--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have never believed that man’s freedom…" description: "\"“I have never believed that man’s freedom consists in doing what he wants, but rather in never doing what he does not want to do, and this is the freed..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/859/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_freedom_i-have-never-believed-that-man-s-freedom_194458.jpg" --- # I have never believed that man’s freedom consists in doing… ![“I have never believed that man’s freedom consists in doing what he wants, but rather in never doing what he does not want to do, and this is the freedom I have always sought after and often achieved, the freedom by virtue of which I have most scandalized my contemporaries. For they, being active…” quote by Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/859/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_freedom_i-have-never-believed-that-man-s-freedom_194458.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/859/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_freedom_i-have-never-believed-that-man-s-freedom_194458.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/859/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_freedom_i-have-never-believed-that-man-s-freedom_194458.jpg) > ““I have never believed that man’s freedom consists in doing what he wants, but rather in never doing what he does not want to do, and this is the freedom I have always sought after and often achieved, the freedom by virtue of which I have most scandalized my contemporaries. For they, being active, busy, ambitious, detesting freedom in others and not desiring it for themselves, as long as they can sometimes have their way, or rather prevent others from having theirs, they force themselves all their lives to do what they do not want to do and are willing to endure any servitude in order to command”” [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Rousseau defines freedom as acting according to one’s true will, not merely following desires, and critiques those who impose their will on others. **In simple terms:** Freedom is acting on true will, not imposed desires. Key Takeaway Seek authentic self‑determination. Themes freedom authenticity autonomy Mood thought‑provoking critical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - personal decision‑making - political activism - ethical leadership Key Concepts willpower social critique Questions to Reflect On - What does true freedom look like for you? - How do you balance personal will with social duties? A Different Perspective It may ignore practical constraints of society. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Achieved Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieved-freedom-1067416/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom Desiring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-desiring-2046896/) [Freedom Sought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-sought-2046898/) [Freedom Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-virtue-2046897/) [Man Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-freedom/) ## Related quotes > [People want to talk to other people - not a house, or an office, or a car. Given a choice, people will demand the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-cooper/people-want-to-talk-to-other-people-not-a-house-or-an-office-or-a-car/) [Martin Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-cooper/) > [Like the bright, cool dawn after a night of prison and of thunder, Man can taste that freedom sought so long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/like-the-bright-cool-dawn-after-a-night-of-prison-and-of-thunder-man/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [There will be no true freedom without virtue, no true science without religion, no true industry without the fear of God and love to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kingsley/there-will-be-no-true-freedom-without-virtue-no-true-science-without/) [Charles Kingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kingsley/) > [Freedom without virtue is not freedom but license to pursue whatever passions prevail in the intemperate mind; man's right to freedom being in exact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/freedom-without-virtue-is-not-freedom-but-license-to-pursue-whatever/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [Freedom without virtue isn't freedom - it will eventually destroy a society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/freedom-without-virtue-isn-t-freedom-it-will-eventually-destroy-a/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Void of freedom, what would virtue be?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alphonse-de-lamartine/void-of-freedom-what-would-virtue-be/) [Alphonse de Lamartine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alphonse-de-lamartine/) > [“If you ever reach that stage in life where you really couldn't give a toss about what others think of you, then you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kemp/if-you-ever-reach-that-stage-in-life-where-you-really-couldn-t-give-a/) [Daniel Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kemp/) > [The truth is that we are not yet free; we have merely achieved the freedom to be free, the right not to be oppressed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/the-truth-is-that-we-are-not-yet-free-we-have-merely-achieved-the/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [I will not stop fighting against Islam until I have achieved freedom for our country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geert-wilders/i-will-not-stop-fighting-against-islam-until-i-have-achieved-freedom/) [Geert Wilders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geert-wilders/) > [“Sade and Genet both achieved freedom by squeezing it out of their characters. If Apollinaire was right to describe Sade, who spent more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-hayman/sade-and-genet-both-achieved-freedom-by-squeezing-it-out-of-their/) [Ronald Hayman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-hayman/) > [The truth is we are not yet free; we have merely achieved the freedom to be free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/the-truth-is-we-are-not-yet-free-we-have-merely-achieved-the-freedom/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [I have never believed that man's freedom consisted in doing what he wants, but rather in never doing what he does not want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/i-have-never-believed-that-man-s-freedom-consisted-in-doing-what-he/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [I have never thought, for my part, that man's freedom consists in his being able to do whatever he wills, but that he should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/i-have-never-thought-for-my-part-that-man-s-freedom-consists-in-his/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Man's last freedom is his freedom to choose how he will react in any given situation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/man-s-last-freedom-is-his-freedom-to-choose-how-he-will-react-in-any/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [The essence of man is his freedom. Sin is committed in that freedom. Sin can therefore not be attributed to a defect in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/the-essence-of-man-is-his-freedom-sin-is-committed-in-that-freedom/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) ## More by Jean-Jacques Rousseau > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Take the course opposite to custom and you will almost always do well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/take-the-course-opposite-to-custom-and-you-will-almost-always-do-well/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Everything we do not have at our birth and which we need when we are grown is given to us by education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/everything-we-do-not-have-at-our-birth-and-which-we-need-when-we-are/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [The first person who, having enclosed a plot of land, took it into his head to say this is mine and found people simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/the-first-person-who-having-enclosed-a-plot-of-land-took-it-into-his/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [...in respect of riches, no citizen shall ever be wealthy enough to buy another, and none poor enough to be forced to sell himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/in-respect-of-riches-no-citizen-shall-ever-be-wealthy-enough-to-buy/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Take from the philosopher the pleasure of being heard and his desire for knowledge ceases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/take-from-the-philosopher-the-pleasure-of-being-heard-and-his-desire/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Men, in general, are not this or that, they are what they are made to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/men-in-general-are-not-this-or-that-they-are-what-they-are-made-to-be/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [I would rather be a man of paradoxes than a man of prejudices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/i-would-rather-be-a-man-of-paradoxes-than-a-man-of-prejudices/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [“O Fabricius! What would your great soul have thought, if to your own misfortune you had been called back to life and had seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/o-fabricius-what-would-your-great-soul-have-thought-if-to-your-own/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [“The sword wears out its sheath, as it is sometimes said. That is my story. My passions have made me live, and my passions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/the-sword-wears-out-its-sheath-as-it-is-sometimes-said-that-is-my/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Whence do I get my rules of conduct? I find them in my heart. Whatever I feel to be good is good. Whatever I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/whence-do-i-get-my-rules-of-conduct-i-find-them-in-my-heart-whatever/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [“If one divided all of human science into two parts - the one common to all men, the other particular to the learned -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/if-one-divided-all-of-human-science-into-two-parts-the-one-common-to/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [The social compact sets up among the citizens as equality of such kind, that they all bind themselves to observe the same conditions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/the-social-compact-sets-up-among-the-citizens-as-equality-of-such/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [I do not know is a phrase which becomes us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/i-do-not-know-is-a-phrase-which-becomes-us/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [“How could I become wicked, when I had nothing but examples of gentleness before my eyes, and none around me but the best people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/how-could-i-become-wicked-when-i-had-nothing-but-examples-of/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) [Explore all 518 Jean-Jacques Rousseau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) ## More Freedom quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [We live in the greatest country in the world because of the veterans who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and the security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-husted/we-live-in-the-greatest-country-in-the-world-because-of-the-veterans/) [Jon Husted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-husted/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [“No one was more surprised than I to realize that my newfound freedom had been purchased by giving up on eternity and settling for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-jessop/no-one-was-more-surprised-than-i-to-realize-that-my-newfound-freedom/) [Carolyn Jessop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-jessop/) > [“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/) > [“In any case, white people, who had robbed black people of their liberty and who profited by this theft every hour that they lived,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/in-any-case-white-people-who-had-robbed-black-people-of-their-liberty/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“I have to blame myself for not finding any way of reaching him, but I can't feel that either Ruth or I had anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-have-to-blame-myself-for-not-finding-any-way-of-reaching-him-but-i/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [“It breaks my heart. Better than your words, your eye tells me all your peril. You are not yet free, you still search for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-breaks-my-heart-better-than-your-words-your-eye-tells-me-all-your/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [I don't want to be famous famous. 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For they, being active, busy, ambitious, detesting freedom in others and not desiring it for themselves, as long as they can sometimes have their way, or rather prevent others from having theirs, they force themselves all their lives to do what they do not want to do and are willing to endure any servitude in order to command”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jean-Jacques Rousseau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/i-have-never-believed-that-man-s-freedom-consists-in-doing-what-he/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Freedom" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/i-have-never-believed-that-man-s-freedom-consists-in-doing-what-he/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/859/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_freedom_i-have-never-believed-that-man-s-freedom_194458.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/859/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_freedom_i-have-never-believed-that-man-s-freedom_194458.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/859/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_freedom_i-have-never-believed-that-man-s-freedom_194458.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have never believed that man’s freedom consists in doing what he wants, but rather in never doing what he…” — Jean-Jacques Rousseau", "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": "Jean-Jacques Rousseau", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I have never believed that man’s...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/i-have-never-believed-that-man-s-freedom-consists-in-doing-what-he/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/i-have-never-believed-that-man-s-freedom-consists-in-doing-what-he/#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 } } ] } ```