--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sax had always been so uninterested in…" description: "\"“Sax had always been so uninterested in [power and gain] that it was hard for him to understand why anyone else would be. What was personal gain but th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b0/kim-stanley-robinson-2148_freedom_sax-had-always-been-so-uninterested-in-p_2339216.jpg" --- # Sax had always been so uninterested in \[power and gain\]… ![“Sax had always been so uninterested in [power and gain] that it was hard for him to understand why anyone else would be. What was personal gain but the freedom to do what you wanted to do? And what was power but the freedom to do what you wanted to do? And once you had that freedom, any more…” quote by Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b0/kim-stanley-robinson-2148_freedom_sax-had-always-been-so-uninterested-in-p_2339216.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b0/kim-stanley-robinson-2148_freedom_sax-had-always-been-so-uninterested-in-p_2339216.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b0/kim-stanley-robinson-2148_freedom_sax-had-always-been-so-uninterested-in-p_2339216.jpg) > ““Sax had always been so uninterested in \[power and gain\] that it was hard for him to understand why anyone else would be. What was personal gain but the freedom to do what you wanted to do? And what was power but the freedom to do what you wanted to do? And once you had that freedom, any more wealth or power actually began to restrict one's options, and reduce one's freedom. One became a servant of one's wealth or power, constrained to spend all one's time protecting it.”” [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that true freedom comes from lack of desire for power or wealth, as accumulating them creates constraints and servitude. **In simple terms:** Freedom is having no need for power or wealth. Key Takeaway Seek autonomy over accumulation. Themes freedom materialism power autonomy Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal finance - career decisions - political leadership - environmental activism Key Concepts philosophy economics psychology Questions to Reflect On - What does freedom mean to you beyond material possessions? - How can you avoid becoming a servant to your own success? A Different Perspective Excessive wealth can still limit choices and increase responsibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Gain Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gain-freedom-524346/) [Personal gain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-gain/) [Power Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-freedom-265243/) [Reduce Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reduce-freedom-5654401/) [Wanted Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted-freedom-326027/) ## Related quotes > [Information technology is a formidable enabler of freedoms. For example, it lowers barriers to freedom of expression and allows people to get a better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-de-croo/information-technology-is-a-formidable-enabler-of-freedoms-for/) [Alexander De Croo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-de-croo/) > [“to whom will the technology give greater power and freedom? And whose power and freedom will be reduced by it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/to-whom-will-the-technology-give-greater-power-and-freedom-and-whose/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [You must accept the fact that there is no help but self-help. I cannot tell you how to gain freedom since freedom exists within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/you-must-accept-the-fact-that-there-is-no-help-but-self-help-i-cannot/) [Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/) > [Absolute freedom is absolute nonsense! We gain freedom in anything through commitment, discipline, and fixed habit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/absolute-freedom-is-absolute-nonsense-we-gain-freedom-in-anything/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [The idea of perfection can be a tyrant you should overthrow, to gain your freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-grenville/the-idea-of-perfection-can-be-a-tyrant-you-should-overthrow-to-gain/) [Kate Grenville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-grenville/) > [We gain freedom when we have paid the full price.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/we-gain-freedom-when-we-have-paid-the-full-price/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [Freedom is never free and tomorrow is never promised. To gain freedom you have to pay the price and who knows what the future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marwin-mayma/freedom-is-never-free-and-tomorrow-is-never-promised-to-gain-freedom/) [Marwin & Mayma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marwin-mayma/) > [The place is good. How good, one must have circumnavigated the globe to discover. Why not stay? Take root? But roots are chains. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/the-place-is-good-how-good-one-must-have-circumnavigated-the-globe-to/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [Let us ask ourselves, 'What kind of people do we think we are?' And let us answer, 'Free people, worthy of freedom and determined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/let-us-ask-ourselves-what-kind-of-people-do-we-think-we-are-and-let/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [What first truly stirred my soul was not fear or pain, nor was it pleasure or games; it was the yearning for freedom. