--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People have only as much liberty as they…" description: "\"People have only as much liberty as they have the intelligence to want and the courage to take.\" — Emma Goldman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10d/emma-goldman-774_courage_people-have-only-as-much-liberty-as-they_2059510.png" --- # People have only as much liberty as they have the… ![“People have only as much liberty as they have the intelligence to want and the courage to take.” quote by Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10d/emma-goldman-774_courage_people-have-only-as-much-liberty-as-they_2059510.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10d/emma-goldman-774_courage_people-have-only-as-much-liberty-as-they_2059510.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10d/emma-goldman-774_courage_people-have-only-as-much-liberty-as-they_2059510.png) > “People have only as much liberty as they have the intelligence to want and the courage to take.” [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. Liberty depends on both intellectual desire and courageous action. **In simple terms:** Freedom needs mind and bravery. Key Takeaway Cultivate knowledge and courage for true liberty. Themes freedom intelligence courage politics Mood determined inspired Type political motivational When to use this quote - activism - education - civil rights - personal development Key Concepts anarchism human agency Questions to Reflect On - Do you have the knowledge to desire freedom? - What courage is needed to claim it? A Different Perspective Liberty without desire or courage is empty. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Independence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independence/) [Independent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independent/) [Independent thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independent-thought/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Intelligence Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence-want-2275264/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Liberty Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty-intelligence-3921285/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-liberty-238513/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-courage-292263/) ## Related quotes > [We want the National Intelligence, we want the Police, we want the Scorpions, any other institutions, the tax people, and so on, the totality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabo-mbeki/we-want-the-national-intelligence-we-want-the-police-we-want-the/) [Thabo Mbeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabo-mbeki/) > [When I'm choosing things, there's a level of intelligence I want to peel off, whether it's written in terribly simple sentences, whether it's from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/when-i-m-choosing-things-there-s-a-level-of-intelligence-i-want-to/) [Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/) > [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/) > [“It turns out that indecision is a path itself; but figuratively, a vertical path - up or down - meaning it isn't always a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/it-turns-out-that-indecision-is-a-path-itself-but-figuratively-a/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“Yes, Lord. 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I want to have the courage to be loyal to the face I have made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/i-want-to-grow-old-without-facelifts-i-want-to-have-the-courage-to-be/) [Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/) > [The first step to getting what you want is to have the courage to get rid of what you don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/the-first-step-to-getting-what-you-want-is-to-have-the-courage-to-get/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [I've learned over time that human beings tend to want to do more than they have the courage to do or that the social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-helberg/i-ve-learned-over-time-that-human-beings-tend-to-want-to-do-more-than/) [Simon Helberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-helberg/) > [To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage, or of principle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/to-see-what-is-right-and-not-to-do-it-is-want-of-courage-or-of/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) ## 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. 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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 Courage quotes > [The greatest act of courage is to be and to ownall of who you are—without apology, without excuses, without masks to cover the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/the-greatest-act-of-courage-is-to-be-and-to-ownall-of-who-you-are/) [Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/) > [“It takes tremendous courage, persistence, and perseverance to pursue your ultimate purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/it-takes-tremendous-courage-persistence-and-perseverance-to-pursue/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [“Yes, the issue was courage. 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Years from now, we will look back at this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/certainly-these-are-not-easy-times-but-history-does-not-contain-very/) [Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/) > [Have the courage to go against the tide of current values that do not conform to the path of Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/have-the-courage-to-go-against-the-tide-of-current-values-that-do-not/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [“There is nothing purer, braver, or more beautiful than the try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-armstrong/there-is-nothing-purer-braver-or-more-beautiful-than-the-try/) [Kristen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-armstrong/) > [“One theory on cannibals, of course, is that they eat parts of their slain enemies to benefit from that person's greatest assets - their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-powell/one-theory-on-cannibals-of-course-is-that-they-eat-parts-of-their/) [Julie Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-powell/) > [It is a tragedy that we live in a world where physical courage is so common, and moral courage is so rare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-monet/it-is-a-tragedy-that-we-live-in-a-world-where-physical-courage-is-so/) [Claude Monet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-monet/) > [I have pictures with Morimoto where I'm all embarrassed and he's so serious, it took me 30 minutes to get up the courage to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcela-valladolid/i-have-pictures-with-morimoto-where-i-m-all-embarrassed-and-he-s-so/) [Marcela Valladolid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcela-valladolid/) [Browse all 14,559 Courage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People have only as much liberty as they have the intelligence to want and the courage to take.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Emma Goldman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/people-have-only-as-much-liberty-as-they-have-the-intelligence-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Courage" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/people-have-only-as-much-liberty-as-they-have-the-intelligence-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10d/emma-goldman-774_courage_people-have-only-as-much-liberty-as-they_2059510.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10d/emma-goldman-774_courage_people-have-only-as-much-liberty-as-they_2059510.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10d/emma-goldman-774_courage_people-have-only-as-much-liberty-as-they_2059510.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People have only as much liberty as they have the intelligence to want and the courage to take.” — Emma Goldman", "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": "Emma Goldman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "People have only as much liberty...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/people-have-only-as-much-liberty-as-they-have-the-intelligence-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/people-have-only-as-much-liberty-as-they-have-the-intelligence-to/#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 } } ] } ```