--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What the hell does liberty mean anyhow?…" description: "\"“What the hell does liberty mean anyhow? It's just a word like house or table or any other word. Only it's a special kind of word. A guy says house and..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/dalton-trumbo-9732_choices-and-conseque_what-the-hell-does-liberty-mean-anyhow-i_604532.jpg" --- # What the hell does liberty mean anyhow? It's just a word… ![“What the hell does liberty mean anyhow? It's just a word like house or table or any other word. Only it's a special kind of word. A guy says house and he can point to a house to prove it. But a guy says come on let's fight for liberty and he can't show you liberty. He can't prove the thing he is…” quote by Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/dalton-trumbo-9732_choices-and-conseque_what-the-hell-does-liberty-mean-anyhow-i_604532.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/dalton-trumbo-9732_choices-and-conseque_what-the-hell-does-liberty-mean-anyhow-i_604532.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/dalton-trumbo-9732_choices-and-conseque_what-the-hell-does-liberty-mean-anyhow-i_604532.jpg) > ““What the hell does liberty mean anyhow? It's just a word like house or table or any other word. Only it's a special kind of word. A guy says house and he can point to a house to prove it. But a guy says come on let's fight for liberty and he can't show you liberty. He can't prove the thing he is talking about so how in the hell can he be telling you to fight for it?”” [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Liberty is an abstract concept that cannot be physically demonstrated, highlighting the difficulty of defending intangible ideals. **In simple terms:** Liberty is abstract, hard to prove. Key Takeaway Question the basis of abstract ideals. Themes philosophy critical thinking politics Mood skeptical reflective Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - debates on rights - legal reforms - public discourse - education curricula Key Concepts abstract concepts ideological critique Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports your belief in liberty? - How do we protect intangible values? A Different Perspective Abstract ideas can be misused to justify conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choices-and-consequences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices-and-consequences/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [“A guy says house and he can point to a house to prove it. But a guy says come on let's fight for liberty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/a-guy-says-house-and-he-can-point-to-a-house-to-prove-it-but-a-guy/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“Of course a lot of guys were ashamed. Somebody said let's go out and fight for liberty and so they went out and got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/of-course-a-lot-of-guys-were-ashamed-somebody-said-let-s-go-out-and/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [In my house, we have a sign that says, 'As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-williams/in-my-house-we-have-a-sign-that-says-as-for-me-and-my-house-we-will/) [Monty Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monty-williams/) > [My mom says it's her house, but when it's time to clean, it magically becomes my house, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-mom-says-it-s-her-house-but-when-it-s-time-to-clean-it-magically/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When a man says, "Get out of my house! what would you have with my wife?" there is no answer to be made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes/when-a-man-says-get-out-of-my-house-what-would-you-have-with-my-wife/) [Miguel de Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes/) > [“Niall says if he could be in any house in Hogwarts it would be Slytherin with Malfoy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stewart/niall-says-if-he-could-be-in-any-house-in-hogwarts-it-would-be/) [Jessica Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stewart/) > [We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing. With some the word liberty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/we-all-declare-for-liberty-but-in-using-the-same-word-we-do-not-all/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [By liberty I mean the assurance that every man shall be protected in doing what he believes to be his duty against the influences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/by-liberty-i-mean-the-assurance-that-every-man-shall-be-protected-in/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [“The world has never had a good definition of the word liberty, and the American people, just now, are much in want of one.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/the-world-has-never-had-a-good-definition-of-the-word-liberty-and-the-2/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [The liberty I mean is social freedom. It is that state of things in which liberty is secured by the equality of restraint. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/the-liberty-i-mean-is-social-freedom-it-is-that-state-of-things-in/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [Religious liberty should mean religious liberty for everyone, employees as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neera-tanden/religious-liberty-should-mean-religious-liberty-for-everyone/) [Neera Tanden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neera-tanden/) > [By physical liberty I mean the right to do anything which does not interfere with the happiness of another. By intellectual liberty I mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/by-physical-liberty-i-mean-the-right-to-do-anything-which-does-not/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [By liberty I mean the assurance that every man shall be protected in doing what he believes is his duty against the influence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-acton/by-liberty-i-mean-the-assurance-that-every-man-shall-be-protected-in-2/) John Acton > [“They are talking like fools. They are saying that two and two make nothing. They are saying that a man will have to die…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/they-are-talking-like-fools-they-are-saying-that-two-and-two-make/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“There was one of two things I had a right to: liberty or death. If I could not have one, I would take the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-tubman/there-was-one-of-two-things-i-had-a-right-to-liberty-or-death-if-i/) [Harriet Tubman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-tubman/) ## More by Dalton Trumbo > [Everybody now seems to be talking about democracy. I don't understand this. As I think of it, democracy isn't like a Sunday suit to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/everybody-now-seems-to-be-talking-about-democracy-i-don-t-understand/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [I never considered the working class anything other than something to get out of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/i-never-considered-the-working-class-anything-other-than-something-to/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“They died crying in their minds like little babies. They forgot the thing they were fighting for the thing they were dying for. