---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is a question of freedom,” he says…"
description: "\"“This is a question of freedom,” he says. “Which can be discussed until forever, breaking only for sleep, tea, and movable feasts. Would you like to do..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/mariam-petrosyan-30387_freedom_this-is-a-question-of-freedom-he-says-wh_1253213.jpg"
---

#  This is a question of freedom,” he says. “Which can be…

![“This is a question of freedom,” he says. “Which can be discussed until forever, breaking only for sleep, tea, and movable feasts. Would you like to do that? Tell me, if you please, who is more free: an elephant stomping across the savanna or an aphid sitting on the leaf of whatever plant they sit…” quote by Mariam Petrosyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/mariam-petrosyan-30387_freedom_this-is-a-question-of-freedom-he-says-wh_1253213.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/mariam-petrosyan-30387_freedom_this-is-a-question-of-freedom-he-says-wh_1253213.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/mariam-petrosyan-30387_freedom_this-is-a-question-of-freedom-he-says-wh_1253213.jpg)

> ““This is a question of freedom,” he says. “Which can be discussed until forever, breaking only for sleep, tea, and movable feasts. Would you like to do that? Tell me, if you please, who is more free: an elephant stomping across the savanna or an aphid sitting on the leaf of whatever plant they sit on?” Smoker””

[Mariam Petrosyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-petrosyan/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Freedom is relative; size and context shape perceived liberty, not absolute power.

**In simple terms:** Freedom depends on perspective and circumstances.

Key Takeaway

Consider context when judging freedom.

Themes

philosophy perspective freedom

Mood

thoughtful curious

Type

philosophical inquisitive

When to use this quote

- political debate
- ethical discussions
- personal choices

Key Concepts

relativism agency environment

Questions to Reflect On

- What defines true freedom for you?
- How do power dynamics influence perceived liberty?

A Different Perspective

Oversimplifying freedom ignores systemic constraints.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Elephant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elephant/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/)

## Related quotes

> [“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom," says Paul. And we are most in line with the Spirit, most faithfully obedient,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-galli/where-the-spirit-of-the-lord-is-there-is-freedom-says-paul-and-we-are/)

[Mark Galli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-galli/)

> [And we know that once we have a majority that are dependent upon the government, we will lose our freedom; it says we go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharron-angle/and-we-know-that-once-we-have-a-majority-that-are-dependent-upon-the/)

[Sharron Angle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharron-angle/)

> [“Freedom is anxiety's petri dish. If routine blunts anxiety, freedom incubates it. Freedom says, "Even if you don't want to make choices, you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-b-smith/freedom-is-anxiety-s-petri-dish-if-routine-blunts-anxiety-freedom/)

[Daniel B. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-b-smith/)

> [We have solved, by fair experiment, the great and interesting question whether freedom of religion is compatible with order in government and obedience to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/we-have-solved-by-fair-experiment-the-great-and-interesting-question/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [“It is a question of the freedom of God, which finds its strongest evidence precisely in that God freely chose to be bound to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/it-is-a-question-of-the-freedom-of-god-which-finds-its-strongest/)

[Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/)

> [It was his soul's freedom that was in question. And that question was whether freedom was worth the price when it meant shirking the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-morris/it-was-his-soul-s-freedom-that-was-in-question-and-that-question-was/)

[Janet Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-morris/)

> [The question before the House is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/the-question-before-the-house-is-one-of-awful-moment-to-this-country/)

[Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-henry/)

> [My father has never once asked me a question, any question. There's a freedom that came from that. It allowed me to create my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/my-father-has-never-once-asked-me-a-question-any-question-there-s-a/)

[Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/)

> [“And do not imagine that what we are fighting for is simply the question of freedom or slavery: there is also involved the loss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/and-do-not-imagine-that-what-we-are-fighting-for-is-simply-the/)

[Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/)

> [“About E. de Rosny, who has described his experience in Africa with the help of your theory, I’ve just heard that his new book226…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-cowdell/about-e-de-rosny-who-has-described-his-experience-in-africa-with-the/)

[Scott Cowdell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-cowdell/)

> [“There’s no question about freedom of speech when everyone thinks exactly the same and no one says anything out of the accepted norms. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-harmon/there-s-no-question-about-freedom-of-speech-when-everyone-thinks/)

Keith Harmon

> [But the higher our standard of living, the higher our levels of education, the further people will look around. And we can see which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhang-xin/but-the-higher-our-standard-of-living-the-higher-our-levels-of/)

[Zhang Xin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhang-xin/)

