--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Freedom was my first great desire. The…" description: "\"Freedom was my first great desire. The second, which remains hidden within me to this day, tormenting me, was the desire for sanctity. Hero together wi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/nikos-kazantzakis-1116_desire_freedom-was-my-first-great-desire-the-se_3022136.jpg" --- # Freedom was my first great desire. The second, which… ![“Freedom was my first great desire. The second, which remains hidden within me to this day, tormenting me, was the desire for sanctity. Hero together with saint: such is mankind's supreme model.” quote by Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/nikos-kazantzakis-1116_desire_freedom-was-my-first-great-desire-the-se_3022136.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/nikos-kazantzakis-1116_desire_freedom-was-my-first-great-desire-the-se_3022136.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/nikos-kazantzakis-1116_desire_freedom-was-my-first-great-desire-the-se_3022136.jpg) > “Freedom was my first great desire. The second, which remains hidden within me to this day, tormenting me, was the desire for sanctity. Hero together with saint: such is mankind's supreme model.” [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) ## 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 a primary desire; a deeper yearning for sanctity follows, suggesting humanity’s ideal is a blend of heroic action and saintly virtue. **In simple terms:** Freedom and sanctity together form humanity’s ideal. Key Takeaway Pursue both freedom and moral purity. Themes spirituality heroism ethics human nature Mood inspirational reflective Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - personal development - literature - spiritual practice Key Concepts philosophy theology Questions to Reflect On - How can one embody both heroism and sanctity? - What conflicts arise between liberty and purity? A Different Perspective Balancing freedom with sanctity is challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Desire Sanctity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire-sanctity-4897140/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-great-1630226/) [Great Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-desire-525643/) [Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) [Models](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/models/) [Remains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remains/) [Saint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saint/) [Sanctity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sanctity/) [This day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/this-day/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/) ## Related quotes > [The advance of human freedom - the great achievement of our time, and the great hope of every time - now depends on us.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/the-advance-of-human-freedom-the-great-achievement-of-our-time-and/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Freedom is a very great reality, but it means above all things, freedom from lies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/freedom-is-a-very-great-reality-but-it-means-above-all-things-freedom/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [“Freedom is the great organizing principle of a life lived in a truly human way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-weigel/freedom-is-the-great-organizing-principle-of-a-life-lived-in-a-truly/) [George Weigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-weigel/) > [The law on the side of freedom is of great advantage only when there is power to make that law respected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/the-law-on-the-side-of-freedom-is-of-great-advantage-only-when-there/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“Liberty may be granted but freedom cannot be conferred. Freedom is from within. Notwithstanding all the abuses to which freedom is now subject--marking man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lloyd-wright/liberty-may-be-granted-but-freedom-cannot-be-conferred-freedom-is/) [Frank Lloyd Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lloyd-wright/) > [The advance of freedom is the great story of our time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/the-advance-of-freedom-is-the-great-story-of-our-time/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [“I tell it like it is, from real experience. I want to tell people that freedom is great, but that it can also be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mian-mian/i-tell-it-like-it-is-from-real-experience-i-want-to-tell-people-that/) [Mian Mian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mian-mian/) > [Freedom always deals with 'the possible'; this gives freedom its great flexibility, its fascination, and its dangers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/freedom-always-deals-with-the-possible-this-gives-freedom-its-great/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [When more Americans prefer freebies to freedom, these great United States will become a fertile ground for tyranny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-west/when-more-americans-prefer-freebies-to-freedom-these-great-united/) [Allen West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-west/) > [The way I see it, the future, not the past, has put each of us where we are in this moment, in this place,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/the-way-i-see-it-the-future-not-the-past-has-put-each-of-us-where-we/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“THERE is no bondage in the Heavenly Life. There is Perfect Freedom. This is its great glory. This Supreme Freedom is gained only by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/there-is-no-bondage-in-the-heavenly-life-there-is-perfect-freedom/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) > [Only to those who have been in prison does freedom have such great meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corrie-ten-boom/only-to-those-who-have-been-in-prison-does-freedom-have-such-great/) [Corrie Ten Boom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corrie-ten-boom/) > [In the spaniards heart is a great yearning for freedom, but only his own. A great love for truth and honor in all its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/in-the-spaniards-heart-is-a-great-yearning-for-freedom-but-only-his/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [Seeing the sun, the moon and the stars, I said to myself, 'Who could be the Master of these beautiful things?' I felt a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-bakhita/seeing-the-sun-the-moon-and-the-stars-i-said-to-myself-who-could-be/) [Josephine Bakhita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-bakhita/) > [It is for us to pray not for tasks equal to our powers, but for powers equal to our tasks, to go forward with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/it-is-for-us-to-pray-not-for-tasks-equal-to-our-powers-but-for-powers/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) ## More by Nikos Kazantzakis > [“We gaze with perplexity at the highest part of the spiral of force that governs the Universe. And we call it God. We could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/we-gaze-with-perplexity-at-the-highest-part-of-the-spiral-of-force/) [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) > [I collect my tools: sight, smell, touch, taste, hearing, intellect. Night has fallen...