn-t-belong-to-anybody/#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 } } ] } ```