--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So far as discipline is concerned…" description: "\"So far as discipline is concerned, freedom means not its absence but the use of higher and more rational forms as contrasted with those that are lower ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/charles-horton-cooley-8362_absence_so-far-as-discipline-is-concerned-freedo_27364.png" --- # So far as discipline is concerned, freedom means not its… ![“So far as discipline is concerned, freedom means not its absence but the use of higher and more rational forms as contrasted with those that are lower or less rational. A free discipline controls the individual by appealing to his reason and conscience, and therefore to his self-respect; while an…” quote by Charles Horton Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/charles-horton-cooley-8362_absence_so-far-as-discipline-is-concerned-freedo_27364.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/charles-horton-cooley-8362_absence_so-far-as-discipline-is-concerned-freedo_27364.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/charles-horton-cooley-8362_absence_so-far-as-discipline-is-concerned-freedo_27364.png) > “So far as discipline is concerned, freedom means not its absence but the use of higher and more rational forms as contrasted with those that are lower or less rational. A free discipline controls the individual by appealing to his reason and conscience, and therefore to his self-respect; while an unfree control works upon some lower phase of the mind, and so tends to degrade him. It is freedom to be disciplined in as rational a manner as you are fit for.” [Charles Horton Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-horton-cooley/) ## 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 not the lack of discipline but the application of rational, self‑directed self that respects reason and conscience, fostering self‑respect rather than degradation. **In simple terms:** Rational self‑discipline as true freedom Key Takeaway Self‑governance through reason Themes freedom discipline reason self‑respect autonomy human nature Mood thoughtful empowering reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal development - education - leadership training - ethical decision‑making - self‑improvement Key Concepts rationality conscience self‑control psychology Practical Applications - designing curricula that emphasize critical thinking - coaching individuals to align habits with values Questions to Reflect On - How does rational self‑discipline differ from external coercion? - What practices nurture the higher rational self? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) [Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) [Discipline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipline/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-respect/) [Unfree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unfree/) ## Related quotes > [We consider it vital that the community of nations be drawn together in an orderly, disciplined, rational way to review the history of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/we-consider-it-vital-that-the-community-of-nations-be-drawn-together/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [Only disciplined people become free, but their discipline is not obedience to others: their discipline is obedience to their own inner voice. And they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/only-disciplined-people-become-free-but-their-discipline-is-not/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [True freedom is impossible without a mind made free by discipline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/true-freedom-is-impossible-without-a-mind-made-free-by-discipline/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It is said that here we practise free discipline. That's wrong, quite wrong. It would be more correct to say that we are seeking,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-r-braithwaite/it-is-said-that-here-we-practise-free-discipline-that-s-wrong-quite/) [E.R. Braithwaite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-r-braithwaite/) > [Since freedom is not a fixed thing that can be grasped and held once for all, but a growth, any particular society, such as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-horton-cooley/since-freedom-is-not-a-fixed-thing-that-can-be-grasped-and-held-once/) [Charles Horton Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-horton-cooley/) > [So far as discipline is concerned, freedom means not its absence but the use of higher and more rational forms as contrasted with those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-horton-cooley/so-far-as-discipline-is-concerned-freedom-means-not-its-absence-but-2/) [Charles Horton Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-horton-cooley/) > [An unfree mind is just like a windmill inside the bell jar!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/an-unfree-mind-is-just-like-a-windmill-inside-the-bell-jar/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [If the image was sketched onto the canvas and spontaneously drawn, colour would often be restrained and unfree... The most important and the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asger-jorn/if-the-image-was-sketched-onto-the-canvas-and-spontaneously-drawn/) [Asger Jorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asger-jorn/) > [“every human being is… equally unfree, that is, we… create out of freedom, a prison….”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/every-human-being-is-equally-unfree-that-is-we-create-out-of-freedom/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [I remained a socialist for several years, even after my rejection of Marxism; and if there could be such a thing as socialism combined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-remained-a-socialist-for-several-years-even-after-my-rejection-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A society that does not defend itself is doomed. A system that remains passive in the face of attack deserves to go under. Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-crozier/a-society-that-does-not-defend-itself-is-doomed-a-system-that-remains/) Brian Crozier > [Better to sleep in an uncomfortable bed free, than sleep in a comfortable bed unfree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/better-to-sleep-in-an-uncomfortable-bed-free-than-sleep-in-a/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [There's a great Albert Camus quote: 'The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/there-s-a-great-albert-camus-quote-the-only-way-to-deal-with-an/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-only-way-to-deal-with-an-unfree-world-is-to-become-so-absolutely/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [The free market is ugly and stupid, like going to the mall; the unfree market is just as ugly and just as stupid, except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-free-market-is-ugly-and-stupid-like-going-to-the-mall-the-unfree/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Charles Horton Cooley > [To retire to the monastery, or the woods, or the sea, is to escape from the sharp suggestions that spur on ambition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-horton-cooley/to-retire-to-the-monastery-or-the-woods-or-the-sea-is-to-escape-from/) [Charles Horton Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-horton-cooley/) > [Each man must have his I; it is more necessary to him than bread; and if he does not find scope for it within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-horton-cooley/each-man-must-have-his-i-it-is-more-necessary-to-him-than-bread-and/) [Charles Horton Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-horton-cooley/) > [I is a militant social tendency, working to hold and enlarge its place in the general current of tendencies. So far as it