--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For some people, being free means being…" description: "\"For some people, being free means being free to keep their feet on someone else's chest.\" — Mike Royko" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab3/mike-royko-15745_being-free_for-some-people-being-free-means-being-f_1928263.jpg" --- # For some people, being free means being free to keep their… ![“For some people, being free means being free to keep their feet on someone else's chest.” quote by Mike Royko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab3/mike-royko-15745_being-free_for-some-people-being-free-means-being-f_1928263.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab3/mike-royko-15745_being-free_for-some-people-being-free-means-being-f_1928263.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab3/mike-royko-15745_being-free_for-some-people-being-free-means-being-f_1928263.jpg) > “For some people, being free means being free to keep their feet on someone else's chest.” [Mike Royko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-royko/) ## 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 be a means of oppression when one’s liberty harms another. **In simple terms:** Freedom can hurt others. Key Takeaway Respect others’ boundaries. Themes freedom oppression ethics Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - political debate - interpersonal conflict - legal rights - null Key Concepts power dynamics personal liberty Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance personal freedom with others’ rights? - When does liberty become domination? A Different Perspective Absolute freedom is impossible without mutual respect. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-free/) [Chests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chests/) [Feet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feet/) [Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free/) [Free Feet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-feet-3001302/) [Free Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-means-283364/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Means Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/means-free-283363/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-free/) ## Related quotes > [Being free means "being free for the other," because the other has bound me to him. Only in relationship with the other am I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/being-free-means-being-free-for-the-other-because-the-other-has-bound/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Be convinced that to be happy means to be free and that to be free means to be brave. Therefore do not take lightly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/be-convinced-that-to-be-happy-means-to-be-free-and-that-to-be-free/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [“Freedom is not a quality of man, nor is it an ability, a capacity, a kind of being that somehow flares up in him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/freedom-is-not-a-quality-of-man-nor-is-it-an-ability-a-capacity-a/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [The thing about George Barrol is that he's always putting his own and other people's feet into things that had best be left quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-ford/the-thing-about-george-barrol-is-that-he-s-always-putting-his-own-and/) [Leslie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-ford/) > [True independence means being free from the domination of your own internal automatic behaviors, not doing what you feel like when the urge strikes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lore/true-independence-means-being-free-from-the-domination-of-your-own/) [Nicholas Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lore/) > [Christian freedom does not mean being free to do as we like; it means being free to do as we ought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barclay/christian-freedom-does-not-mean-being-free-to-do-as-we-like-it-means/) [William Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barclay/) > [As long as people use tactics to oppress or restrict other people from being free, there is work to be done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosa-parks/as-long-as-people-use-tactics-to-oppress-or-restrict-other-people/) [Rosa Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosa-parks/) > [I love being free enough that I can be so intimate with people, and that people are free enough that we can all be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/i-love-being-free-enough-that-i-can-be-so-intimate-with-people-and/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [“I can only be free when the other people around me are free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayman/i-can-only-be-free-when-the-other-people-around-me-are-free/) [Jayman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayman/) > [To be free means to choose, whose slave you want to be. ­](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-moreau/to-be-free-means-to-choose-whose-slave-you-want-to-be/) [Jeanne Moreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-moreau/) > [“I was free. Free also means nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregg-olsen/i-was-free-free-also-means-nothing/) [Gregg Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregg-olsen/) > [Under observation, we act less free, which means we effectively are less free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/under-observation-we-act-less-free-which-means-we-effectively-are/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [“To be free means always leaving...or returning to a place where leaves never fall.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/to-be-free-means-always-leaving-or-returning-to-a-place-where-leaves/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [To be free means to be lacking in constitutive identity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ortega-y-gasset/to-be-free-means-to-be-lacking-in-constitutive-identity/) [Jose Ortega y Gasset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ortega-y-gasset/) > [Being Free Means Being Lonely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-d-campbell/being-free-means-being-lonely/) [Donald D Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-d-campbell/) ## More by Mike Royko > [Hollywood has always been political. They consider it their right and duty to tell us what is politically good and right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-royko/hollywood-has-always-been-political-they-consider-it-their-right-and/) [Mike Royko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-royko/) > [The subject of criminal rehabilitation was debated recently in City Hall. It's an appropriate place for this kind of discussion because the city has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-royko/the-subject-of-criminal-rehabilitation-was-debated-recently-in-city/) [Mike Royko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-royko/) > [Hating the Yankees is as American as pizza pie, unwed mothers, and cheating on your income tax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-royko/hating-the-yankees-is-as-american-as-pizza-pie-unwed-mothers-and/) [Mike Royko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-royko/) > [It's unnatural for people to run around the city streets unless they are thieves or victims. It makes people nervous to see someone running.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-royko/it-s-unnatural-for-people-to-run-around-the-city-streets-unless-they/) [Mike Royko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-royko/) > [“The thing that got Daley mad," one of the delegates said later, "was that Ribicoff had been ass-kissing him just a day or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-royko/the-thing-that-got-daley-mad-one-of-the-delegates-said-later-was-that/) [Mike Royko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-royko/) > [“A Pessimist sees the glass as half empty; A Cub Fan wonders when it's gonna spill.” ― Mike Royko”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-royko/a-pessimist-sees-the-glass-as-half-empty-a-cub-fan-wonders-when-it-s/) [Mike Royko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-royko/) > [So if you visit Chicago, enjoy the many great courses, the Midwestern friendliness, and the cities other amenities. But if a stranger with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-royko/so-if-you-visit-chicago-enjoy-the-many-great-courses-the-midwestern/) [Mike Royko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-royko/) > [When I conducted a beer-rating session last year, I wrote that most American beers taste as if they were brewed through a horse. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-royko/when-i-conducted-a-beer-rating-session-last-year-i-wrote-that-most/) [Mike Royko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-royko/) > [Strict gun laws are about as effective as strict drug laws...It pains me to say this, but the NRA seems to be right: The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-royko/strict-gun-laws-are-about-as-effective-as-strict-drug-laws-it-pains/) [Mike Royko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-royko/) > [Forty years ago, we were on the tail of the Front Page era. There was a different point of view. Reporters and editors were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-royko/forty-years-ago-we-were-on-the-tail-of-the-front-page-era-there-was-a/) [Mike Royko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-royko/) > [“So, for a variety of reasons, ranging from convenience to fear to economics, people stayed in their own neighborhood, loving it, enjoying the closeness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-royko/so-for-a-variety-of-reasons-ranging-from-convenience-to-fear-to/) [Mike Royko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-royko/) > [It's much harder to be a liberal than a conservative. Why? Because it is easier to give someone the finger than a helping hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-royko/it-s-much-harder-to-be-a-liberal-than-a-conservative-why-because-it/) [Mike Royko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-royko/) > [It's been my policy to view the Internet not as an 'information highway,' but as an electronic asylum filled with babbling loonies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-royko/it-s-been-my-policy-to-view-the-internet-not-as-an-information/) [Mike Royko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-royko/) > [When I asked him how long he had been driving a taxi, he said, Dree mouse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-royko/when-i-asked-him-how-long-he-had-been-driving-a-taxi-he-said-dree/) [Mike Royko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-royko/) > [Contrary to popular belief. It's much wiser to take money from the poor than the rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-royko/contrary-to-popular-belief-it-s-much-wiser-to-take-money-from-the/) [Mike Royko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-royko/) [Explore all 42 Mike Royko quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-royko/) ## More Being free quotes > [Life is too short to be lived in pain and sorrow. Be a free soul; follow your heart's desire and fill the space in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/life-is-too-short-to-be-lived-in-pain-and-sorrow-be-a-free-soul/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsa/yes-i-m-alone-but-i-m-alone-and-free/) [Elsa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsa/) > [One of the greatest mental freedoms is truly not caring what anyone else thinks of you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-greatest-mental-freedoms-is-truly-not-caring-what-anyone/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is value in being free and spontaneous but the greatest power comes from seeing and using what results from that freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-katchen/there-is-value-in-being-free-and-spontaneous-but-the-greatest-power/) [Carole Katchen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-katchen/) > [Faith keeps you strong. Love keeps you whole. And Happiness keeps you alive. So don't be a downer! Be happy, be strong, be free,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/faith-keeps-you-strong-love-keeps-you-whole-and-happiness-keeps-you/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [Collective judgment of new ideas is so often wrong that it is arguable that progress depends on individuals being free to back their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-arthur-lewis/collective-judgment-of-new-ideas-is-so-often-wrong-that-it-is/) [W. Arthur Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-arthur-lewis/) > [You can only be free when even the desire of seeking freedom becomes a harness to you, and when you cease to speak of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-only-be-free-when-even-the-desire-of-seeking-freedom-becomes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Christianity persecuted, tortured, and burned. Like a hound it tracked the very scent of heresy. It kindled wars, and nursed furious hatreds and ambitions...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/christianity-persecuted-tortured-and-burned-like-a-hound-it-tracked/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [The moment you stop caring about what other people think of you is when you'll know what true freedom is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisette-alfaro/the-moment-you-stop-caring-about-what-other-people-think-of-you-is/) [Lisette Alfaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisette-alfaro/) > [True independence means being free from the domination of your own internal automatic behaviors, not doing what you feel like when the urge strikes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lore/true-independence-means-being-free-from-the-domination-of-your-own/) [Nicholas Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lore/) > [I try when I'm writing to fill my head and my ears with all sorts of stuff and then let it settle and filter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gabriel/i-try-when-i-m-writing-to-fill-my-head-and-my-ears-with-all-sorts-of/) [Peter Gabriel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gabriel/) > [Feeling free inside oneself is being free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rei-kawakubo/feeling-free-inside-oneself-is-being-free/) [Rei Kawakubo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rei-kawakubo/) > [Turn all the lights down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pob-bismark/turn-all-the-lights-down/) [POB Bismark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pob-bismark/) > [It’s about reaching that moment of pure ecstasy when a drawing just happens. Where every move you make with your hand and every thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hewlett/it-s-about-reaching-that-moment-of-pure-ecstasy-when-a-drawing-just/) [Jamie Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hewlett/) > [If you want to find happiness that will last, set yourself free from the ghosts of the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/if-you-want-to-find-happiness-that-will-last-set-yourself-free-from/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) [Browse all 329 Being free quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-free/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For some people, being free means being free to keep their feet on someone else's chest.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mike Royko" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-royko/for-some-people-being-free-means-being-free-to-keep-their-feet-on/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being free" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-royko/for-some-people-being-free-means-being-free-to-keep-their-feet-on/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab3/mike-royko-15745_being-free_for-some-people-being-free-means-being-f_1928263.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab3/mike-royko-15745_being-free_for-some-people-being-free-means-being-f_1928263.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab3/mike-royko-15745_being-free_for-some-people-being-free-means-being-f_1928263.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For some people, being free means being free to keep their feet on someone else's chest.” — Mike Royko", "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": "Mike Royko", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-royko/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "For some people, being free means...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-royko/for-some-people-being-free-means-being-free-to-keep-their-feet-on/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-royko/for-some-people-being-free-means-being-free-to-keep-their-feet-on/#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 } } ] } ```