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/what-first-truly-stirred-my-soul-was-not-fear-or-pain-nor-was-it/) [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) > [To gain freedom is to gain simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-miro/to-gain-freedom-is-to-gain-simplicity/) [Joan Miro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-miro/) > [Being an Indian means living with the land. And the only way we'll be able to do that is to gain our freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-means/being-an-indian-means-living-with-the-land-and-the-only-way-we-ll-be/) [Russell Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-means/) > [Gnawing with my teeth my bonds in sunder, I gain'd my freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/gnawing-with-my-teeth-my-bonds-in-sunder-i-gain-d-my-freedom/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, that whenever my condition was improved, instead of increasing my contentment; it only increased my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my-2/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“Who knows not sacrifice may never gain freedom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogwo-david-emenike/who-knows-not-sacrifice-may-never-gain-freedom/) [Ogwo David Emenike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogwo-david-emenike/) ## More by Kim Stanley Robinson > [The minimum that most minimalists want leaves in place just the institutions who protect their interests. That's libertarians for you - anarchists who want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/the-minimum-that-most-minimalists-want-leaves-in-place-just-the/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“It's the love of right lures men to wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/it-s-the-love-of-right-lures-men-to-wrong/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“You can’t make love to your fame. Even though some people try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/you-can-t-make-love-to-your-fame-even-though-some-people-try/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“Memory is a haunting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/memory-is-a-haunting/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“No one cares about books, that’s why you can write anything you want in them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/no-one-cares-about-books-that-s-why-you-can-write-anything-you-want/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“Sometimes I think it's only post-scarcity that evil exists. Before that, it could always be put down to want or fear. It was possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/sometimes-i-think-it-s-only-post-scarcity-that-evil-exists-before/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [Science fiction rarely is about scientists doing real science, in its slowness, its vagueness, the sort of tedious quality of getting out there and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/science-fiction-rarely-is-about-scientists-doing-real-science-in-its/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [Anyway that's a large part of what economics is - people arbitrarily, or as a matter of taste, assigning numerical values to non-numerical things.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/anyway-that-s-a-large-part-of-what-economics-is-people-arbitrarily-or/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“The Earth is bathed in a flood of sunlight. A fierce inundation of photons—on average, 342 joules per second per square meter. 4185 joules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/the-earth-is-bathed-in-a-flood-of-sunlight-a-fierce-inundation-of/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“And so sometimes when you feel strange, when a pang tugs at your heart or it seems like the moment has already happened- or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/and-so-sometimes-when-you-feel-strange-when-a-pang-tugs-at-your-heart/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“...what has mattered are the moments of exposure to every life, when habit is no longer enough, and choices have to be made. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/what-has-mattered-are-the-moments-of-exposure-to-every-life-when/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“There remained a main melody, or a path through a maze—a maze that was like the delta of the Po. He seemed to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/there-remained-a-main-melody-or-a-path-through-a-maze-a-maze-that-was/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“Must redefine utopia. It isn't the perfect end-product of our wishes, define it so and it deserves the scorn of those who sneer when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/must-redefine-utopia-it-isn-t-the-perfect-end-product-of-our-wishes/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“Of course there was no such thing as a true repetition of anything; ever since the pre-Socratics that had been clear, Heraclitus and his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/of-course-there-was-no-such-thing-as-a-true-repetition-of-anything/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [But lies were what people wanted; that was politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/but-lies-were-what-people-wanted-that-was-politics/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) [Explore all 183 Kim Stanley Robinson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) ## 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. I'm happy on the second tier, where I have autonomy on a professional level but I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-reece/i-don-t-want-to-be-famous-famous-i-m-happy-on-the-second-tier-where-i/) [Gabrielle Reece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-reece/) [Browse all 30,110 Freedom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Sax had always been so uninterested in [power and gain] that it was hard for him to understand why anyone else would be. What was personal gain but the freedom to do what you wanted to do? And what was power but the freedom to do what you wanted to do? And once you had that freedom, any more wealth or power actually began to restrict one's options, and reduce one's freedom. 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