--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I did not believe that a Cause which…" description: "\"I did not believe that a Cause which stood for a beautiful ideal, for anarchism, for release and freedom from convention and prejudice, should demand t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3f/emma-goldman-774_anarchism_i-did-not-believe-that-a-cause-which-sto_2417864.png" --- # I did not believe that a Cause which stood for a beautiful… ![“I did not believe that a Cause which stood for a beautiful ideal, for anarchism, for release and freedom from convention and prejudice, should demand the denial of life and joy. I insisted that our Cause could not expect me to become a nun and that the movement would not be turned into a cloister…” quote by Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3f/emma-goldman-774_anarchism_i-did-not-believe-that-a-cause-which-sto_2417864.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3f/emma-goldman-774_anarchism_i-did-not-believe-that-a-cause-which-sto_2417864.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3f/emma-goldman-774_anarchism_i-did-not-believe-that-a-cause-which-sto_2417864.png) > “I did not believe that a Cause which stood for a beautiful ideal, for anarchism, for release and freedom from convention and prejudice, should demand the denial of life and joy. I insisted that our Cause could not expect me to become a nun and that the movement would not be turned into a cloister. If it meant that, I did not want it.” [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She argues that a movement for freedom should not require abandoning joy or personal autonomy. **In simple terms:** Freedom shouldn't demand joy. Key Takeaway Balance ideals with personal happiness. Themes freedom ideals joy Mood defiant reflective Type political philosophical When to use this quote - activism - personal relationships - political movements Key Concepts anarchism personal autonomy Questions to Reflect On - Can a cause be both radical and joyful? - How do you keep personal joy in activism? A Different Perspective Idealism can clash with practical happiness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anarchism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarchism/) [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Demand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demand/) [Denial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denial/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life And Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-and-joy/) [Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement/) [Nun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nun/) [Prejudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prejudice/) ## Related quotes > [Christ and his teachings are the embodiment of submission, of inertia, of the denial of life; hence responsible for the things done in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/christ-and-his-teachings-are-the-embodiment-of-submission-of-inertia/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [“I became alive once more. At the dances I was one of the most untiring and gayest. One evening a cousin of Sasha, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/i-became-alive-once-more-at-the-dances-i-was-one-of-the-most-untiring/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Security is when everything is settled, when nothing can happen to you; security is the denial of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germaine-greer/security-is-when-everything-is-settled-when-nothing-can-happen-to-you/) [Germaine Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germaine-greer/) > [“life of strict denial is no life at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-corbin/life-of-strict-denial-is-no-life-at-all/) Julie Corbin > [Eating, sleeping, cleaning - the years no longer rise up toward heaven, they lie spread out ahead, gray and identical. The battle against dust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/eating-sleeping-cleaning-the-years-no-longer-rise-up-toward-heaven/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [Security is the denial of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germaine-greer/security-is-the-denial-of-life/) [Germaine Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germaine-greer/) > [What is art but the denial of life?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/what-is-art-but-the-denial-of-life/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [“To be a Taoist, one need not engage in fanatical denial of any part of life, nor does one need to leave family and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ming-dao-deng/to-be-a-taoist-one-need-not-engage-in-fanatical-denial-of-any-part-of/) [Ming-Dao Deng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ming-dao-deng/) > [“The Christian life begins not with high deeds and achievements but with the most simple and ordinary act of humble asking. Then the life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/the-christian-life-begins-not-with-high-deeds-and-achievements-but/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“All the towering materialism which dominates the modern mind rests ultimately upon one assumption; a false assumption. It is supposed that if a thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/all-the-towering-materialism-which-dominates-the-modern-mind-rests/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [Not careers alone make people happy. A successful professional life and joy in work are certainly a part of it, but I couldn't be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristina-schroder/not-careers-alone-make-people-happy-a-successful-professional-life/) [Kristina Schroder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristina-schroder/) > [Our dead brothers and sisters still live for us and bid us think of life, not death-of life to which in their youth they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/our-dead-brothers-and-sisters-still-live-for-us-and-bid-us-think-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God alone has the secret of eternal life and joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/god-alone-has-the-secret-of-eternal-life-and-joy/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [“There seemed a deep sense of life and joy about all; and although no airs blew from out the Heavens, yet everything had motion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/there-seemed-a-deep-sense-of-life-and-joy-about-all-and-although-no/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [“~A Comparison of Seasons~ Snow's unforgiving power causes some men to wish for spring's flower. Some might hate snow's bitter chill, but you love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-d/a-comparison-of-seasons-snow-s-unforgiving-power-causes-some-men-to/) Seth D ## More by Emma Goldman > [Poor human nature, what horrible crimes have been committed in thy name! All wars are wars among thieves who are too cowardly to fight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/poor-human-nature-what-horrible-crimes-have-been-committed-in-thy/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [“Do not all theists insist that there can be no morality, no justice, honesty or fidelity without the belief in a Divine Power? Based…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/do-not-all-theists-insist-that-there-can-be-no-morality-no-justice/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Lack of fairness to an opponent is essentially a sign of weakness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/lack-of-fairness-to-an-opponent-is-essentially-a-sign-of-weakness/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Do not all theists insist that there can be no morality, no justice, honesty or fidelity without the belief in a Divine Power? Based…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/do-not-all-theists-insist-that-there-can-be-no-morality-no-justice-2/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Only when human sorrows are turned into a toy with glaring colors will baby people become interested - for a while at least. