---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Private property began the instant…"
description: "\"Private property began the instant somebody had a mind of his own.\" — e. e. cummings"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2e/e-e-cummings-2586_instant_private-property-began-the-instant-someb_1873644.png"
---

#  Private property began the instant somebody had a mind of…

![“Private property began the instant somebody had a mind of his own.” quote by e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2e/e-e-cummings-2586_instant_private-property-began-the-instant-someb_1873644.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2e/e-e-cummings-2586_instant_private-property-began-the-instant-someb_1873644.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2e/e-e-cummings-2586_instant_private-property-began-the-instant-someb_1873644.png)

> “Private property began the instant somebody had a mind of his own.”

[e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Ownership arises when an individual asserts independent thought, implying that true property is mental autonomy.

**In simple terms:** Private property starts with independent thinking.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate personal mental independence.

Themes

individualism property autonomy creativity

Mood

thoughtful assertive

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- entrepreneurship
- artistic creation
- intellectual property
- personal boundaries

Key Concepts

philosophy political theory

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you protect your mental space?
- What does 'property' mean to you?

A Different Perspective

Legal definitions of property differ from mental ownership.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Private property](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/private-property/) [Property](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/property/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/)

## Related quotes

> [What's fascinating about acting is that you put yourself in somebody else's mind or in their shoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dermot-mulroney/what-s-fascinating-about-acting-is-that-you-put-yourself-in-somebody/)

[Dermot Mulroney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dermot-mulroney/)

> [That is the trouble, everybody is giving everything in the world a piece of their minds. Whereas what we want is not a piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurens-van-der-post/that-is-the-trouble-everybody-is-giving-everything-in-the-world-a/)

[Laurens van der Post](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurens-van-der-post/)

> [You never know what's going on in somebody's mind. There's a lot of pressure on someone growing up. You have to watch it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/you-never-know-what-s-going-on-in-somebody-s-mind-there-s-a-lot-of/)

[Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/)

> [The Bolsheviks started not just on the killing of private property; they were trying to abolish money itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatoly-chubais/the-bolsheviks-started-not-just-on-the-killing-of-private-property/)

[Anatoly Chubais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatoly-chubais/)

> [Private property is a necessary institution, at least in a fallen world; men work more and dispute less when goods are private than when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-h-tawney/private-property-is-a-necessary-institution-at-least-in-a-fallen/)

[R. H. Tawney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-h-tawney/)

> [Liberalism makes this mistake in regard to private property and Marxism makes it in regard to socialized property... The Marxist illusion is partly derived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/liberalism-makes-this-mistake-in-regard-to-private-property-and/)

[Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/)

> [When your cat rubs the side of its face along your leg, it's affectionately marking you with its scent, identifying you as its private…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-mcdonough/when-your-cat-rubs-the-side-of-its-face-along-your-leg-it-s/)

Susan McDonough

> [“It is worth noting that honoring private property rights protects not just the rich; it especially protects the poor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-raleigh/it-is-worth-noting-that-honoring-private-property-rights-protects-not/)

Helen Raleigh

> [“A time of ongoing cultural revolution when the adversaries of Christianity have made plain their intent to use the state machinery to promote radical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-woods-jr/a-time-of-ongoing-cultural-revolution-when-the-adversaries-of/)

Thomas Woods Jr

> [No one spends someone elses money as carefully as he spends his own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-skousen/no-one-spends-someone-elses-money-as-carefully-as-he-spends-his-own/)

[Mark Skousen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-skousen/)

> [There are, after all, atheists who say they wish the fable were true but are unable to suspend the requisite disbelief, or who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-are-after-all-atheists-who-say-they-wish-the-fable-were-true/)

[Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/)

> [Climate change is not an excuse to give the federal government ever more power over private property and state resources.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luther-strange/climate-change-is-not-an-excuse-to-give-the-federal-government-ever/)

[Luther Strange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luther-strange/)

> [The system of private property is the most important guaranty of freedom, not only for those who own property, but scarcely less for those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/the-system-of-private-property-is-the-most-important-guaranty-of/)

[Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/)

> [Every human creates his own problems. Problems are ones private property and we shouldnt meddle into them self-initiatively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-papian/every-human-creates-his-own-problems-problems-are-ones-private/)

[Ruben Papian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-papian/)

> [It must be assumed and established as a principle, that the right of private property must be regarded as sacred. Wherefore, the law ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-xiii/it-must-be-assumed-and-established-as-a-principle-that-the-right-of/)

[Pope Leo XIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-xiii/)

## More by e. e. cummings

> [I would rather learn from one bird how to sing than to teach 10,000 stars how not to dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/i-would-rather-learn-from-one-bird-how-to-sing-than-to-teach-10-000/)

[e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/)

> [“I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/i-d-rather-learn-from-one-bird-how-to-sing-than-teach-ten-thousand/)

[e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/)

> [The intellectuals' chief cause of anguish are one another's works. Jacques Barzun, 1959 all ignorance toboggans into know and trudges up to ignorance again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/the-intellectuals-chief-cause-of-anguish-are-one-another-s-works/)

[e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/)

> [There is no music unless the drum and the drummer are one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/there-is-no-music-unless-the-drum-and-the-drummer-are-one/)

[e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/)

> [“...for life's not a paragraph/ and death, i think, is no parenthesis.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/for-life-s-not-a-paragraph-and-death-i-think-is-no-parenthesis/)

[e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/)

> [The symbol of all art is the Prism. The goal is unrealism. The method is destructive. To break up the white light of objective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/the-symbol-of-all-art-is-the-prism-the-goal-is-unrealism-the-method/)

[e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/)

> [All ignorance toboggans into know and trudges up to ignorance again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/all-ignorance-toboggans-into-know-and-trudges-up-to-ignorance-again/)