> [I think success is a relative term. If you're a caveman, success is capturing an elephant. Success is achieving better than the norm. Success…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-taffer/i-think-success-is-a-relative-term-if-you-re-a-caveman-success-is/)

[Jon Taffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-taffer/)

> [I watched a film called 'Elephant' recently. Its not stylish in the sense of expensive suits and Italian cars, but the styling on every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tinie-tempah/i-watched-a-film-called-elephant-recently-its-not-stylish-in-the/)

[Tinie Tempah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tinie-tempah/)

> [“As I remarked before, the Asiatic elephant is smaller than the African, which is frequently twelve feet high, and its tusks are in proportion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-verne/as-i-remarked-before-the-asiatic-elephant-is-smaller-than-the-african/)

[Jules Verne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-verne/)

## More by Mariam Petrosyan

> [“The House might not accept him. This had happened to others, he himself saw it not once and not twice, so he knew what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-petrosyan/the-house-might-not-accept-him-this-had-happened-to-others-he-himself/)

[Mariam Petrosyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-petrosyan/)

> [“Everything he touched broke, for some reason. “Sportsman”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-petrosyan/everything-he-touched-broke-for-some-reason-sportsman/)

[Mariam Petrosyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-petrosyan/)

> [“Neat little boys in neat little shirts, so earnest and wholesome, but hidden underneath their faces were old hags, skin pitted with acid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-petrosyan/neat-little-boys-in-neat-little-shirts-so-earnest-and-wholesome-but/)

[Mariam Petrosyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-petrosyan/)

> [“Much easier to complicate the road to it than to accept that it could never be achieved.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-petrosyan/much-easier-to-complicate-the-road-to-it-than-to-accept-that-it-could/)

[Mariam Petrosyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-petrosyan/)

> [“Only then did I allow myself to cry. I hoped against hope that no one could hear me. Something ended that night, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-petrosyan/only-then-did-i-allow-myself-to-cry-i-hoped-against-hope-that-no-one/)

[Mariam Petrosyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-petrosyan/)

> [“There is nothing more horrible than knowing what awaits us tomorrow,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-petrosyan/there-is-nothing-more-horrible-than-knowing-what-awaits-us-tomorrow/)

[Mariam Petrosyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-petrosyan/)

> [“There is none happier than a true fool,” the invisible storyteller said. The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-petrosyan/there-is-none-happier-than-a-true-fool-the-invisible-storyteller-said/)

[Mariam Petrosyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-petrosyan/)

> [“Janus nods. “We’re haggling over two issues. A yearly subscription. It’s a pig in a poke. Two pigs.” “In”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-petrosyan/janus-nods-we-re-haggling-over-two-issues-a-yearly-subscription-it-s/)

[Mariam Petrosyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-petrosyan/)

> [“My own uselessness is devouring me. Soon there will be only bones left. A familiar feeling, one I’ve had too often ever since Wolf…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-petrosyan/my-own-uselessness-is-devouring-me-soon-there-will-be-only-bones-left/)

[Mariam Petrosyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-petrosyan/)

> [“Ralph stopped and studied the wall and a trail of smeared black footprints. They went up vertically, from the bottom to the ceiling, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-petrosyan/ralph-stopped-and-studied-the-wall-and-a-trail-of-smeared-black/)

[Mariam Petrosyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-petrosyan/)

> [“So it was not, in fact, a suicide?” Vulture shook his head pensively. “It is a question of semantics. When a person spends a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-petrosyan/so-it-was-not-in-fact-a-suicide-vulture-shook-his-head-pensively-it/)

[Mariam Petrosyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-petrosyan/)

> [“Also, he’s deathly afraid of hearing something along the lines of “You know, kid, we just had a certain difference of opinion” as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-petrosyan/also-he-s-deathly-afraid-of-hearing-something-along-the-lines-of-you/)

[Mariam Petrosyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-petrosyan/)

> [“And then it turned out that the House was alive, that it too could love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-petrosyan/and-then-it-turned-out-that-the-house-was-alive-that-it-too-could-love/)

[Mariam Petrosyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-petrosyan/)

> [“There are people who live their lives as if running some kind of experiment,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-petrosyan/there-are-people-who-live-their-lives-as-if-running-some-kind-of/)

[Mariam Petrosyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-petrosyan/)

> [“There were other things too, something resembling soggy cotton balls, and something else, like clumps of tangled hair, and all of that inhabited the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-petrosyan/there-were-other-things-too-something-resembling-soggy-cotton-balls/)

[Mariam Petrosyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-petrosyan/)

[Explore all 16 Mariam Petrosyan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-petrosyan/)

