--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is only because man believes himself…" description: "\"It is only because man believes himself to be free, not because he is free, that he experiences remorse and pricks of conscience.\" — Friedrich Nietzsche" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ae/friedrich-nietzsche-15_believe_it-is-only-because-man-believes-himself_46198.jpg" --- # It is only because man believes himself to be free, not… ![“It is only because man believes himself to be free, not because he is free, that he experiences remorse and pricks of conscience.” quote by Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ae/friedrich-nietzsche-15_believe_it-is-only-because-man-believes-himself_46198.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ae/friedrich-nietzsche-15_believe_it-is-only-because-man-believes-himself_46198.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ae/friedrich-nietzsche-15_believe_it-is-only-because-man-believes-himself_46198.jpg) > “It is only because man believes himself to be free, not because he is free, that he experiences remorse and pricks of conscience.” [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## 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 perceived subjectively; the belief in liberty triggers moral self‑scrutiny, not actual autonomy. **In simple terms:** Belief in freedom fuels conscience. Key Takeaway Perceived liberty, moral awareness. Themes philosophy psychology ethics freedom consciousness Mood thoughtful introspective Type philosophical maxim When to use this quote - reflecting on personal responsibility - debating political liberty - exploring existential guilt Key Concepts subjective freedom moral conscience self‑perception Practical Applications - ethical counseling - philosophical education Questions to Reflect On - Does belief in freedom shape moral behavior? - How does actual freedom differ from perceived freedom? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [Guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) [Remorse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remorse/) [Shame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame/) ## Related quotes > [“I had a few pricks of conscience- seeing Henry's pajama bottoms hanging forlornly from a peg in our bedroom, his comb on he dresser,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-jordan/i-had-a-few-pricks-of-conscience-seeing-henry-s-pajama-bottoms/) [Hillary Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-jordan/) > [Not to be cowardly when it comes to our own actions! Not to leave them in the lurch!--The sting of conscience is indecent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/not-to-be-cowardly-when-it-comes-to-our-own-actions-not-to-leave-them/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Remorse.-- Never yield to remorse, but at once tell yourself: remorse would simply mean adding to the first act of stupidity a second.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/remorse-never-yield-to-remorse-but-at-once-tell-yourself-remorse/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Don't fill yourself with useless guilt. You are a product of the people who raised you, and the fact that you do feel remorse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bethany-hagen/don-t-fill-yourself-with-useless-guilt-you-are-a-product-of-the/) [Bethany Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bethany-hagen/) > [It is the cult of self that is killing the United States. This cult has within it the classic traits of psychopaths: superficial charm,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/it-is-the-cult-of-self-that-is-killing-the-united-states-this-cult/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [As you consider your own life, are there things that you need to change? Have you made mistakes that still need to be corrected?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-scott-grow/as-you-consider-your-own-life-are-there-things-that-you-need-to/) [C. Scott Grow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-scott-grow/) > [“Perhaps it was just that, born in Scotland, you were hanselled with remorse, set up with shares in Calvin against your coming of age,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mcilvanney/perhaps-it-was-just-that-born-in-scotland-you-were-hanselled-with/) [William McIlvanney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mcilvanney/) > [ “He \[Muffat\] experienced a sense of pleasure mingled with remorse, the sort of pleasure peculiar to those Catholics whom the fear of hell spurs… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/he-muffat-experienced-a-sense-of-pleasure-mingled-with-remorse-the/) [Émile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [Wisdom and virtue are by no means sufficient, without the supplemental laws of good-breeding, to secure freedom from degenerating into rudeness, or self esteem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/wisdom-and-virtue-are-by-no-means-sufficient-without-the-supplemental/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [We are more pained when one of our friends is guilty of something shameful than when we do it ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/we-are-more-pained-when-one-of-our-friends-is-guilty-of-something/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“The philosopher has to be the bad conscience of his age.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-philosopher-has-to-be-the-bad-conscience-of-his-age/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [No one talks more passionately about his rights than he who in the depths of his soul doubts whether he has any. By enlisting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/no-one-talks-more-passionately-about-his-rights-than-he-who-in-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Undeserved praise causes more pangs of conscience later than undeserved blame, but probably only for this reason, that our power of judgment are more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/undeserved-praise-causes-more-pangs-of-conscience-later-than/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [What does your conscience say? — 'You should become the person you are'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/what-does-your-conscience-say-you-should-become-the-person-you-are/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [To our strongest impulse, to the tyrant in us, not only our reason but also our conscience yields.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/to-our-strongest-impulse-to-the-tyrant-in-us-not-only-our-reason-but/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## More by Friedrich Nietzsche > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Every select man strives instinctively for a citadel and a privacy, where he is FREE from the crowd, the many, the majority-- where he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/every-select-man-strives-instinctively-for-a-citadel-and-a-privacy/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“It breaks my heart. 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Everybody wants the same, everybody is the same: whoever feels different goes voluntarily into a madhouse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/no-shepherd-and-one-herd-everybody-wants-the-same-everybody-is-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Pain makes hens and poets cackle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/pain-makes-hens-and-poets-cackle/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) [Explore all 3,486 Friedrich Nietzsche quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. 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