--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man should be free to do what he wants…" description: "\"A man should be free to do what he wants to do, as long as it doesn't hurt others.\" — David Gemmell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/962/david-gemmell-1821_free_a-man-should-be-free-to-do-what-he-wants_1497336.png" --- # A man should be free to do what he wants to do, as long as… ![“A man should be free to do what he wants to do, as long as it doesn't hurt others.” quote by David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/962/david-gemmell-1821_free_a-man-should-be-free-to-do-what-he-wants_1497336.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/962/david-gemmell-1821_free_a-man-should-be-free-to-do-what-he-wants_1497336.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/962/david-gemmell-1821_free_a-man-should-be-free-to-do-what-he-wants_1497336.png) > “A man should be free to do what he wants to do, as long as it doesn't hurt others.” [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) ## 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 acceptable until it harms others, emphasizing personal liberty with responsibility. **In simple terms:** Be free as long as you don’t hurt others. Key Takeaway Respect others’ rights. Themes freedom responsibility ethics Mood thoughtful balanced Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - workplace - public spaces - online interactions - family life Key Concepts social contract personal liberty Questions to Reflect On - When does personal freedom become harmful? - How can we protect both liberty and safety? A Different Perspective Balancing freedom and safety can be complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Hurt Others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt-others/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ## Related quotes > [She is free to do what she wants, and free not to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/she-is-free-to-do-what-she-wants-and-free-not-to-do-it/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [I'm just the guy who loves to be free and do what he wants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/weston-mckennie/i-m-just-the-guy-who-loves-to-be-free-and-do-what-he-wants/) [Weston McKennie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/weston-mckennie/) > [A woman can do anything she wants as long as she doesn't do anything she wants! She can go anywhere she likes as long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-kallen/a-woman-can-do-anything-she-wants-as-long-as-she-doesn-t-do-anything/) [Lucille Kallen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-kallen/) > [Have you ever thought about those last moments of your life? Nobody wants a long, lingering illness; nobody wants just that; but it would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kidd-kraddick/have-you-ever-thought-about-those-last-moments-of-your-life-nobody/) Kidd Kraddick > [“And for always getting what she wants in the long run, commend me to a nasty woman.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/and-for-always-getting-what-she-wants-in-the-long-run-commend-me-to-a/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [Inequity solace in your driven state sieze your right to earn the same she wants it, how long must we wait till they take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quicksand/inequity-solace-in-your-driven-state-sieze-your-right-to-earn-the/) [Quicksand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quicksand/) > [As precious as life itself is our heritage of individual freedom, for man's free agency is a God-given gift.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-mckay/as-precious-as-life-itself-is-our-heritage-of-individual-freedom-for/) [David O. McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-mckay/) > [ Man is free; but not unless he believes he is\[.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-casanova/man-is-free-but-not-unless-he-believes-he-is/) [Giacomo Casanova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-casanova/) > [Let me be a free man - free to travel, free to stop, free to work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chief-joseph/let-me-be-a-free-man-free-to-travel-free-to-stop-free-to-work/) [Chief Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chief-joseph/) > [Man is free; yet we must not suppose that he is at liberty to do everything he pleases, for he becomes a slave the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-casanova/man-is-free-yet-we-must-not-suppose-that-he-is-at-liberty-to-do/) [Giacomo Casanova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-casanova/) > [Without self knowledge, without understanding the working and functions of his machine, man cannot be free, he cannot govern himself and he will always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/without-self-knowledge-without-understanding-the-working-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Whatever does not spring from a man's free choice, or is only the result of instruction and guidance, does not enter into his very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-von-humboldt/whatever-does-not-spring-from-a-man-s-free-choice-or-is-only-the/) [Wilhelm von Humboldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-von-humboldt/) > [Every virtuous man is free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philo/every-virtuous-man-is-free/) [Philo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philo/) > [The dignity of man is in free choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-frisch/the-dignity-of-man-is-in-free-choice/) [Max Frisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-frisch/) > [Only when he voluntarily chooses that which he inexorably must do, has man any free will at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/only-when-he-voluntarily-chooses-that-which-he-inexorably-must-do-has/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by David Gemmell > [Do not complain of life's unfairness. It is never fair - at best it is impartial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/do-not-complain-of-life-s-unfairness-it-is-never-fair-at-best-it-is/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [“It seems to me, that you people spend a great deal of time talking about honour, but strip away the high sounding words and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/it-seems-to-me-that-you-people-spend-a-great-deal-of-time-talking/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [Makes no sense to me,' said Huntsekker. 