--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Anyone in a position to overcome barriers…" description: "\"Anyone in a position to overcome barriers to free thought and communication should do so.\" — Noam Chomsky" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c8/noam-chomsky-42_barriers_anyone-in-a-position-to-overcome-barrier_2319171.jpg" --- # Anyone in a position to overcome barriers to free thought… ![“Anyone in a position to overcome barriers to free thought and communication should do so.” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c8/noam-chomsky-42_barriers_anyone-in-a-position-to-overcome-barrier_2319171.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c8/noam-chomsky-42_barriers_anyone-in-a-position-to-overcome-barrier_2319171.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c8/noam-chomsky-42_barriers_anyone-in-a-position-to-overcome-barrier_2319171.jpg) > “Anyone in a position to overcome barriers to free thought and communication should do so.” [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People who can remove obstacles to open discourse should act to protect intellectual freedom. **In simple terms:** Remove barriers to open discussion. Key Takeaway Act to protect free thought. Themes freedom of speech intellectual liberty responsibility Mood concerned determined Type philosophical activist When to use this quote - academic settings - online platforms - political debates - media outlets Key Concepts democracy media censorship Questions to Reflect On - What barriers to free thought exist in your community? - How can you help dismantle them? A Different Perspective Powerful interests may resist change, making reform difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Barriers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barriers/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Free thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-thought/) [Overcoming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overcoming/) ## Related quotes > [An undesirable society, in other words, is one which internally and externally sets up barriers to free intercourse and communication of experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/an-undesirable-society-in-other-words-is-one-which-internally-and/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [“Only the exceptional blend of love, humility, hospitality, and persistence can overcome these barriers, and not enough people make the effort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nabeel-qureshi/only-the-exceptional-blend-of-love-humility-hospitality-and/) [Nabeel Qureshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nabeel-qureshi/) > [ITC works to help firms in poor countries become more competitive and overcome the barriers that are keeping their goods and services out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arancha-gonzalez/itc-works-to-help-firms-in-poor-countries-become-more-competitive-and/) [Arancha Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arancha-gonzalez/) > [I had to overcome barriers of fear, inconsistency, believing in myself as an individual, and believing in the gift and believing that this could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dapaah/i-had-to-overcome-barriers-of-fear-inconsistency-believing-in-myself/) [Michael Dapaah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dapaah/) > [Overcome your barriers, intend the best, and be patient. You will enjoy more balance, more growth, more income, and more fun!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-canfield/overcome-your-barriers-intend-the-best-and-be-patient-you-will-enjoy/) [Jack Canfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-canfield/) > [“There are simply too many barriers for Muslim immigrants to understand Christians and the West by sheer circumstance. Only the exceptional blend of love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nabeel-qureshi/there-are-simply-too-many-barriers-for-muslim-immigrants-to/) [Nabeel Qureshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nabeel-qureshi/) > [“It's very important for institutions of concentrated power to keep people alone and isolated: that way they're ineffective, they can't defend themselves against indoctrination,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-s-very-important-for-institutions-of-concentrated-power-to-keep/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The principle that human nature, in its psychological aspects, is nothing more than a product of history and given social relations removes all barriers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-principle-that-human-nature-in-its-psychological-aspects-is/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Student debt is structured to be a burden for life. The indebted cannot declare bankruptcy, unlike Donald Trump. Current student debt is estimated to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/student-debt-is-structured-to-be-a-burden-for-life-the-indebted/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The Federal role in overcoming barriers to needed health care should emphasize health care financing programs-such as Medicare and Medicaid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-r-ford/the-federal-role-in-overcoming-barriers-to-needed-health-care-should/) [Gerald R. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-r-ford/) > [All of the barriers to innovation in the energy sector are arguments for a big commitment to public investment. Only the public sector can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nordhaus/all-of-the-barriers-to-innovation-in-the-energy-sector-are-arguments/) [Ted Nordhaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nordhaus/) > [“Freedom is not an idea; a philosophy written about freedom is not freedom. Either one is free or one is not. One is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/freedom-is-not-an-idea-a-philosophy-written-about-freedom-is-not/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I deny the right of Congress to force a slaveholding State upon an unwilling people. I deny their right to force a free State…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-a-douglas/i-deny-the-right-of-congress-to-force-a-slaveholding-state-upon-an/) [Stephen A. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-a-douglas/) > [“Try a little experiment. Close your eyes and say to yourself: “I wonder what my next thought is going to be.” Then become very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/try-a-little-experiment-close-your-eyes-and-say-to-yourself-i-wonder/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [“Bertrand Russell:   The expression “free thought” is often used as if it meant merely opposition to the prevailing orthodoxy. But this is only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-m-s-pearce/bertrand-russell-the-expression-free-thought-is-often-used-as-if-it/) Jonathan M.S. Pearce ## More by Noam Chomsky > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [It’s a shameful moment for U.S. media when it insists on being subservient to the grotesque propaganda agencies of a violent, aggressive state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-s-a-shameful-moment-for-u-s-media-when-it-insists-on-being/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are questions as to whether it should even exist. Who should corporations be responsive to, the management of a corporation? Theoretically they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-questions-as-to-whether-it-should-even-exist-who-should/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Governments regard their own citizens as their main enemy, and they have to be - protect themselves. That's why you have state secret laws.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/governments-regard-their-own-citizens-as-their-main-enemy-and-they/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I don't join the New Atheists. So, for example, I wouldn't have the arrogance to lecture some mother who hopes to see her dying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-join-the-new-atheists-so-for-example-i-wouldn-t-have-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The first thing you ought to do is verify what I present. Just because I say it doesn't make it true. So check it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-first-thing-you-ought-to-do-is-verify-what-i-present-just-because/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [ I wrote an article about the marine landing \[in Haiti\] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-landing-in-haiti-right-away-but/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [American society is now remarkably atomized. Political organizations have collapsed. In fact, it seems like even bowling leagues are collapsing. The left has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/american-society-is-now-remarkably-atomized-political-organizations/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Discovery is the ability to be puzzled by simple things. Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/discovery-is-the-ability-to-be-puzzled-by-simple-things-noam-chomsky/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's an interesting book about that called The Third Reich and the Ivory Tower, written by Stephen H. Norwood. It has a long discussion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-an-interesting-book-about-that-called-the-third-reich-and-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [This is class war on an international scale, and power is in the hands of those who control the international economic system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/this-is-class-war-on-an-international-scale-and-power-is-in-the-hands/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are big, extremely irrational parts of the society, and they have now been mobilized politically by the Republican establishment, hoping that these people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-big-extremely-irrational-parts-of-the-society-and-they-have/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's plenty to criticize about the mass media, but they are the source of regular information about a wide range of topics. You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-plenty-to-criticize-about-the-mass-media-but-they-are-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The 50,000 Korean mercenaries we had in Vietnam were professional killers and just massacred people outright. And the American army did plenty of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-50-000-korean-mercenaries-we-had-in-vietnam-were-professional/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Explore all 2,129 Noam Chomsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## More Barriers quotes > [Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?" said Hermione as they got off the train and joined the crowd thronging toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-aunt-and-uncle-will-be-proud-though-won-t-they-said-hermione-as/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The gear you can't afford is not the barrier keeping you from success. Gear has very little to do with photography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chase-jarvis/the-gear-you-can-t-afford-is-not-the-barrier-keeping-you-from-success/) [Chase Jarvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chase-jarvis/) > [All of the barriers to innovation in the energy sector are arguments for a big commitment to public investment. Only the public sector can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nordhaus/all-of-the-barriers-to-innovation-in-the-energy-sector-are-arguments/) [Ted Nordhaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nordhaus/) > [The "health, education, and welfare" section of government is another boondoggle. First we manufacture indigent and superfluous people by legal monopolies in land, money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurance-labadie/the-health-education-and-welfare-section-of-government-is-another/) [Laurance Labadie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurance-labadie/) > [Security is a component of everyday life that one spending time in Washington, D.C., gets accustomed to. Metal detectors, police vehicle barriers and heavily-armed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-crapo/security-is-a-component-of-everyday-life-that-one-spending-time-in/) [Mike Crapo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-crapo/) > [The biggest obstacles to our progress exist within our own lives in the form of cowardice and the tendency to give up. Breaking through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senora-roy/the-biggest-obstacles-to-our-progress-exist-within-our-own-lives-in/) [Senora Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senora-roy/) > [I feel that there are a few things in the world without cultural barriers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-chan/i-feel-that-there-are-a-few-things-in-the-world-without-cultural/) [Jackie Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-chan/) > [English literature is a glorious inheritance which is open to all - there are no barriers, no coupons, and no restrictions. In the English…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/english-literature-is-a-glorious-inheritance-which-is-open-to-all/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Friendship embraces innumerable ends; turn where you will it is ever at your side; no barrier shuts it out; it is never untimely and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/friendship-embraces-innumerable-ends-turn-where-you-will-it-is-ever/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [I've cosponsored legislation to establish a lend-lease program to simplify bureaucratic barriers and allow a speedier transfer of U.S. military equipment to Ukraine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/i-ve-cosponsored-legislation-to-establish-a-lend-lease-program-to/) [Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/) > [Don't be afraid of what you want. This is your time. The barriers are down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-freeman/don-t-be-afraid-of-what-you-want-this-is-your-time-the-barriers-are/) [Morgan Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-freeman/) > [Fear is the single biggest barrier to creativity. Unless we're brave enough to risk looking foolish, we'll inevitably find ourselves sticking to the status…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-linkner/fear-is-the-single-biggest-barrier-to-creativity-unless-we-re-brave/) [Josh Linkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-linkner/) > [He looked at my lips. I suddenly found myself wanting to lick his. 'Yes,' he replied, his eyes going molten. My breath caught in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-macalister/he-looked-at-my-lips-i-suddenly-found-myself-wanting-to-lick-his-yes/) [Katie MacAlister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-macalister/) > [What do you have to surrender? A drop has to dissolve into the ocean to become the ocean. And a drop cannot be greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmala-srivastava/what-do-you-have-to-surrender-a-drop-has-to-dissolve-into-the-ocean/) [Nirmala Srivastava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmala-srivastava/) > [“One way to generate a precise customer value proposition is to think about the four most common barriers keeping people from getting particular jobs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-w-johnson/one-way-to-generate-a-precise-customer-value-proposition-is-to-think/) [Mark W. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-w-johnson/) [Browse all 1,191 Barriers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barriers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Anyone in a position to overcome barriers to free thought and communication should do so.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Noam Chomsky" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/anyone-in-a-position-to-overcome-barriers-to-free-thought-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Barriers" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/anyone-in-a-position-to-overcome-barriers-to-free-thought-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c8/noam-chomsky-42_barriers_anyone-in-a-position-to-overcome-barrier_2319171.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c8/noam-chomsky-42_barriers_anyone-in-a-position-to-overcome-barrier_2319171.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c8/noam-chomsky-42_barriers_anyone-in-a-position-to-overcome-barrier_2319171.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Anyone in a position to overcome barriers to free thought and communication should do so.” — Noam Chomsky", "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": "Noam Chomsky", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Anyone in a position to overcome...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/anyone-in-a-position-to-overcome-barriers-to-free-thought-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/anyone-in-a-position-to-overcome-barriers-to-free-thought-and/#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 } } ] } ```