--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Liberty is the prevention of control by…" description: "\"Liberty is the prevention of control by others. This requires self-control and, therefore, religious and spiritual influences; education, knowledge, we..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3d/lord-acton-3040_education_liberty-is-the-prevention-of-control-by_1883660.png" --- # Liberty is the prevention of control by others. This… ![“Liberty is the prevention of control by others. This requires self-control and, therefore, religious and spiritual influences; education, knowledge, well-being.” quote by Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3d/lord-acton-3040_education_liberty-is-the-prevention-of-control-by_1883660.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3d/lord-acton-3040_education_liberty-is-the-prevention-of-control-by_1883660.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3d/lord-acton-3040_education_liberty-is-the-prevention-of-control-by_1883660.png) > “Liberty is the prevention of control by others. This requires self-control and, therefore, religious and spiritual influences; education, knowledge, well-being.” [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom means preventing others from controlling you, which requires self‑discipline and moral education. **In simple terms:** Freedom needs self‑control and moral education. Key Takeaway Cultivate self‑discipline. Themes freedom self‑control education spirituality well‑being Mood thoughtful determined Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal decisions - political activism - spiritual practice Key Concepts liberalism ethical philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What habits support self‑control? - How does education affect liberty? A Different Perspective Self‑control is hard to maintain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Education Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education-knowledge/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Prevention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prevention/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-control/) [Spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual/) [Well being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/well-being/) ## Related quotes > [Liberty is the prevention of control by others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/liberty-is-the-prevention-of-control-by-others/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If I never do something, it requires no self-control for me; if I do something sometimes, it requires enormous self-control.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/if-i-never-do-something-it-requires-no-self-control-for-me-if-i-do/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [“But the acts by which governments and societies repress and control the religious lives of people are mostly quotidian and unspectacular, taking place well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-shah/but-the-acts-by-which-governments-and-societies-repress-and-control/) [Timothy Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-shah/) > [“The conclusion is straightforward: self-control requires attention and effort. Another way of saying this is that controlling thoughts and behaviors is one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/the-conclusion-is-straightforward-self-control-requires-attention-and-2/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“37. 'But more potent forces motivated these subsequent authors as well. Across cultures and eras, the two greatest powers behind the production and dissemination…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/37-but-more-potent-forces-motivated-these-subsequent-authors-as-well/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [The aim of education is the knowledge, not of facts, but of values.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-aim-of-education-is-the-knowledge-not-of-facts-but-of-values/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is a matter of great satisfaction to me to hope that my children will be in circumstances to receive a good education. Mine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-houston/it-is-a-matter-of-great-satisfaction-to-me-to-hope-that-my-children/) [Sam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-houston/) > [“Inherently, each one of us has the substance within to achieve whatever our goals and dreams define. What is missing from each of us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/inherently-each-one-of-us-has-the-substance-within-to-achieve/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Peace does not mean an absence of conflicts; differences will always be there. Peace means solving these differences through peaceful means; through dialogue, education,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/peace-does-not-mean-an-absence-of-conflicts-differences-will-always/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Intoxication caused by whatever one possesses is all (part of) body-complex (pudgal); be it education, knowledge or anything else, that is all maya (deceit).…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/intoxication-caused-by-whatever-one-possesses-is-all-part-of-body/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [“The true division of humanity is this: the luminous and the dark. To diminish the number of the dark, to increase the number of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/the-true-division-of-humanity-is-this-the-luminous-and-the-dark-to/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“The test of successful education is not the amount of knowledge that pupils take away from school, but their appetite to know and their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-livingstone/the-test-of-successful-education-is-not-the-amount-of-knowledge-that/) [Richard Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-livingstone/) > [“In our civilized societies we are rich. Why then are the many poor? Why this painful drudgery for the masses? Why, even to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pyotr-kropotkin/in-our-civilized-societies-we-are-rich-why-then-are-the-many-poor-why/) [Pyotr Kropotkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pyotr-kropotkin/) > [The great aim of education is not knowledge but action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/the-great-aim-of-education-is-not-knowledge-but-action/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [“But I've learned that intelligence alone doesn't mean a damned thing. Here in your university, intelligence, education, knowledge, have all become great idols. