--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Humans think they are free, conscious…" description: "\"“Humans think they are free, conscious beings, when in truth they are deluded animals. At the same time they never cease trying to escape from what the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/939/john-gray-4628_freedom_humans-think-they-are-free-conscious-bei_2352175.jpg" --- # Humans think they are free, conscious beings, when in… ![“Humans think they are free, conscious beings, when in truth they are deluded animals. At the same time they never cease trying to escape from what they imagine themselves to be. Their religions are attempts to be rid of a freedom they have never possessed. In the twentieth century, the utopias of…” quote by John Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/939/john-gray-4628_freedom_humans-think-they-are-free-conscious-bei_2352175.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/939/john-gray-4628_freedom_humans-think-they-are-free-conscious-bei_2352175.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/939/john-gray-4628_freedom_humans-think-they-are-free-conscious-bei_2352175.jpg) > ““Humans think they are free, conscious beings, when in truth they are deluded animals. At the same time they never cease trying to escape from what they imagine themselves to be. Their religions are attempts to be rid of a freedom they have never possessed. In the twentieth century, the utopias of Right and Left served the same function. Today, when politics is unconvincing even as entertainment, science has taken on the role of mankind's deliverer.”” [John Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gray/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human beings mistakenly view themselves as autonomous and conscious, yet they are driven by illusion and seek escape through religion, ideology, and now science, which promises salvation. **In simple terms:** We think we’re free but are deluded, seeking escape through belief systems. Key Takeaway Recognize illusion, question assumptions, seek authentic understanding. Themes illusion freedom religion politics science Mood skeptical reflective critical Type philosophical analytical provocative When to use this quote - personal identity crisis - political discourse - religious doubt - scientific optimism - media consumption Key Concepts existentialism determinism critical theory Questions to Reflect On - What freedoms do you truly possess? - How does belief shape your perception of self? A Different Perspective Science may not deliver true freedom, it can create new dependencies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beings Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beings-truth-2448974/) [Conscious Beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscious-beings-246489/) [Free Conscious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-conscious-3412230/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Philosophy of science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-science/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Think Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-free-242459/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Utopias Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/utopias-right-1142594/) ## Related quotes > [“shape our reality through the exercise of intention, through the application of our free will as conscious beings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-lawhead/shape-our-reality-through-the-exercise-of-intention-through-the/) [Stephen R. Lawhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-lawhead/) > [“His aim was the creation of self sufficient small towns,really very nice towns if you were docile and had no plans of your own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-jacobs/his-aim-was-the-creation-of-self-sufficient-small-towns-really-very/) [Jane Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-jacobs/) > [It is a great mystery that though the human heart longs for Truth, in which alone it finds liberation and delight, the first reaction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/it-is-a-great-mystery-that-though-the-human-heart-longs-for-truth-in/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [“As Christians, we claim the biblical story is true because it conforms to the actualities of God's existence and His dealings with human beings.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cabal/as-christians-we-claim-the-biblical-story-is-true-because-it-conforms/) [Ted Cabal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cabal/) > [When we are dealing with human beings, no truth has reality by itself; it is always dependent upon the reality of the immediate relationship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/when-we-are-dealing-with-human-beings-no-truth-has-reality-by-itself/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [How can we be “free” as conscious agents if everything that we consciously intend is caused by events in our brain that we do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/how-can-we-be-free-as-conscious-agents-if-everything-that-we-2/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“How can we be “free” as conscious agents if everything that we consciously intend is caused by events in our brain that we do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/how-can-we-be-free-as-conscious-agents-if-everything-that-we/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“It is a strange fancy to suppose that science can bring reason to an irrational world, when all it can ever do is give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gray/it-is-a-strange-fancy-to-suppose-that-science-can-bring-reason-to-an/) [John Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gray/) > [“In the process of becoming conscious beings, we eventually come back around again and again to the ideas of compassion, caring, and empathy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-leigh-mercree/in-the-process-of-becoming-conscious-beings-we-eventually-come-back/) [Amy Leigh Mercree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-leigh-mercree/) > [Those truly committed to liberation must reject the banking concept in its entirety, adopting instead a concept of women and men as conscious