--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is no such thing as freedom of…" description: "\"There is no such thing as freedom of choice unless there is freedom to refuse.\" — David Hume" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/383/david-hume-538_choice_there-is-no-such-thing-as-freedom-of-cho_2386228.jpg" --- # There is no such thing as freedom of choice unless there… ![“There is no such thing as freedom of choice unless there is freedom to refuse.” quote by David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/383/david-hume-538_choice_there-is-no-such-thing-as-freedom-of-cho_2386228.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/383/david-hume-538_choice_there-is-no-such-thing-as-freedom-of-cho_2386228.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/383/david-hume-538_choice_there-is-no-such-thing-as-freedom-of-cho_2386228.jpg) > “There is no such thing as freedom of choice unless there is freedom to refuse.” [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom requires the ability to reject options, not merely to choose among them. **In simple terms:** Freedom includes the power to say no. Key Takeaway Ensure you can decline as a form of autonomy. Themes freedom choice autonomy ethics political theory Mood reflective critical Type philosophical contemplative When to use this quote - contract negotiations - consumer decisions - political voting - personal relationships - career moves Key Concepts Negative liberty volition moral agency Questions to Reflect On - What does refusal mean to you? - Can true choice exist without meaningful alternatives? A Different Perspective Real freedom also needs viable alternatives; refusing is limited if options are poor. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom of choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-of-choice/) ## Related quotes > [“Maybe friendship can't begin until someone chooses you. But... that doesn't mean you don't get to make a choice too. You can't do that...unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miyoshi-tomori/maybe-friendship-can-t-begin-until-someone-chooses-you-but-that-doesn/) [Miyoshi Tomori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miyoshi-tomori/) > [Excuse my absolute freedom. I refuse to make a distinction between any of the moments of myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-artaud/excuse-my-absolute-freedom-i-refuse-to-make-a-distinction-between-any/) [Antonin Artaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-artaud/) > [There is no freedom that I would grant to any man that I would refuse to woman, and there is no freedom that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-tucker/there-is-no-freedom-that-i-would-grant-to-any-man-that-i-would-refuse/) [Benjamin Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-tucker/) > [Only very slowly and late have men come to realize that unless freedom is universal it is only extended privilege.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edward-christopher-hill/only-very-slowly-and-late-have-men-come-to-realize-that-unless/) John Edward Christopher Hill > [You don't have freedom unless you have the freedom to do stupid self-destructive things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/you-don-t-have-freedom-unless-you-have-the-freedom-to-do-stupid-self/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [You can't separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/you-can-t-separate-peace-from-freedom-because-no-one-can-be-at-peace/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [I was 37 when my father died-and I no longer had any freedom of choice over what I would do with the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-37-when-my-father-died-and-i-no-longer-had-any-freedom-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Voting is a meaningless exercise. I'm not going to waste my time with it. These parties, these politicians are given to us as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/voting-is-a-meaningless-exercise-i-m-not-going-to-waste-my-time-with/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [Every market has some rules and boundaries that restrict freedom of choice. A market looks free only because we so unconditionally accept its underlying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/every-market-has-some-rules-and-boundaries-that-restrict-freedom-of/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [“... freedom of choice is possible. Life is going to unfold however it does: pleasant or unpleasant, disappointing or thrilling, expected or unexpected, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-boorstein/freedom-of-choice-is-possible-life-is-going-to-unfold-however-it-does/) [Sylvia Boorstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-boorstein/) > [In America, we have freedom of choice. But some are free to choose between Lamborghini and Rolls Royce while others are free to choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-morello/in-america-we-have-freedom-of-choice-but-some-are-free-to-choose/) [Tom Morello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-morello/) > [Without freedom of choice, there is no creativity. Without creativity, there is no life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/without-freedom-of-choice-there-is-no-creativity-without-creativity/) [Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/) > [We need the children of Indonesia and the Philippines to manufacture our freedom of choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-maron/we-need-the-children-of-indonesia-and-the-philippines-to-manufacture/) [Marc Maron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-maron/) > [We owe this freedom of choice and action to those men and women in uniform who have served this nation and its interests in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/we-owe-this-freedom-of-choice-and-action-to-those-men-and-women-in/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [“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/) ## More by David Hume > [“Beauty in things exists in the mind that contemplates them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/beauty-in-things-exists-in-the-mind-that-contemplates-them/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [“It is impossible for us to think of any thing, which we have not antecedently felt, either by our external or internal senses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/it-is-impossible-for-us-to-think-of-any-thing-which-we-have-not/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [All morality depends upon our sentiments; and when any action or quality of the mind pleases us after a certain manner we say it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/all-morality-depends-upon-our-sentiments-and-when-any-action-or/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [And indeed nothing but the most determined scepticism, along with a great degree of indolence, can justify this aversion to metaphysics. For if truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/and-indeed-nothing-but-the-most-determined-scepticism-along-with-a/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [...virtue