'You don't know who is at your door, but you know the thoughts of a man twenty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/makes-no-sense-to-me-said-huntsekker-you-don-t-know-who-is-at-your/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [I may be stupid, as you say, to believe in honour and friendship and loyalty without price. But these are virtues to be cherished,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/i-may-be-stupid-as-you-say-to-believe-in-honour-and-friendship-and/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [When your life has been spent in one war after another for forty-five years, you have to be pretty handy to survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/when-your-life-has-been-spent-in-one-war-after-another-for-forty-five/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [When healers yearn to kill then hope begins to die ... Evil cannot be overcome by evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/when-healers-yearn-to-kill-then-hope-begins-to-die-evil-cannot-be/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [I have discovered in my long life that there are many words and phrases which have more power than any spell of magick. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/i-have-discovered-in-my-long-life-that-there-are-many-words-and/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [“Listen...You could spend a lifetime trying to understand the works of evil men. Their joys are not ours. They love to inflict pain, create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/listen-you-could-spend-a-lifetime-trying-to-understand-the-works-of/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [ We are full of dreams \[...\] We long for the unattainable. We believe in the nonsense of fables. There is no pure love; there… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/we-are-full-of-dreams-we-long-for-the-unattainable-we-believe-in-the/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [It is easier with strangers, for they touch your life but for an instant. 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For me it is different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/all-men-have-talents-some-build-some-paint-some-write-some-fight-for/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [“Never violate a woman, nor harm a child. Do not lie, cheat or steal. These things are for lesser men. Protect the weak against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/never-violate-a-woman-nor-harm-a-child-do-not-lie-cheat-or-steal/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [“The truth? What the Hell is the truth? We're born, we live and we die. Everything else is just shades of opinion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/the-truth-what-the-hell-is-the-truth-we-re-born-we-live-and-we-die/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) [Explore all 201 David Gemmell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) ## More Free quotes > [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [If you love anything set it free unless it is a tiger..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kshitij-roshan/if-you-love-anything-set-it-free-unless-it-is-a-tiger/) [Kshitij Roshan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kshitij-roshan/) > [I free slaves because I believe we are all created equal. I just can't think of anything that has a higher purpose than putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-williams/i-free-slaves-because-i-believe-we-are-all-created-equal-i-just-can-t/) [Virginia Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-williams/) > [There are certain things you must not say in spite of the fact that supposedly democracy means free speech. 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We want paperless transactions. We will set up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/we-want-to-free-our-citizens-from-the-burden-of-excessive-paper/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [All theory is against free will; all experience is for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/all-theory-is-against-free-will-all-experience-is-for-it/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“She felt wild and unruly, determined and free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stabile/she-felt-wild-and-unruly-determined-and-free/) [Scott Stabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stabile/) > [Love doesnt stake claims. It is free for the giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-minagar/love-doesnt-stake-claims-it-is-free-for-the-giving/) [Melody Minagar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-minagar/) > [It is true that from a behavioral economics perspective we are fallible, easily confused, not that smart, and often irrational. We are more like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/it-is-true-that-from-a-behavioral-economics-perspective-we-are/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [Music is how I get free. It's a way to shut the rest of the world down and create your own world within it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gift-of-gab/music-is-how-i-get-free-it-s-a-way-to-shut-the-rest-of-the-world-down/) Gift of Gab > [The dignity of man is in free choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-frisch/the-dignity-of-man-is-in-free-choice/) [Max Frisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-frisch/) Browse all 6,143 Free quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A man should be free to do what he wants to do, as long as it doesn't hurt others.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Gemmell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/a-man-should-be-free-to-do-what-he-wants-to-do-as-long-as-it-doesn-t/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Free" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/a-man-should-be-free-to-do-what-he-wants-to-do-as-long-as-it-doesn-t/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/962/david-gemmell-1821_free_a-man-should-be-free-to-do-what-he-wants_1497336.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/962/david-gemmell-1821_free_a-man-should-be-free-to-do-what-he-wants_1497336.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/962/david-gemmell-1821_free_a-man-should-be-free-to-do-what-he-wants_1497336.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A man should be free to do what he wants to do, as long as it doesn't hurt others.” — David Gemmell", "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": "David Gemmell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A man should be free to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/a-man-should-be-free-to-do-what-he-wants-to-do-as-long-as-it-doesn-t/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/a-man-should-be-free-to-do-what-he-wants-to-do-as-long-as-it-doesn-t/#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 } } ] } ```