## More Elephant quotes

> [“As I remarked before, the Asiatic elephant is smaller than the African, which is frequently twelve feet high, and its tusks are in proportion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-verne/as-i-remarked-before-the-asiatic-elephant-is-smaller-than-the-african/)

[Jules Verne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-verne/)

> [I watched a film called 'Elephant' recently. Its not stylish in the sense of expensive suits and Italian cars, but the styling on every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tinie-tempah/i-watched-a-film-called-elephant-recently-its-not-stylish-in-the/)

[Tinie Tempah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tinie-tempah/)

> [I think success is a relative term. If you're a caveman, success is capturing an elephant. Success is achieving better than the norm. Success…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-taffer/i-think-success-is-a-relative-term-if-you-re-a-caveman-success-is/)

[Jon Taffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-taffer/)

> [“How much does an elephant weigh? ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-patton/how-much-does-an-elephant-weigh/)

Rhonda Patton

> [“Money, you could say, was the elephant in The Room .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-sestero/money-you-could-say-was-the-elephant-in-the-room/)

[Greg Sestero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-sestero/)

> [“The best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-nakoneczny-high-school-track-coach/the-best-way-to-eat-an-elephant-is-one-bite-at-a-time/)

Wayne Nakoneczny high school track coach

> [I've been told I looked like I swallowed an elephant or a pig, whichever was more fitting that day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/i-ve-been-told-i-looked-like-i-swallowed-an-elephant-or-a-pig/)

[Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/)

> [My first experience with film was through a still camera. I would sit, very much against my will, with my father in the game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavid-hood/my-first-experience-with-film-was-through-a-still-camera-i-would-sit/)

[Gavid Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavid-hood/)

> [If you've never seen an elephant ski, then you've never been on acid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-izzard/if-you-ve-never-seen-an-elephant-ski-then-you-ve-never-been-on-acid/)

[Eddie Izzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-izzard/)

> [Unlike the primate hand, the elephant's grasping organ is also its nose. Elephants use their trunks not only to reach food but also to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/unlike-the-primate-hand-the-elephant-s-grasping-organ-is-also-its/)

[Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/)

> [And that is how Goodwin problems were always fixed. Fix them on the surface but don't go to the root, always ignoring the elephant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/and-that-is-how-goodwin-problems-were-always-fixed-fix-them-on-the/)

[Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/)

> [I like my stationery to be funnier, like, 'Here's my note, and it's an elephant with a lady smoking a cigarette on top.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-spade/i-like-my-stationery-to-be-funnier-like-here-s-my-note-and-it-s-an/)

[Kate Spade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-spade/)

> [“It was the size of an ox, of a bull elephant, of a lifetime. It stared at them, and it paused for a hundred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/it-was-the-size-of-an-ox-of-a-bull-elephant-of-a-lifetime-it-stared/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [While I had often said that I wanted to die in bed, what I really meant was that in my old age I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/while-i-had-often-said-that-i-wanted-to-die-in-bed-what-i-really/)

[Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/)

> [No Child Left Behind ... is a giraffe with an elephant's body. ... You can't take the vision of Ted Kennedy and merge it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-rauschenberger/no-child-left-behind-is-a-giraffe-with-an-elephant-s-body-you-can-t/)

Steve Rauschenberger

[Browse all 316 Elephant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elephant/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“This is a question of freedom,” he says. “Which can be discussed until forever, breaking only for sleep, tea, and movable feasts. Would you like to do that? Tell me, if you please, who is more free: an elephant stomping across the savanna or an aphid sitting on the leaf of whatever plant they sit on?” Smoker”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mariam Petrosyan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-petrosyan/this-is-a-question-of-freedom-he-says-which-can-be-discussed-until/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Elephant"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-petrosyan/this-is-a-question-of-freedom-he-says-which-can-be-discussed-until/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/mariam-petrosyan-30387_freedom_this-is-a-question-of-freedom-he-says-wh_1253213.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/mariam-petrosyan-30387_freedom_this-is-a-question-of-freedom-he-says-wh_1253213.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/mariam-petrosyan-30387_freedom_this-is-a-question-of-freedom-he-says-wh_1253213.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“This is a question of freedom,” he says. “Which can be discussed until forever, breaking only for sleep…” — Mariam Petrosyan",
                "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": "Mariam Petrosyan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-petrosyan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“This is a question of freedom,”...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-petrosyan/this-is-a-question-of-freedom-he-says-which-can-be-discussed-until/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-petrosyan/this-is-a-question-of-freedom-he-says-which-can-be-discussed-until/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