is attended by more peace of mind than vice, and meets with a more favourable reception from the world. I am sensible, that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/virtue-is-attended-by-more-peace-of-mind-than-vice-and-meets-with-a/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [That the sun will not rise tomorrow is no less intelligible a proposition, and implies no more contradiction, than the affirmation, that it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/that-the-sun-will-not-rise-tomorrow-is-no-less-intelligible-a/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [We may conclude, therefore, that, in order to establish laws for the regulation of property, we must be acquainted with the nature and situation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/we-may-conclude-therefore-that-in-order-to-establish-laws-for-the/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [The observation of human blindness and weakness is the result of all philosophy, and meets us at every turn, in spite of our endeavours…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/the-observation-of-human-blindness-and-weakness-is-the-result-of-all/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [The religious hypothesis, therefore, must be considered only as a particular method of accounting for the visible phenomena of the universe: but no just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/the-religious-hypothesis-therefore-must-be-considered-only-as-a/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [Manufacturers...gradually shift their places, leaving those countries and provinces which they have already enriched, and flying to others, whether they are allured by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/manufacturers-gradually-shift-their-places-leaving-those-countries/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [We may observe that, in displaying the praises of any humane, beneficent man, there is one circumstance which never fails to be amply insisted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/we-may-observe-that-in-displaying-the-praises-of-any-humane/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [“The most perfect happiness, surely, must arise from the contemplation of the most perfect object.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/the-most-perfect-happiness-surely-must-arise-from-the-contemplation/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [“They all make up new species of crime and bring unhappiness in their train. When I hear a man is religious , I conclude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/they-all-make-up-new-species-of-crime-and-bring-unhappiness-in-their/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [There is not to be found, in all history, any miracle attested by a sufficient number of men, of such unquestioned good sense, education…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/there-is-not-to-be-found-in-all-history-any-miracle-attested-by-a/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [“But though there be naturally a wide difference in point of delicacy between one person and another, nothing tends further to encrease and improve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/but-though-there-be-naturally-a-wide-difference-in-point-of-delicacy/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) [Explore all 487 David Hume quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) ## More Choice quotes > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [“That’s all! Now either leave us alone or join us as a father rather than a receiver of sacrifices. You have the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/that-s-all-now-either-leave-us-alone-or-join-us-as-a-father-rather/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“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/) > [“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/) > [“too—I realized that my only hope was to give up the life that had been, in order to make room for the life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/too-i-realized-that-my-only-hope-was-to-give-up-the-life-that-had/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [There has always been a feeling with people that they love my singing but not always the choice of material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/there-has-always-been-a-feeling-with-people-that-they-love-my-singing/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [I have too many options when it comes to guitars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-nielsen/i-have-too-many-options-when-it-comes-to-guitars/) [Rick Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-nielsen/) > [“Amazing how a small choice can change your life forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-c-dockens/amazing-how-a-small-choice-can-change-your-life-forever/) Randy C. Dockens > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Since I don't outline my books very much, I feel like sometimes I don't have a choice in what the characters do; they just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-todd/since-i-don-t-outline-my-books-very-much-i-feel-like-sometimes-i-don/) [Anna Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-todd/) > [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [Words can only have an effect on you if you choose to listen to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/words-can-only-have-an-effect-on-you-if-you-choose-to-listen-to-them/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) [Browse all 8,092 Choice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is no such thing as freedom of choice unless there is freedom to refuse.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Hume" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/there-is-no-such-thing-as-freedom-of-choice-unless-there-is-freedom/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Choice" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/there-is-no-such-thing-as-freedom-of-choice-unless-there-is-freedom/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/383/david-hume-538_choice_there-is-no-such-thing-as-freedom-of-cho_2386228.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/383/david-hume-538_choice_there-is-no-such-thing-as-freedom-of-cho_2386228.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/383/david-hume-538_choice_there-is-no-such-thing-as-freedom-of-cho_2386228.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is no such thing as freedom of choice unless there is freedom to refuse.” — David Hume", "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 Hume", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There is no such thing as...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/there-is-no-such-thing-as-freedom-of-choice-unless-there-is-freedom/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/there-is-no-such-thing-as-freedom-of-choice-unless-there-is-freedom/#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 } } ] } ```