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/i-collect-my-tools-sight-smell-touch-taste-hearing-intellect-night/) [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) > [Everything in this world has a hidden meaning, I thought. Men, animals, trees, stars, they are all hieroglyphics; woe to anyone who begins to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/everything-in-this-world-has-a-hidden-meaning-i-thought-men-animals/) [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) > [Good Lord, how can the rich bear to die?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/good-lord-how-can-the-rich-bear-to-die/) [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) > [“Religion is opium for the masses”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/religion-is-opium-for-the-masses/) [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) > [I possess no weapon but love. With that I have come to do battle. Help me!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/i-possess-no-weapon-but-love-with-that-i-have-come-to-do-battle-help/) [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) > [Today, any action anywhere on earth has an immediate repercussion on all five continents. News of a victory of the Eastern armies in Morocco…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/today-any-action-anywhere-on-earth-has-an-immediate-repercussion-on/) [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) > [“The Lord preserve us from sainthood”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/the-lord-preserve-us-from-sainthood/) [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) > [“You have everything but one thing: madness. A man needs a little madness or else - he never dares cut the rope and be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/you-have-everything-but-one-thing-madness-a-man-needs-a-little/) [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) > [“A man needs a little madness, or else... he never dares cut the rope and be free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/a-man-needs-a-little-madness-or-else-he-never-dares-cut-the-rope-and/) [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) > [There's a devil inside me which cries, "You're not the son of the Carpenter, you're the son of King David! You are not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/there-s-a-devil-inside-me-which-cries-you-re-not-the-son-of-the/) [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) > [Lions and Lambs, love and force, light and fire, good and evil: all things climb the same mountain, the mountain of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/lions-and-lambs-love-and-force-light-and-fire-good-and-evil-all/) [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) > [I say one thing, you write another, and those who read you understand still something else! I say: cross, death, kingdom of heaven, God...and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/i-say-one-thing-you-write-another-and-those-who-read-you-understand/) [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) > [“No, you're not free," he said. "The string you're tied to is perhaps no longer than other people's. That's all. You're on a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/no-you-re-not-free-he-said-the-string-you-re-tied-to-is-perhaps-no/) [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) > [The masses do not see the Sirens. They do not hear songs in the air. Blind, deaf, stooping, they pull at their oars in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/the-masses-do-not-see-the-sirens-they-do-not-hear-songs-in-the-air/) [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) [Explore all 275 Nikos Kazantzakis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) ## More Desire 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-martinez/) > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [I want the municipality to be a helping hand to the man with a desire of sympathy, to help the fallen when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burns/i-want-the-municipality-to-be-a-helping-hand-to-the-man-with-a-desire/) [John Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burns/) > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [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/) > [“THE ESSENCE OF YOUR DESIRE IS A FEELING”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-laporte/the-essence-of-your-desire-is-a-feeling/) [Danielle LaPorte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-laporte/) > [On the brink of being satiated, desire still appears infinite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rostand/on-the-brink-of-being-satiated-desire-still-appears-infinite/) [Jean Rostand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rostand/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to be important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-deepest-urge-in-human-nature-is-the-desire-to-be-important/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [I have never been in, nor have I had any strong particular desire to be in, what is termed a costume drama, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-have-never-been-in-nor-have-i-had-any-strong-particular-desire-to/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/now-i-am-in-the-place-i-call-this-wide-wide-heaven-because-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“from THE DEVIL YOU KNOW : She wanted him too. He could see it in the rapid rise of her breasts. He could smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emery-lee/from-the-devil-you-know-she-wanted-him-too-he-could-see-it-in-the/) [Emery Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emery-lee/) [Browse all 15,155 Desire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Freedom was my first great desire. The second, which remains hidden within me to this day, tormenting me, was the desire for sanctity. Hero together with saint: such is mankind's supreme model.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nikos Kazantzakis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/freedom-was-my-first-great-desire-the-second-which-remains-hidden/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Desire" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/freedom-was-my-first-great-desire-the-second-which-remains-hidden/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/nikos-kazantzakis-1116_desire_freedom-was-my-first-great-desire-the-se_3022136.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/nikos-kazantzakis-1116_desire_freedom-was-my-first-great-desire-the-se_3022136.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/nikos-kazantzakis-1116_desire_freedom-was-my-first-great-desire-the-se_3022136.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Freedom was my first great desire. The second, which remains hidden within me to this day, tormenting me…” — Nikos Kazantzakis", "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": "Nikos Kazantzakis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Freedom was my first great desire....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/freedom-was-my-first-great-desire-the-second-which-remains-hidden/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/freedom-was-my-first-great-desire-the-second-which-remains-hidden/#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 } } ] } ```