--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The freer man believes he is, the easier…" description: "\"“The freer man believes he is, the easier it is to indoctrinate him.”\" — Nicolás Gómez Dávila" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/nicolas-gomez-davila-9640_indoctrinate_the-freer-man-believes-he-is-the-easier_1985054.png" --- # The freer man believes he is, the easier it is to… ![“The freer man believes he is, the easier it is to indoctrinate him.” quote by Nicolás Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/nicolas-gomez-davila-9640_indoctrinate_the-freer-man-believes-he-is-the-easier_1985054.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/nicolas-gomez-davila-9640_indoctrinate_the-freer-man-believes-he-is-the-easier_1985054.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/nicolas-gomez-davila-9640_indoctrinate_the-freer-man-believes-he-is-the-easier_1985054.png) > ““The freer man believes he is, the easier it is to indoctrinate him.”” [Nicolás Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Believing oneself free makes one vulnerable to manipulation because confidence can blind critical scrutiny. **In simple terms:** Thinking you’re free can make you easier to control. Key Takeaway Question your assumptions about freedom. Themes freedom manipulation critical thinking Mood cautious reflective Type philosophical political When to use this quote - political discourse - education - media consumption - personal reflection Key Concepts psychology social control Questions to Reflect On - Do you ever accept ideas without questioning? - How does self‑perception affect susceptibility? A Different Perspective Overconfidence may also inspire resistance and self‑defense. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believes Easier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believes-easier-3410561/) [Easier Indoctrinate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easier-indoctrinate-3410559/) [Freer Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freer-man-3410560/) [Indoctrinate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indoctrinate/) [Man Believes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-believes/) ## Related quotes > [“When the tyrant is the anonymous law, modern man believes he is free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/when-the-tyrant-is-the-anonymous-law-modern-man-believes-he-is-free/) [Nicolás Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [Instead of educating students, these professors are trying to indoctrinate them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/instead-of-educating-students-these-professors-are-trying-to/) [David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) > [Fundamental, Bible believing people do not have the right to indoctrinate their children in their religious beliefs because we, the state, are preparing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hoagland/fundamental-bible-believing-people-do-not-have-the-right-to/) [Peter Hoagland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hoagland/) > [St Francis Xavier said: 'Give me the children until they are seven and anyone may have them afterwards'. And I say: Leave the children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-fowler/st-francis-xavier-said-give-me-the-children-until-they-are-seven-and/) [Steve Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-fowler/) > [“Millions of sane people would each be sexually attracted to their own parent or child if they were not related to them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/millions-of-sane-people-would-each-be-sexually-attracted-to-their-own/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [The problem in our society and in our schools is to inclulcate, without overdoing it, the notion of education, as in the Latin educere--to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/the-problem-in-our-society-and-in-our-schools-is-to-inclulcate/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [I regret that I didn’t realize that actually they’ve got no power over you at school — it’s all just a trick to indoctrinate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/i-regret-that-i-didn-t-realize-that-actually-they-ve-got-no-power/) [Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/) > [Together with the Works of Mercy, feeding, clothing and sheltering our brothers, we must indoctrinate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/together-with-the-works-of-mercy-feeding-clothing-and-sheltering-our/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Soros and the Tides Foundation have been trying to indoctrinate our kids. Do you remember that stupid - what was the name of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/soros-and-the-tides-foundation-have-been-trying-to-indoctrinate-our/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [Fundamentalism is rigorously and systematically used to indoctrinate and subjugate young minds. It is a contraceptive designed to prevent intellectual fertilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/fundamentalism-is-rigorously-and-systematically-used-to-indoctrinate/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [Do not indoctrinate your children. Teach them how to think for themselves, how to evaluate evidence, and how to disagree with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/do-not-indoctrinate-your-children-teach-them-how-to-think-for/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“If you aren't destroying your enemies, it's because you have been conquered and assimilated, you do not even have an idea of who your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/if-you-aren-t-destroying-your-enemies-it-s-because-you-have-been/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [“Most human beings would have never been pained by the death of a human being if they had never seen a human being or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/most-human-beings-would-have-never-been-pained-by-the-death-of-a/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [The biggest atrocity of all is to indoctrinate our children into a system that does not value their creative expression, nor encourage their unique…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-greene/the-biggest-atrocity-of-all-is-to-indoctrinate-our-children-into-a/) [Benjamin Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-greene/) > [Together with the works of mercy, feeding, sheltering, and clothing our brothers, we must indoctrinate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/together-with-the-works-of-mercy-feeding-sheltering-and-clothing-our/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) ## More by Nicolás Gómez Dávila > [Violence is not necessary to destroy a civilization. Each civilization dies from indifference toward the unique values which created it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/violence-is-not-necessary-to-destroy-a-civilization-each-civilization/) [Nicolas Gomez Davila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [“Modern man’s misfortune lies not in having to live a mediocre life, but in believing that he could live one that is not mediocre.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/modern-man-s-misfortune-lies-not-in-having-to-live-a-mediocre-life/) [Nicolás Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [“The liberation promised by every invention ends with the growing submission of the man who adopts it to the man who manufactures it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/the-liberation-promised-by-every-invention-ends-with-the-growing/) [Nicolás Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [“Revolution is progressivist and seeks the strengthening of the state; rebellion is reactionary and seeks its disappearance. The revolutionary is a potential government official;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/revolution-is-progressivist-and-seeks-the-strengthening-of-the-state/) [Nicolás Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [“Rather than humanizing technology, modern man prefers to technify man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/rather-than-humanizing-technology-modern-man-prefers-to-technify-man/) [Nicolás Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [“As they cannot be defined univocally, nor irrefutably demonstrated, so-called “human rights” serve as a pretext for the individual who rebels against a positive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/as-they-cannot-be-defined-univocally-nor-irrefutably-demonstrated-so/) [Nicolás Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [“The most ominous of modern perversions is the shame of appearing naïve if we do not flirt with evil. (La más ominosa de las…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/the-most-ominous-of-modern-perversions-is-the-shame-of-appearing-na/) [Nicolás Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [“When nothing in society deserves respect, we should fashion for ourselves in solitude new silent loyalties.