--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: freedom is in danger of degenerating into…" description: "\"“freedom is in danger of degenerating into mere arbitrariness unless it is lived in terms of responsibleness. —VIKTOR E. FRANKL, Man’s Search for Meani..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57f/john-e-douglas-17408_freedom_freedom-is-in-danger-of-degenerating-int_2393383.jpg" --- # freedom is in danger of degenerating into mere… ![“freedom is in danger of degenerating into mere arbitrariness unless it is lived in terms of responsibleness. —VIKTOR E. FRANKL, Man’s Search for Meaning” quote by John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57f/john-e-douglas-17408_freedom_freedom-is-in-danger-of-degenerating-int_2393383.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57f/john-e-douglas-17408_freedom_freedom-is-in-danger-of-degenerating-int_2393383.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57f/john-e-douglas-17408_freedom_freedom-is-in-danger-of-degenerating-int_2393383.jpg) > ““freedom is in danger of degenerating into mere arbitrariness unless it is lived in terms of responsibleness. —VIKTOR E. FRANKL, Man’s Search for Meaning”” [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom can become random without responsibility; ethical action gives direction. **In simple terms:** Freedom needs responsibility. Key Takeaway Act responsibly. Themes freedom responsibility ethics Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - leadership - policy making - personal decision making - education Key Concepts existential psychology moral philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities give your freedom meaning? - How can you balance liberty with duty? A Different Perspective Responsibility can be burdensome, limiting perceived freedom. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Man'S Search For Meaning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-s-search-for-meaning/) [Search for meaning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/search-for-meaning/) ## Related quotes > [“Freedom is but the negative aspect of the whole phenomenon whose positive aspect is responsibleness. In fact, freedom is in danger of degenerating into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/freedom-is-but-the-negative-aspect-of-the-whole-phenomenon-whose-2/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [“This emphasis on responsibleness is reflected in the categorical imperative of logotherapy, which is: "Live as if you were living already for the second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-emil-frankl/this-emphasis-on-responsibleness-is-reflected-in-the-categorical/) [Viktor Emil Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-emil-frankl/) > [“Live as if you were living already for the second time and as if you had acted the first time as wrongly as you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/live-as-if-you-were-living-already-for-the-second-time-and-as-if-you-2/) [Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/) > [“Live as if you were living already for the second time and as if you had acted the first time as wrongly as you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/live-as-if-you-were-living-already-for-the-second-time-and-as-if-you-3/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [“Freedom is but the negative aspect of the whole phenomenon whose positive aspect is responsibleness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/freedom-is-but-the-negative-aspect-of-the-whole-phenomenon-whose/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [“Life is like that I thought, as I turned the corner to my building. Freedom has its danger as well as its joys. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-steinbach/life-is-like-that-i-thought-as-i-turned-the-corner-to-my-building/) [Alice Steinbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-steinbach/) > [Freedom is in danger of degenerating into mere arbitrariness unless it is lived in terms of responsibleness. That is why I recommend that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/freedom-is-in-danger-of-degenerating-into-mere-arbitrariness-unless/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [“Freedom, however, is not the last word. Freedom is only part of the story and half of the truth. Freedom is but the negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-e-frankl/freedom-however-is-not-the-last-word-freedom-is-only-part-of-the/) Victor E. Frankl > [I prefer a little free speech to no free speech at all; but how many have free speech or the chance or the mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-agee/i-prefer-a-little-free-speech-to-no-free-speech-at-all-but-how-many/) [James Agee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-agee/) > [Freedom is always in danger, and the majority of mankind will always acquiesce in its loss, unless a minority is willing to challenge the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-crossman/freedom-is-always-in-danger-and-the-majority-of-mankind-will-always/) [Richard Crossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-crossman/) > [One of my favorite books is 'Man's Search for Meaning.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-s-sharma/one-of-my-favorite-books-is-man-s-search-for-meaning/) [Robin S. Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-s-sharma/) > [“Don’t aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/don-t-aim-at-success-the-more-you-aim-at-it-and-make-it-a-target-the/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [Man's search for meaning is the chief motivation of his life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/man-s-search-for-meaning-is-the-chief-motivation-of-his-life/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [“Man’s Search for Meaning,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-ford/man-s-search-for-meaning/) Judy Ford > [Man's search for meaning is the primary motivation in his life and not a "secondary rationalization" of instinctual drives. This meaning is unique and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/man-s-search-for-meaning-is-the-primary-motivation-in-his-life-and/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) ## More by John E. Douglas > [“Serial murder may, in fact, be a much older phenomenon than we realize. The stories and legends that have filtered down about witches and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/serial-murder-may-in-fact-be-a-much-older-phenomenon-than-we-realize/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“Manipulation. Domination. Control. These are the three watchwords of violent serial offenders.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/manipulation-domination-control-these-are-the-three-watchwords-of/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“One of the first things every trainee is taught is that an FBI agent only shoots to kill. The thinking that went into this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/one-of-the-first-things-every-trainee-is-taught-is-that-an-fbi-agent/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“Traditionally, most murders and violent crimes were relatively easy for law enforcement officials to comprehend. They resulted from critically exaggerated manifestations of feelings we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/traditionally-most-murders-and-violent-crimes-were-relatively-easy/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“It all comes down to this: Whenever theory supersedes evidence, and prejudice deposes rationalism, there can be no real justice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/it-all-comes-down-to-this-whenever-theory-supersedes-evidence-and/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“of Edgar Allan Poe’s 1841 classic “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” may have been history’s first behavioral profiler.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/of-edgar-allan-poe-s-1841-classic-the-murders-in-the-rue-morgue-may/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“from the Adairsville PD. What you’ve got to do is imply that you understand the subject, understand what was going through his mind and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/from-the-adairsville-pd-what-you-ve-got-to-do-is-imply-that-you/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“I knew the way these guys operated; I'd seen it over and over again. They had a need to manipulate and dominate their prey.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/i-knew-the-way-these-guys-operated-i-d-seen-it-over-and-over-again/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“By studying as many crimes as we could, and through talking to the experts—the perpetrators themselves—we have learned to interpret those clues in much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/by-studying-as-many-crimes-as-we-could-and-through-talking-to-the/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“So much of what a law enforcement officer does is difficult to share with anyone, even a spouse. When you spend your days looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/so-much-of-what-a-law-enforcement-officer-does-is-difficult-to-share/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“Even though their crimes were completely different, the one thing the maladjusted genius Ted Kaczynski and the sadistic but banal underachiever Dennis Rader shared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/even-though-their-crimes-were-completely-different-the-one-thing-the/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“If a bank robber tapes over the lens of a surveillance camera, that’s MO. If he feels a need to tear his clothes off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/if-a-bank-robber-tapes-over-the-lens-of-a-surveillance-camera-that-s/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“I've come out many times publicly in support of the death penalty. I've stated that I'd be more than willing personally to pull the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/i-ve-come-out-many-times-publicly-in-support-of-the-death-penalty-i/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“The problem with offering up the top guy, in addition to encouraging other desperate little people to try the same thing, is that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/the-problem-with-offering-up-the-top-guy-in-addition-to-encouraging/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“Behavior reflects personality. The best indicator of future violence is past violence. To understand the "artist," you must study his "art." The crime must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/behavior-reflects-personality-the-best-indicator-of-future-violence/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) [Explore all 37 John E. Douglas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) ## 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. 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