beings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/those-truly-committed-to-liberation-must-reject-the-banking-concept/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [If you didn't have any conscious beings in the world, there really wouldn't be morality but with consciousness that you have it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-penrose/if-you-didn-t-have-any-conscious-beings-in-the-world-there-really/) [Roger Penrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-penrose/) > [“Because of Mother Nature, Humans become Conscious Beings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-lawsin/because-of-mother-nature-humans-become-conscious-beings/) [Joey Lawsin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-lawsin/) > [Through conscious beings the universe has generated self-awareness. This can be no trivial detail, no minor byproduct of mindless, purposeless forces. We are truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-davies/through-conscious-beings-the-universe-has-generated-self-awareness/) [Paul Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-davies/) > [Yet, the Universe is real enough to the conscious beings in it, which are as unreal as it is itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/yet-the-universe-is-real-enough-to-the-conscious-beings-in-it-which/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Some might argue humans are hard-wired to fight. I don't agree: we are conscious beings who have the capacity to make decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-macmillan/some-might-argue-humans-are-hard-wired-to-fight-i-don-t-agree-we-are/) [Margaret MacMillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-macmillan/) ## More by John Gray > [“The success of a relationship is solely dependent on two factors: a man's ability to listen lovingly and respectfully to a woman's feelings, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gray/the-success-of-a-relationship-is-solely-dependent-on-two-factors-a/) [John Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gray/) > [“Men and women arguing in this way hurt not only their feelings but also their relationship. Just as communication is the most important element…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gray/men-and-women-arguing-in-this-way-hurt-not-only-their-feelings-but/) [John Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gray/) > [Just as a man is fulfilled through working out the intricate details of solving a problem, a woman is fulfilled through talking about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gray/just-as-a-man-is-fulfilled-through-working-out-the-intricate-details/) [John Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gray/) > [“The calls of birds and the traces left by wolves to mark off their territories are no less forms of language than the sings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gray/the-calls-of-birds-and-the-traces-left-by-wolves-to-mark-off-their/) [John Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gray/) > [“The good life is not found in dreams of progress,but in coping with tragic contingencies.We have been reared on religions and philosophies that deny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gray/the-good-life-is-not-found-in-dreams-of-progress-but-in-coping-with/) [John Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gray/) > [To offer a man unsolicited advice is to presume that he doesn't know what to do or that he can't do it on his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gray/to-offer-a-man-unsolicited-advice-is-to-presume-that-he-doesn-t-know/) [John Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gray/) > [We mistakenly assume that if our partners love us they will react and behave in certain ways - the ways we react and behave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gray/we-mistakenly-assume-that-if-our-partners-love-us-they-will-react-and/) [John Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gray/) > [“We think our actions express our decisions. But in nearly all of our life, willing decides nothing. We cannot wake up or fall asleep,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gray/we-think-our-actions-express-our-decisions-but-in-nearly-all-of-our/) [John Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gray/) > [“Life was indeed cruel; but it was better to glorify the Will than deny it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gray/life-was-indeed-cruel-but-it-was-better-to-glorify-the-will-than-deny/) [John Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gray/) > [That love motivates you to cooperate, respect, appreciate, cherish, and admire that person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gray/that-love-motivates-you-to-cooperate-respect-appreciate-cherish-and/) [John Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gray/) > [“Although feelings of attraction are automatic, in order to sustain attraction in a personal relationship we must also be skillful in presenting ourselves in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gray/although-feelings-of-attraction-are-automatic-in-order-to-sustain/) [John Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gray/) > [When men and women are able to respect and accept their differences then love has a chance to blossom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gray/when-men-and-women-are-able-to-respect-and-accept-their-differences/) [John Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gray/) > [“If there is anything unique about the human animal, it is that it has the ability to grow knowledge at an accelerating rate while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gray/if-there-is-anything-unique-about-the-human-animal-it-is-that-it-has/) [John Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gray/) > [To love someone is to acknowledge the goodness of who they are. 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Perhaps what distinguishes humans from other animals is that humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gray/today-we-have-made-a-fetish-of-choice-but-a-chosen-death-is-forbidden/) [John Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gray/) [Explore all 104 John Gray quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gray/) ## 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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