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/they-died-crying-in-their-minds-like-little-babies-they-forgot-the/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [Now the truth of the matter is that there are a lot of things people don't understand. Take the Einstein theory. Take taxes. Take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/now-the-truth-of-the-matter-is-that-there-are-a-lot-of-things-people/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [An animal can learn to fight, but to sing beautiful things and make people believe them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/an-animal-can-learn-to-fight-but-to-sing-beautiful-things-and-make/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“There ought to be at least as much common sense about living and dying as there is about going to the grocery store and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/there-ought-to-be-at-least-as-much-common-sense-about-living-and/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [Goodbye, my love, my life. Goodbye, goodbye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/goodbye-my-love-my-life-goodbye-goodbye/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“Have you ever noticed how many fences there're getting to be? And the signs they got on them: no hunting, no hiking, no admission,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/have-you-ever-noticed-how-many-fences-there-re-getting-to-be-and-the/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [The only kind of love worth having is the kind that goes on living and laughing and fighting and loving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/the-only-kind-of-love-worth-having-is-the-kind-that-goes-on-living/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“The worst criminals on earth are those who toy with love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/the-worst-criminals-on-earth-are-those-who-toy-with-love/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [Privately, I believe in none of them. Neither do you. Publicly, I believe in them all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/privately-i-believe-in-none-of-them-neither-do-you-publicly-i-believe/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“It will be you—-you who urge us on to battle you who incite us against ourselves you who would have one cobbler kill another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/it-will-be-you-you-who-urge-us-on-to-battle-you-who-incite-us-against/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“I am trying to penetrate the mystery of why I am as I am- what I am- I have done everything well and right-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/i-am-trying-to-penetrate-the-mystery-of-why-i-am-as-i-am-what-i-am-i/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [Dishonesty in government is the business of every citizen. It is not enough to do your own job. There's no particular virtue in that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/dishonesty-in-government-is-the-business-of-every-citizen-it-is-not/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“Put the guns into our hands and we will use them. Give us the slogans and we will turn them into reality. Sing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/put-the-guns-into-our-hands-and-we-will-use-them-give-us-the-slogans/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) [Explore all 69 Dalton Trumbo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) ## More Choices-and-consequences quotes > [“Exactly. So, what can't you take? Decide which of the two options is harder, and do the other. That way, no matter how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/exactly-so-what-can-t-you-take-decide-which-of-the-two-options-is/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [“Failing to meet your true destiny is a tragic act of free will.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthon-st-maarten/failing-to-meet-your-true-destiny-is-a-tragic-act-of-free-will/) [Anthon St. Maarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthon-st-maarten/) > [“Was there ever in anyone's life span a point free in time, devoid of memory, a point when choice was any more than sum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/was-there-ever-in-anyone-s-life-span-a-point-free-in-time-devoid-of/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [“Everyone have the free willing to chose which kind of life he wanna live, to be remembered or forgotten”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/el-hachemi-sabi/everyone-have-the-free-willing-to-chose-which-kind-of-life-he-wanna/) El hachemi Sabi > [“You made a choice—a single choice. How neat to think you may have opened the door to a wondrous future without knowing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/you-made-a-choice-a-single-choice-how-neat-to-think-you-may-have/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [“Having choice is nothing but a big illusion created by those who have power to make choices and make another if it goes wrong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crestless-wave/having-choice-is-nothing-but-a-big-illusion-created-by-those-who-have/) Crestless Wave > [“I choose to choose few words each day. Yes! few words that count. Few words that can make impact. Few words that talk much.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/i-choose-to-choose-few-words-each-day-yes-few-words-that-count-few/) [Ernest Agyemang Yeboah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/) > [“Why are we asked to make the most important decisions of our lives when we are so young, and so prone to mistakes?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-park/why-are-we-asked-to-make-the-most-important-decisions-of-our-lives/) [Samuel Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-park/) > [“How could he know this new dawn's light would change his life forever? Set sail to sea, but pulled off course by the light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/metallica/how-could-he-know-this-new-dawn-s-light-would-change-his-life-forever/) [Metallica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/metallica/) > [“Have no regrets in life because of the choices you make. Good or bad, they are a learning experience, to help you grow. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hauenstein/have-no-regrets-in-life-because-of-the-choices-you-make-good-or-bad/) [James Hauenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hauenstein/) > [“Your life is determined by the sum of the choices that YOU make.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/your-life-is-determined-by-the-sum-of-the-choices-that-you-make/) [Frank Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sonnenberg/) > [“Because I don’t even know if this life is right for me anymore. I don’t know what I want to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/because-i-don-t-even-know-if-this-life-is-right-for-me-anymore-i-don/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Choices made, whether bad or good, follow you forever and affect everyone in their path one way or another.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-e-b-spredemann/choices-made-whether-bad-or-good-follow-you-forever-and-affect/) [J.E.B. Spredemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-e-b-spredemann/) > [“And so everything depends on you, Bertie. Bishop or rook. Your life or mine. Do what you believe you have to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/and-so-everything-depends-on-you-bertie-bishop-or-rook-your-life-or/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [“I've spent all the years since full of guilt and misery, even though I didn't remember it. I've let it run my thoughts, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hunter/i-ve-spent-all-the-years-since-full-of-guilt-and-misery-even-though-i/) [Faith Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hunter/) [Browse all 123 Choices-and-consequences quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices-and-consequences/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What the hell does liberty mean anyhow? It's just a word like house or table or any other word. 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