Class Quote by Paulo Freire
“The oppressors do not perceive their monopoly on having more as a privilege which dehumanizes others and themselves. They cannot see that, in the egoistic pursuit of having as a possessing class, they suffocate in their own possessions and no longer are; they merely have.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire, 1970
The powerful fail to see their excess as privilege, dehumanizing both others and themselves, leading to a self‑destructive focus on possession over being.
In simple terms: Power blinds them to their own dehumanization.
Key Takeaway
Shift focus from having to being.
Themes
power
inequality
human dignity
Mood
thought‑provoking
critical
Type
philosophical
social critique
When to use this quote
- social justice work
- educational reform
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
critical pedagogy
alienation
Questions to Reflect On
- How does possession affect your sense of self?
- What practices foster being over having?
A Different Perspective
Some argue that material security can be a legitimate goal, not merely oppression.
![“[Humans'] capacity to intervene, to compare, to judge, to decide, to choose, to desist makes them capable of acts of greatness, of dignity, and, at the same time, of the unthinkable in terms of indignity.” quote by Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4e6/paulo-freire-1551_capable_humans-capacity-to-intervene-to-compare_103884.jpg)