[e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/)

> [So far as I am concerned, poetry and every other art was and is and forever will be strictly and distinctly a question of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/so-far-as-i-am-concerned-poetry-and-every-other-art-was-and-is-and/)

[e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/)

> [it's spring when the world is puddle-wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/it-s-spring-when-the-world-is-puddle-wonderful/)

[e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/)

> [Women and men(both little and small) cared for anyone not at all they sowed their isn’t they reaped their same sun moon stars rain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/women-and-men-both-little-and-small-cared-for-anyone-not-at-all-they/)

[e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/)

> [O to be in finland/ now that russia's here)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/o-to-be-in-finland-now-that-russia-s-here/)

[e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/)

> [wholly to be a fool while Spring is in the world my blood approves, and kisses are a far better fate than wisdom lady…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/wholly-to-be-a-fool-while-spring-is-in-the-world-my-blood-approves-2/)

[e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/)

> [Art is a mystery. A mystery is something immeasurable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/art-is-a-mystery-a-mystery-is-something-immeasurable/)

[e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/)

> [one day anyone died i guess (and noone stooped to kiss his face) busy folk buried them side by side little by little and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/one-day-anyone-died-i-guess-and-noone-stooped-to-kiss-his-face-busy/)

[e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/)

> [“sweet spring is your time is my time is our time for springtime is lovetime and viva sweet love (all the merry little birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/sweet-spring-is-your-time-is-my-time-is-our-time-for-springtime-is/)

[E. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/)

[Explore all 159 e. e. cummings quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/)

## More Instant quotes

> [Any moment,everything can change.. - Hilary Duff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-duff/any-moment-everything-can-change-hilary-duff/)

[Hilary Duff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-duff/)

> [To be positive at all times is to ignore all that is important, sacred or valuable. To be negative at all times is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-cobain/to-be-positive-at-all-times-is-to-ignore-all-that-is-important-sacred/)

[Kurt Cobain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-cobain/)

> [The bird with the thorn in its breast, it follows an immutable law; it is driven by it knows not what to impale itself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-mccullough/the-bird-with-the-thorn-in-its-breast-it-follows-an-immutable-law-it/)

[Colleen McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-mccullough/)

> [Early on a difficult climb, especially a solo climb, you’re hyper-aware of the abyss pulling at your back, constantly feeling its call, its immense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-krakauer/early-on-a-difficult-climb-especially-a-solo-climb-you-re-hyper-aware/)

[Jon Krakauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-krakauer/)

> [Unpleasant questions are being raised about Mother's Day. Is this day necessary? . . . Isn't it bad public policy? . . . No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/unpleasant-questions-are-being-raised-about-mother-s-day-is-this-day/)

[Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/)

> [There were so many Pittsburgh poets in my hallway that if, at that instant, a meteorite had come smashing through my roof, there would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/there-were-so-many-pittsburgh-poets-in-my-hallway-that-if-at-that/)

[Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/)

> [ I became an instant fan of the show \[Underground\] seconds into the opening frames of the pilot. When that drone shot carried us through… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aisha-hinds/i-became-an-instant-fan-of-the-show-underground-seconds-into-the/)

[Aisha Hinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aisha-hinds/)

> [You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world, and a compulsion to do something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-mitchell/you-develop-an-instant-global-consciousness-a-people-orientation-an/)

[Edgar Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-mitchell/)

> [So for a period of time each day, try to sit, without moving, without expecting anything, as if you were in your last moment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-for-a-period-of-time-each-day-try-to-sit-without-moving-without/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [My photographs are not just about the instant of movement you capture in the camera. It's much more total, about constant movement that became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-orozco/my-photographs-are-not-just-about-the-instant-of-movement-you-capture/)

[Gabriel Orozco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-orozco/)

> [But people who think they can project themselves into deafness are mistaken because you can't. And I'm not talking about imagining what a deaf…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-masur/but-people-who-think-they-can-project-themselves-into-deafness-are/)

[Richard Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-masur/)

> [Technology has just been the major progression of the last 15 years - instant communication. That stuff has gone so global. That's what's interesting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ti-west/technology-has-just-been-the-major-progression-of-the-last-15-years/)

[Ti West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ti-west/)

> [Practically everything from hairstyles to lifestyles is endorsed as some sort of drug to be taken Now for Instant Relief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-hoff/practically-everything-from-hairstyles-to-lifestyles-is-endorsed-as/)

[Benjamin Hoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-hoff/)

> [I have no policy, for or against: only a personal style. Which is to say, I use them when I think it's appropriate to;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/i-have-no-policy-for-or-against-only-a-personal-style-which-is-to-say/)

[Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/)

> [We study health, and we deliberate upon our meats and drink and air and exercises, and we hew and we polish every stone that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/we-study-health-and-we-deliberate-upon-our-meats-and-drink-and-air/)

[John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/)

Browse all 1,435 Instant quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Private property began the instant somebody had a mind of his own.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "e. e. cummings"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/private-property-began-the-instant-somebody-had-a-mind-of-his-own/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Instant"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/private-property-began-the-instant-somebody-had-a-mind-of-his-own/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2e/e-e-cummings-2586_instant_private-property-began-the-instant-someb_1873644.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2e/e-e-cummings-2586_instant_private-property-began-the-instant-someb_1873644.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2e/e-e-cummings-2586_instant_private-property-began-the-instant-someb_1873644.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Private property began the instant somebody had a mind of his own.” — e. e. cummings",
                "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": "e. e. cummings",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Private property began the instant somebody...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/private-property-began-the-instant-somebody-had-a-mind-of-his-own/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/private-property-began-the-instant-somebody-had-a-mind-of-his-own/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