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/only-when-human-sorrows-are-turned-into-a-toy-with-glaring-colors/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [More pernicious than the power of a dictator is that of a class; the most terrible - the tyranny of a majority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/more-pernicious-than-the-power-of-a-dictator-is-that-of-a-class-the/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Love, the strongest and deepest element in all life, the harbinger of hope, of joy, of ecstasy; love, the definer of all laws, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/love-the-strongest-and-deepest-element-in-all-life-the-harbinger-of/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Whether our reformers admit it or not, the economic and social inferiority of women is responsible for prostitution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/whether-our-reformers-admit-it-or-not-the-economic-and-social/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [The free expression of the hopes and aspirations of a people is the greatest and only safety in a sane society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/the-free-expression-of-the-hopes-and-aspirations-of-a-people-is-the/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Someone has said that it requires less mental effort to condemn than to think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/someone-has-said-that-it-requires-less-mental-effort-to-condemn-than/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [The persecution of the innovator and protestant has always been inspired by fear on the part of constituted authority of having its infallibility questioned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/the-persecution-of-the-innovator-and-protestant-has-always-been/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Order derived through submission and maintained by terror is not much of a safe guaranty; yet that is the only "order" that governments have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/order-derived-through-submission-and-maintained-by-terror-is-not-much/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Today is the parent of tomorrow. The present casts its shadow far into the future. That is the law of life, individual and social.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/today-is-the-parent-of-tomorrow-the-present-casts-its-shadow-far-into/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Salvation lies in an energetic march onward towards a brighter and clearer future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/salvation-lies-in-an-energetic-march-onward-towards-a-brighter-and/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [The more hideous the mental contortions, the greater the delight and bravos of the mass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/the-more-hideous-the-mental-contortions-the-greater-the-delight-and/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) [Explore all 368 Emma Goldman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) ## More Anarchism quotes > [I know one thing: that you can do a lot of things but if you don't educate people into conscious anarchism it gets frittered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-bookchin/i-know-one-thing-that-you-can-do-a-lot-of-things-but-if-you-don-t/) [Murray Bookchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-bookchin/) > [In morals as in politics anarchy is not for the weak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/in-morals-as-in-politics-anarchy-is-not-for-the-weak/) [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) > [Anarchism is a definite intellectual current in the life of our times, whose adherents advocate the abolition of economic monopolies and of all political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-rocker/anarchism-is-a-definite-intellectual-current-in-the-life-of-our-times/) [Rudolf Rocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-rocker/) > [“Do not all theists insist that there can be no morality, no justice, honesty or fidelity without the belief in a Divine Power? Based…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/do-not-all-theists-insist-that-there-can-be-no-morality-no-justice/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [“Does it follow that I reject all authority? Perish the thought. In the matter of boots, I defer to the authority of the bootmaker;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bakunin/does-it-follow-that-i-reject-all-authority-perish-the-thought-in-the/) [Mikhail Bakunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bakunin/) > [“An anarchist government somehow creates an impression in the hearts of citizens that no one cares.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/an-anarchist-government-somehow-creates-an-impression-in-the-hearts/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Anarchism as a political philosophy seeks to dissolve all forms of authority and power, and if possible, wishes their complete abolition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/anarchism-as-a-political-philosophy-seeks-to-dissolve-all-forms-of/) [Peter Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marshall/) > [And now, what has Anarchism to say to all this, this bankruptcy of republicanism, this modern empire that has grown up on the ruins…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltairine-de-cleyre/and-now-what-has-anarchism-to-say-to-all-this-this-bankruptcy-of/) [Voltairine de Cleyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltairine-de-cleyre/) > [I see anarchism as the theoretical ideal to which we are all gradually evolving to a point where everybody can tell the truth to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-anton-wilson/i-see-anarchism-as-the-theoretical-ideal-to-which-we-are-all/) [Robert Anton Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-anton-wilson/) > [Anarchists are opposed to violence; everyone knows that. The main plank of anarchism is the removal of violence from human relations. It is life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errico-malatesta/anarchists-are-opposed-to-violence-everyone-knows-that-the-main-plank/) [Errico Malatesta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errico-malatesta/) > [“They knew that their anarchism was the product of a very high civilization, of a complex diversified culture, of a stable economy and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/they-knew-that-their-anarchism-was-the-product-of-a-very-high/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [Anarchism means voluntary co-operation instead of forced participation. It means harmony and order in place of interference and disorder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-berkman/anarchism-means-voluntary-co-operation-instead-of-forced/) [Alexander Berkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-berkman/) > [The Anarchists are simply unterrified Jeffersonian Democrats. 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Anarchism, in my mind, meant taking democracy seriously and organizing prefiguratively- that is, in a way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrej-gruba-i/i-became-an-anarchist-very-early-on-anarchism-in-my-mind-meant-taking/) [Andrej Grubačić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrej-gruba-i/) [Browse all 388 Anarchism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarchism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I did not believe that a Cause which stood for a beautiful ideal, for anarchism, for release and freedom from convention and prejudice, should demand the denial of life and joy. I insisted that our Cause could not expect me to become a nun and that the movement would not be turned into a cloister. 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