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/when-nothing-in-society-deserves-respect-we-should-fashion-for/) [Nicólas Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [“Truths are not relative. What is relative are opinions about truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/truths-are-not-relative-what-is-relative-are-opinions-about-truth/) [Nicolás Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [“Every individual with “ideals” is a potential murderer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/every-individual-with-ideals-is-a-potential-murderer/) [Nicolás Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [Hierarchies are celestial. In hell all are equal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/hierarchies-are-celestial-in-hell-all-are-equal/) [Nicolas Gomez Davila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [“Faith is not knowledge of an object but communion with it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/faith-is-not-knowledge-of-an-object-but-communion-with-it/) [Nicolás Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [“An atheist is respectable as long as he does not teach that the dignity of man is the basis of ethics and that love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/an-atheist-is-respectable-as-long-as-he-does-not-teach-that-the/) [Nicolás Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [The genuine coherence of our ideas does not come from the reasoning that ties them together, but from the spiritual impulse that gives rise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/the-genuine-coherence-of-our-ideas-does-not-come-from-the-reasoning/) [Nicolas Gomez Davila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [“Progress ages badly. Each generation brings a new model of progressivism which discards with contempt the previous model. Nothing is more grotesque than yesterday’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/progress-ages-badly-each-generation-brings-a-new-model-of/) [Nicolás Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) [Explore all 67 Nicolás Gómez Dávila quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) ## More Indoctrinate quotes > [Instead of educating students, these professors are trying to indoctrinate them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/instead-of-educating-students-these-professors-are-trying-to/) [David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) > [The biggest atrocity of all is to indoctrinate our children into a system that does not value their creative expression, nor encourage their unique…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-greene/the-biggest-atrocity-of-all-is-to-indoctrinate-our-children-into-a/) [Benjamin Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-greene/) > [“Most human beings would have never been pained by the death of a human being if they had never seen a human being or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/most-human-beings-would-have-never-been-pained-by-the-death-of-a/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“If you aren't destroying your enemies, it's because you have been conquered and assimilated, you do not even have an idea of who your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/if-you-aren-t-destroying-your-enemies-it-s-because-you-have-been/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [Do not indoctrinate your children. Teach them how to think for themselves, how to evaluate evidence, and how to disagree with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/do-not-indoctrinate-your-children-teach-them-how-to-think-for/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Fundamentalism is rigorously and systematically used to indoctrinate and subjugate young minds. It is a contraceptive designed to prevent intellectual fertilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/fundamentalism-is-rigorously-and-systematically-used-to-indoctrinate/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [Soros and the Tides Foundation have been trying to indoctrinate our kids. Do you remember that stupid - what was the name of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/soros-and-the-tides-foundation-have-been-trying-to-indoctrinate-our/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [Together with the Works of Mercy, feeding, clothing and sheltering our brothers, we must indoctrinate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/together-with-the-works-of-mercy-feeding-clothing-and-sheltering-our/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [I regret that I didn’t realize that actually they’ve got no power over you at school — it’s all just a trick to indoctrinate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/i-regret-that-i-didn-t-realize-that-actually-they-ve-got-no-power/) [Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/) > [The problem in our society and in our schools is to inclulcate, without overdoing it, the notion of education, as in the Latin educere--to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/the-problem-in-our-society-and-in-our-schools-is-to-inclulcate/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [“Millions of sane people would each be sexually attracted to their own parent or child if they were not related to them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/millions-of-sane-people-would-each-be-sexually-attracted-to-their-own/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [St Francis Xavier said: 'Give me the children until they are seven and anyone may have them afterwards'. And I say: Leave the children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-fowler/st-francis-xavier-said-give-me-the-children-until-they-are-seven-and/) [Steve Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-fowler/) > [Fundamental, Bible believing people do not have the right to indoctrinate their children in their religious beliefs because we, the state, are preparing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hoagland/fundamental-bible-believing-people-do-not-have-the-right-to/) [Peter Hoagland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hoagland/) > [Together with the works of mercy, feeding, sheltering, and clothing our brothers, we must indoctrinate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/together-with-the-works-of-mercy-feeding-sheltering-and-clothing-our/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) [Browse all 15 Indoctrinate quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indoctrinate/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The freer man believes he is, the easier it is to indoctrinate him.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nicolás Gómez Dávila" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/the-freer-man-believes-he-is-the-easier-it-is-to-indoctrinate-him/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Indoctrinate" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/the-freer-man-believes-he-is-the-easier-it-is-to-indoctrinate-him/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/nicolas-gomez-davila-9640_indoctrinate_the-freer-man-believes-he-is-the-easier_1985054.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/nicolas-gomez-davila-9640_indoctrinate_the-freer-man-believes-he-is-the-easier_1985054.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/nicolas-gomez-davila-9640_indoctrinate_the-freer-man-believes-he-is-the-easier_1985054.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The freer man believes he is, the easier it is to indoctrinate him.” — Nicolás Gómez Dávila", "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": "Nicolás Gómez Dávila", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The freer man believes he is,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/the-freer-man-believes-he-is-the-easier-it-is-to-indoctrinate-him/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/the-freer-man-believes-he-is-the-easier-it-is-to-indoctrinate-him/#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 } } ] } ```