can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-horton-cooley/i-is-a-militant-social-tendency-working-to-hold-and-enlarge-its-place/) [Charles Horton Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-horton-cooley/) > [“I am not what I think I am, and I am not what you think I am. I am what I think you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-horton-cooley/i-am-not-what-i-think-i-am-and-i-am-not-what-you-think-i-am-i-am-what/) [Charles Horton Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-horton-cooley/) > [One should never criticize his own work except in a fresh and hopeful mood. The self-criticism of a tired mind is suicide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-horton-cooley/one-should-never-criticize-his-own-work-except-in-a-fresh-and-hopeful/) [Charles Horton Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-horton-cooley/) > [It happens from time to time in every complex and active society, that certain persons feel the complexity and insistence as a tangle, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-horton-cooley/it-happens-from-time-to-time-in-every-complex-and-active-society-that/) [Charles Horton Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-horton-cooley/) > [Since freedom is not a fixed thing that can be grasped and held once for all, but a growth, any particular society, such as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-horton-cooley/since-freedom-is-not-a-fixed-thing-that-can-be-grasped-and-held-once/) [Charles Horton Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-horton-cooley/) > [If we divine a discrepancy between a man's words and his character, the whole impression of him becomes broken and painful; he revolts the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-horton-cooley/if-we-divine-a-discrepancy-between-a-man-s-words-and-his-character/) [Charles Horton Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-horton-cooley/) > [To get away from one's working environment is, in a sense, to get away from one's self; and this is often the chief advantage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-horton-cooley/to-get-away-from-one-s-working-environment-is-in-a-sense-to-get-away/) [Charles Horton Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-horton-cooley/) > [In the days of witchcraft it used to be believed that if one person secretly made a waxen image of another and stuck pins…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-horton-cooley/in-the-days-of-witchcraft-it-used-to-be-believed-that-if-one-person/) [Charles Horton Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-horton-cooley/) > [To persuade is more trouble than to dominate, and the powerful seldom take this trouble if they can avoid it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-horton-cooley/to-persuade-is-more-trouble-than-to-dominate-and-the-powerful-seldom/) [Charles Horton Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-horton-cooley/) > [The social self is simply any idea, or system of ideas, drawn from the communicative life, that the mind cherishes as its own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-horton-cooley/the-social-self-is-simply-any-idea-or-system-of-ideas-drawn-from-the/) [Charles Horton Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-horton-cooley/) > [Form the habit of making decisions when your spirit is fresh...to let dark moods lead is like choosing cowards to command armies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-horton-cooley/form-the-habit-of-making-decisions-when-your-spirit-is-fresh-to-let/) [Charles Horton Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-horton-cooley/) > [The idea of freedom is quite in accord with a general, though vague, sentiment among us; it is an idea of fair play, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-horton-cooley/the-idea-of-freedom-is-quite-in-accord-with-a-general-though-vague/) [Charles Horton Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-horton-cooley/) > [Between richer and poorer classes in a free country a mutually respecting antagonism is much healthier than pity on the one hand and dependence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-horton-cooley/between-richer-and-poorer-classes-in-a-free-country-a-mutually/) [Charles Horton Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-horton-cooley/) [Explore all 81 Charles Horton Cooley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-horton-cooley/) ## More Absence quotes > [Distance sometimes endears friendship, and absence sweeteneth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howell/distance-sometimes-endears-friendship-and-absence-sweeteneth-it/) [James Howell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howell/) > [The work, the work, the work. 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The EPA has served notice that it will enact a rule requiring CO2 reductions by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/local-and-state-governments-have-outrun-the-federal-government-the/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) > [There, in the center of that silence was not eternity but the death of time and a loneliness so profound the word itself had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-in-the-center-of-that-silence-was-not-eternity-but-the-death-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [Of all the bewildering things about a new country, the absence of human landmarks is one of the most depressing and disheartening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/of-all-the-bewildering-things-about-a-new-country-the-absence-of/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [Young men have strong passions and tend to gratify them indiscriminately. Of the bodily desires, it is the sexual by which they are most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/young-men-have-strong-passions-and-tend-to-gratify-them/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [It is suggested that in domestic violence at least the presence or absence of a firearm, or of any other type of weapon, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-greenwood/it-is-suggested-that-in-domestic-violence-at-least-the-presence-or/) [Colin Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-greenwood/) > [The absence of God in most spheres of life is perceived to be normal, and even Christians feel it as normal - which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/the-absence-of-god-in-most-spheres-of-life-is-perceived-to-be-normal/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/every-person-needs-to-take-one-day-away-a-day-in-which-one/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“I was thinking how most people don't make you feel much of anything at all. Don't make you feel like time spent with them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-lotter/i-was-thinking-how-most-people-don-t-make-you-feel-much-of-anything/) [Jane Lotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-lotter/) > [Cooperation isn't the absence of conflict but a means of managing conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/cooperation-isn-t-the-absence-of-conflict-but-a-means-of-managing/) [Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/) > [Many are observing Ferguson and witnessing the anger, demonstrations, looting and vandalism and calling for quiet. But quiet isn't enough. 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Ambedkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-r-ambedkar/) [Browse all 2,057 Absence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "So far as discipline is concerned, freedom means not its absence but the use of higher and more rational forms as contrasted with those that are lower or less rational. A free discipline controls the individual by appealing to his reason and conscience, and therefore to his self-respect; while an unfree control works upon some lower phase of the mind, and so tends to degrade him. 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