--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Freedom is not the absence of…" description: "\"Freedom is not the absence of commitments, but the ability to choose - and commit myself to - what is best for me.\" — Paulo Coelho" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6be/paulo-coelho-10_ability_freedom-is-not-the-absence-of-commitment_2784721.jpg" --- # Freedom is not the absence of commitments, but the ability… ![“Freedom is not the absence of commitments, but the ability to choose - and commit myself to - what is best for me.” quote by Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6be/paulo-coelho-10_ability_freedom-is-not-the-absence-of-commitment_2784721.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6be/paulo-coelho-10_ability_freedom-is-not-the-absence-of-commitment_2784721.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6be/paulo-coelho-10_ability_freedom-is-not-the-absence-of-commitment_2784721.jpg) > “Freedom is not the absence of commitments, but the ability to choose - and commit myself to - what is best for me.” [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom isn’t lack of obligations; it’s the power to choose and commit to what truly matters. **In simple terms:** Freedom is purposeful choice. Key Takeaway Align commitments with personal values. Themes freedom choice purpose Mood reflective empowering Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career decisions - relationships - health goals - spiritual quests - daily routines Key Concepts self‑determination commitment Questions to Reflect On - What commitments reflect your true priorities? - How can you renegotiate obligations? A Different Perspective Commitments can feel restrictive if misaligned. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) [Commitment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commitment/) [Commitments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commitments/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) ## Related quotes > [Free again, but it's just a feeling; freedom is not the absence of commitments, but the ability to choose - and commit yourself to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/free-again-but-it-s-just-a-feeling-freedom-is-not-the-absence-of/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [We have the ability to choose, we are God's higher form of creation, we surpass all other forms of life and we don't use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/we-have-the-ability-to-choose-we-are-god-s-higher-form-of-creation-we/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [No matter what, we always have the power to choose hope over despair, engagement over apathy, kindness over indifference, enthusiasm over lethargy, love over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-booker/no-matter-what-we-always-have-the-power-to-choose-hope-over-despair/) [Cory Booker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-booker/) > [You have the ability to choose what you want to experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/you-have-the-ability-to-choose-what-you-want-to-experience/) [Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/) > [“Options - the ability to choose - is real power. This book is all about how to see and create those options with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/options-the-ability-to-choose-is-real-power-this-book-is-all-about/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [You have the ability to choose your reactions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/you-have-the-ability-to-choose-your-reactions/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [It is the ability to choose which makes us human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/it-is-the-ability-to-choose-which-makes-us-human/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [“There is negative and positive from atoms to stars and you have the ability to choose”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-pavelka/there-is-negative-and-positive-from-atoms-to-stars-and-you-have-the/) Eric Pavelka > [“Freedom is not the ability to act without any constraints whatsoever. Given the constraints under which all human beings operate, freedom is the ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-a-cantor/freedom-is-not-the-ability-to-act-without-any-constraints-whatsoever/) Paul A. Cantor > [The ability to choose is at the essential core of our grandeur. Even evil exists because God respects our ability to choose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/the-ability-to-choose-is-at-the-essential-core-of-our-grandeur-even/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [Response-ability is the ABILITY to choose our response to any circumstance or condition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/response-ability-is-the-ability-to-choose-our-response-to-any/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [I love TV and film and will happily work there if it's good. But I want the ability to choose between things, to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pasquale/i-love-tv-and-film-and-will-happily-work-there-if-it-s-good-but-i/) [Steven Pasquale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pasquale/) > [You have the ability to choose which way you want to go. You have to believe great things are going to happen in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-everett-keiththe-encourager/you-have-the-ability-to-choose-which-way-you-want-to-go-you-have-to/) King Everett KeithThe Encourager > [“Freedom is the ability to think, the ability to choose. Freedom is the ability to direct, to move your life where you decide, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cawdron/freedom-is-the-ability-to-think-the-ability-to-choose-freedom-is-the/) [Peter Cawdron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cawdron/) > [Anyone has the ability, if they choose, to move to the higher end of the state of mind they are in. From that higher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/anyone-has-the-ability-if-they-choose-to-move-to-the-higher-end-of/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) ## More by Paulo Coelho > [I have inside me the winds, the deserts, the oceans, the stars, and everything created in the universe. We were all made by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-have-inside-me-the-winds-the-deserts-the-oceans-the-stars-and/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Love will never separate a man from his personal legend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/love-will-never-separate-a-man-from-his-personal-legend/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [To love is to be in communion with the other and to discover in that other the spark of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/to-love-is-to-be-in-communion-with-the-other-and-to-discover-in-that/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [It is not enough to dream of the Impossible Love - it is necessary to conquer it too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/it-is-not-enough-to-dream-of-the-impossible-love-it-is-necessary-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Eat when it is time to eat. And walk when it is time to walk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/eat-when-it-is-time-to-eat-and-walk-when-it-is-time-to-walk/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [People are reading more and writing more because of the internet. So the virtual world is a way for me to listen to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/people-are-reading-more-and-writing-more-because-of-the-internet-so/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Joy is like sex – it begins and ends. I want pleasure. I want to be contended, but happiness? I no longer fall into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/joy-is-like-sex-it-begins-and-ends-i-want-pleasure-i-want-to-be/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Trudi se da zivis, sjecanja su za starije ljude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/trudi-se-da-zivis-sjecanja-su-za-starije-ljude/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I've always been a very restless person. I work hard, spend too much time looking after my son, I dance like a mad thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-ve-always-been-a-very-restless-person-i-work-hard-spend-too-much/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [When someone leaves, it's because someone else is about to arrive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-someone-leaves-it-s-because-someone-else-is-about-to-arrive/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-past-and-the-future-become-unimportant-there-is-only-that-moment/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [She didn't need to understand the meaning of life; it was enough to find someone who did, and then fall asleep in his arms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/she-didn-t-need-to-understand-the-meaning-of-life-it-was-enough-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“The simpler the pose, the better; the more sober, the more beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-simpler-the-pose-the-better-the-more-sober-the-more-beautiful/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) [Explore all 3,665 Paulo Coelho quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Freedom is not the absence of commitments, but the ability to choose - and commit myself to - what is best for me.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paulo Coelho" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/freedom-is-not-the-absence-of-commitments-but-the-ability-to-choose/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/freedom-is-not-the-absence-of-commitments-but-the-ability-to-choose/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6be/paulo-coelho-10_ability_freedom-is-not-the-absence-of-commitment_2784721.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6be/paulo-coelho-10_ability_freedom-is-not-the-absence-of-commitment_2784721.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6be/paulo-coelho-10_ability_freedom-is-not-the-absence-of-commitment_2784721.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Freedom is not the absence of commitments, but the ability to choose - and commit myself to - what is best…” — Paulo Coelho", "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": "Paulo Coelho", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Freedom is not the absence of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/freedom-is-not-the-absence-of-commitments-but-the-ability-to-choose/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/freedom-is-not-the-absence-of-commitments-but-the-ability-to-choose/#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 } } ] } ```