---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Independence is a state of mind…"
description: "\"Independence is a state of mind. Independence is spirit without category.\" — Oliver Stone"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d57/oliver-stone-1812_categories_independence-is-a-state-of-mind-independ_2613068.jpg"
---

#  Independence is a state of mind. Independence is spirit…

![“Independence is a state of mind. Independence is spirit without category.” quote by Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d57/oliver-stone-1812_categories_independence-is-a-state-of-mind-independ_2613068.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d57/oliver-stone-1812_categories_independence-is-a-state-of-mind-independ_2613068.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d57/oliver-stone-1812_categories_independence-is-a-state-of-mind-independ_2613068.jpg)

> “Independence is a state of mind. Independence is spirit without category.”

[Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/)

## About This Quote

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

Independence is a mental state beyond categories, a spirit of freedom.

**In simple terms:** Freedom is a mindset.

Key Takeaway

Embrace mental freedom beyond labels.

Themes

freedom mindset spirituality identity

Mood

inspirational philosophical

Type

political cultural

When to use this quote

- personal development
- leadership
- creative work

Key Concepts

self‑determination philosophy psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- What does independence mean to you?
- How can you balance freedom with responsibility?

A Different Perspective

Labels can provide useful structure; total freedom may cause aimlessness.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Categories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/categories/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Independence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independence/) [Independence Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independence-spirit-2044373/) [Independence State](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independence-state-2044374/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Mind Independence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind-independence-2044372/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) [State Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state-mind/) [State of mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state-of-mind/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/)

## Related quotes

> [Intelligence and proper education will give you independence of spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/intelligence-and-proper-education-will-give-you-independence-of-spirit/)

[Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/)

> [We show each day that we are prepared to act as an independence state... Not just in exceptional moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carles-puigdemont/we-show-each-day-that-we-are-prepared-to-act-as-an-independence-state/)

[Carles Puigdemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carles-puigdemont/)

> [“Your subconscious mind can give you independence of time and space. It can make you free of all pain and suffering. It can give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/your-subconscious-mind-can-give-you-independence-of-time-and-space-it/)

[Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/)

> [Philosophy means the complete liberty of the mind, and therefore independence of all social, political or religious prejudice... It loves one thing only... truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/philosophy-means-the-complete-liberty-of-the-mind-and-therefore/)

[Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/)

> [Put yourself in a state of mind where you say to yourself, 'Here is an opportunity for me to celebrate like never before, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-yourself-in-a-state-of-mind-where-you-say-to-yourself-here-is-an/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Lately I am in a state of mind were I am searching for answers and my thoughts are deep !!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/lately-i-am-in-a-state-of-mind-were-i-am-searching-for-answers-and-my/)

[Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/)

> [I think leadership is creating a state of mind in others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-mikulski/i-think-leadership-is-creating-a-state-of-mind-in-others/)

[Barbara Mikulski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-mikulski/)

> [NVC gives us tools and understanding to create a more peaceful state of mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/nvc-gives-us-tools-and-understanding-to-create-a-more-peaceful-state/)

[Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/)

> [I do not believe in struggle. Struggle is a state of mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kubra-sait/i-do-not-believe-in-struggle-struggle-is-a-state-of-mind/)

[Kubra Sait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kubra-sait/)

> [“You have become her sadness and live in a different state of mind”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dostoyevsky/you-have-become-her-sadness-and-live-in-a-different-state-of-mind/)

[Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dostoyevsky/)

> [“I would like to meet myself sometime to see how I would look to myself. But I'd have to be in an extremely good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/multatuli/i-would-like-to-meet-myself-sometime-to-see-how-i-would-look-to/)

[Multatuli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/multatuli/)

> [“Beyond the silver span of the motor bridge lay basins of cracked mud the size of ballrooms - models of a state of mind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard-2/beyond-the-silver-span-of-the-motor-bridge-lay-basins-of-cracked-mud/)

[J.G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard-2/)

> [“Fun is not an activity, it is a state of mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/fun-is-not-an-activity-it-is-a-state-of-mind/)

[Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/)

> [A state of mind is something that one assumes. It cannot be purchased, it must be created.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/a-state-of-mind-is-something-that-one-assumes-it-cannot-be-purchased/)

[Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/)

> [The state of mind which I put myself when I tell a story is one in which superstition flourishes very easily. And I welcome…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/the-state-of-mind-which-i-put-myself-when-i-tell-a-story-is-one-in/)

[Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/)

## More by Oliver Stone

> [“The West won the world not by the superiority of its ideas or values or religion (to which few members of other religions were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/the-west-won-the-world-not-by-the-superiority-of-its-ideas-or-values/)

[Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/)

> [I'm a dramatist. Dramatists have a right to look at history and interpret it the way they see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/i-m-a-dramatist-dramatists-have-a-right-to-look-at-history-and/)

[Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/)

> [Christianity did take a lot of Greek concepts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/christianity-did-take-a-lot-of-greek-concepts/)

[Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/)

> [I've liked different women at different times in my life. I've been attracted to white women. I've been attracted to black women. I've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/i-ve-liked-different-women-at-different-times-in-my-life-i-ve-been/)

[Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/)

> [By creating false environment of a war on drugs, and cruel and unusual punishment with these crimes, 50% of our U.S. population is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/by-creating-false-environment-of-a-war-on-drugs-and-cruel-and-unusual/)

[Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/)

> [Everyone in the world is impacted by the United States' Big Brother attitude toward the world. We need countries to say no to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/everyone-in-the-world-is-impacted-by-the-united-states-big-brother/)

[Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/)

> [I might as well be myself. Everyone else is taken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/i-might-as-well-be-myself-everyone-else-is-taken/)

[Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/)