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-keyes/but-i-ve-learned-that-intelligence-alone-doesn-t-mean-a-damned-thing/) [Daniel Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-keyes/) ## More by Lord Acton > [The history of institutions is often a history of deception and illusions; for their virtue depends on the ideas that produce and on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/the-history-of-institutions-is-often-a-history-of-deception-and/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [A liberal is only a bundle of prejudices until he has mastered, has understood, experienced the philosophy of Conservatism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/a-liberal-is-only-a-bundle-of-prejudices-until-he-has-mastered-has/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [Every class is unfit to govern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/every-class-is-unfit-to-govern/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [Fanaticism displays itself in the masses; but the masses were rarely fanaticised; and the crimes ascribed to it were commonly due to the calculations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/fanaticism-displays-itself-in-the-masses-but-the-masses-were-rarely/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [In England Parliament is above the law. In America the law is above Congress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/in-england-parliament-is-above-the-law-in-america-the-law-is-above/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [There is not a more perilous or immoral habit of mind than the sanctifying of success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/there-is-not-a-more-perilous-or-immoral-habit-of-mind-than-the/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [Towns were the nursery of freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/towns-were-the-nursery-of-freedom/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [It was from America that the plain ideas that men ought to mind their business, and that the nation is responsible to Heaven for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/it-was-from-america-that-the-plain-ideas-that-men-ought-to-mind-their/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [Character is tested by true sentiments more than by conduct. A man is seldom better than his word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/character-is-tested-by-true-sentiments-more-than-by-conduct-a-man-is/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [Liberty and good government do not exclude each other; and there are excellent reasons why they should go together. Liberty is not a means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/liberty-and-good-government-do-not-exclude-each-other-and-there-are/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [The test of liberty is the position and security of minorities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/the-test-of-liberty-is-the-position-and-security-of-minorities/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [The common vice of democracy is disregard for morality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/the-common-vice-of-democracy-is-disregard-for-morality/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [Feudalism made land the measure and the master of all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/feudalism-made-land-the-measure-and-the-master-of-all-things/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [“power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutley”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/power-corrupts-absolute-power-corrupts-absolutley/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [There are many things the government cant do, many good purposes it must renounce. It must leave them to the enterprise of others. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/there-are-many-things-the-government-cant-do-many-good-purposes-it/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) [Explore all 141 Lord Acton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) ## More Education quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [“In school you are taught to obey and not to think straight for your own good. Otherwise the world would be full of millionaires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/in-school-you-are-taught-to-obey-and-not-to-think-straight-for-your/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“If one has not a head of steel it will burst; if he has not within it a brain of liquid quicksilver, he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioannes-amos-commenius/if-one-has-not-a-head-of-steel-it-will-burst-if-he-has-not-within-it/) Ioannes Amos Commenius > [“let us not teach / what we have learned badly / and not profited by”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-hilda-doolittle/let-us-not-teach-what-we-have-learned-badly-and-not-profited-by/) H.D. (Hilda Doolittle > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“I only began to enjoy studying after I got through the educational system and became a so-called member of society. If something interested me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-only-began-to-enjoy-studying-after-i-got-through-the-educational/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-had-made-the-acquiring-of-ignorance-the-study-of-your-life-you/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/) [Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/) > [English teachers tend to put more thought in the books than the author did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/english-teachers-tend-to-put-more-thought-in-the-books-than-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) [Browse all 37,666 Education quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Liberty is the prevention of control by others. This requires self-control and, therefore, religious and spiritual influences; education, knowledge, well-being.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lord Acton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/liberty-is-the-prevention-of-control-by-others-this-requires-self/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Education" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/liberty-is-the-prevention-of-control-by-others-this-requires-self/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3d/lord-acton-3040_education_liberty-is-the-prevention-of-control-by_1883660.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3d/lord-acton-3040_education_liberty-is-the-prevention-of-control-by_1883660.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3d/lord-acton-3040_education_liberty-is-the-prevention-of-control-by_1883660.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Liberty is the prevention of control by others. This requires self-control and, therefore, religious and…” — Lord Acton", "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": "Lord Acton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Liberty is the prevention of control...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/liberty-is-the-prevention-of-control-by-others-this-requires-self/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/liberty-is-the-prevention-of-control-by-others-this-requires-self/#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 } } ] } ```