> [I didn't like my classmates at Yale. George W.Bush was in my class. I didn't know it then.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/i-didn-t-like-my-classmates-at-yale-george-w-bush-was-in-my-class-i/)

[Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/)

> [There is this thing about time that you can't see at the time you're at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/there-is-this-thing-about-time-that-you-can-t-see-at-the-time-you-re/)

[Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/)

> [I'm trying to understand my life. The one that I've experienced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/i-m-trying-to-understand-my-life-the-one-that-i-ve-experienced/)

[Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/)

> [Obama is now fighting for his life. He's fighting for a federal government. I believe in a federal government. I hope it sticks around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/obama-is-now-fighting-for-his-life-he-s-fighting-for-a-federal/)

[Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/)

> [Anybody who's been through a divorce will tell you that at one point. they've thought murder. The line between thinking murder and doing murder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/anybody-who-s-been-through-a-divorce-will-tell-you-that-at-one-point/)

[Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/)

> [The worst nightmare I ever had about Vietnam was that I had to go back. I woke up in a sweat, in total terror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/the-worst-nightmare-i-ever-had-about-vietnam-was-that-i-had-to-go/)

[Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/)

> [There are a few versions of the Alexander movie on video, only two that matter. One is from 2007, and then the one from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/there-are-a-few-versions-of-the-alexander-movie-on-video-only-two/)

[Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/)

> [I gave up on America. I read the Times just to find out what they're thinking. I read blogs. I get most of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/i-gave-up-on-america-i-read-the-times-just-to-find-out-what-they-re/)

[Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/)

[Explore all 207 Oliver Stone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/)

## More Categories quotes

> [...the number of saintly men has not yet risen to the level where the census makes them a separate statistical category.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stigler/the-number-of-saintly-men-has-not-yet-risen-to-the-level-where-the/)

[George Stigler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stigler/)

> [As a politician - particularly as a politician in a coalition - you quickly realise that compromise is a part of the game. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-davey/as-a-politician-particularly-as-a-politician-in-a-coalition-you/)

[Edward Davey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-davey/)

> [I've worked with jazz artists, country artists, classical artists, pop artists. I never wanted there to be categories, because when I was a kid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-mcknight/i-ve-worked-with-jazz-artists-country-artists-classical-artists-pop/)

[Brian McKnight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-mcknight/)

> [ I don't think in national categories. For me it \[policy\] is about concepts and substance. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-claude-juncker/i-don-t-think-in-national-categories-for-me-it-policy-is-about/)

[Jean-Claude Juncker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-claude-juncker/)

> [Virtually every major technological advance in the history of the human species- back to the invention of stone tools and the domestication of fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/virtually-every-major-technological-advance-in-the-history-of-the/)

[Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/)

> [We don't need to complicate all the "reasons" behind our emotions. It's much simpler than that. Two categories .. good feelings, bad feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/we-don-t-need-to-complicate-all-the-reasons-behind-our-emotions-it-s/)

[Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/)

> [I put the truth out there, I put the historical facts into Hip Hop to show us how much history repeats itself and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immortal-technique/i-put-the-truth-out-there-i-put-the-historical-facts-into-hip-hop-to/)

[Immortal Technique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immortal-technique/)

> [I am devoting my lecture in this seminar to a discussion of the possibility that we are now entering a Jewish century, a time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-a-siegel/i-am-devoting-my-lecture-in-this-seminar-to-a-discussion-of-the/)

[Martin A. Siegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-a-siegel/)

> [A top World War II ace once said that fighter pilots fall into two broad categories: those who go out to kill and those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-top-world-war-ii-ace-once-said-that-fighter-pilots-fall-into-two/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [No, I don't like legend. I mean, I don't like the category. And to begin with, to me, a legend is something that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/no-i-don-t-like-legend-i-mean-i-don-t-like-the-category-and-to-begin/)

[Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/)

> [ I read so ravenously that I would read through whole categories. I was crazy about reading biographies. \[...\] I think biographies are very urgent… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-read-so-ravenously-that-i-would-read-through-whole-categories-i-was/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

> [... the notions category and functor were not formulated or put in print until the idea of a natural transformation was also at hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saunders-mac-lane/the-notions-category-and-functor-were-not-formulated-or-put-in-print/)

[Saunders Mac Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saunders-mac-lane/)

> [Last guy I was interested in turned out to be an incestuous necrophiliac," she said. "So no, not currently dating, and definitely not doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/last-guy-i-was-interested-in-turned-out-to-be-an-incestuous/)

[Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/)

> [Culture exists and evolves to relegate to habit categories of interactions the constant conscious reference to which would make human interaction impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/culture-exists-and-evolves-to-relegate-to-habit-categories-of/)

[David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/)

> [I am disappointed by this controversy surrounding A Million Little Pieces because I rely on the publishers to define the category that a book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/i-am-disappointed-by-this-controversy-surrounding-a-million-little/)

[Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/)

[Browse all 927 Categories quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/categories/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Independence is a state of mind. Independence is spirit without category.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Oliver Stone"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/independence-is-a-state-of-mind-independence-is-spirit-without/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Categories"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/independence-is-a-state-of-mind-independence-is-spirit-without/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d57/oliver-stone-1812_categories_independence-is-a-state-of-mind-independ_2613068.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d57/oliver-stone-1812_categories_independence-is-a-state-of-mind-independ_2613068.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d57/oliver-stone-1812_categories_independence-is-a-state-of-mind-independ_2613068.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Independence is a state of mind. Independence is spirit without category.” — Oliver Stone",
                "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": "Oliver Stone",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Independence is a state of mind....",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/independence-is-a-state-of-mind-independence-is-spirit-without/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/independence-is-a-state-of-mind-independence-is-spirit-without/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
