--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Freedom is acquired by conquest, not by…" description: "\"Freedom is acquired by conquest, not by gift. It must be pursued constantly and responsibly. Freedom is not an ideal located outside of man; nor is it ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29b/paulo-freire-1551_completion_freedom-is-acquired-by-conquest-not-by-g_394001.jpg" --- # Freedom is acquired by conquest, not by gift. It must be… ![“Freedom is acquired by conquest, not by gift. It must be pursued constantly and responsibly. Freedom is not an ideal located outside of man; nor is it an idea which becomes myth. It is rather the indispensable condition for the quest for human completion.” quote by Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29b/paulo-freire-1551_completion_freedom-is-acquired-by-conquest-not-by-g_394001.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29b/paulo-freire-1551_completion_freedom-is-acquired-by-conquest-not-by-g_394001.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29b/paulo-freire-1551_completion_freedom-is-acquired-by-conquest-not-by-g_394001.jpg) > “Freedom is acquired by conquest, not by gift. It must be pursued constantly and responsibly. Freedom is not an ideal located outside of man; nor is it an idea which becomes myth. It is rather the indispensable condition for the quest for human completion.” [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom must be actively earned and maintained, not passively received, as a prerequisite for human fulfillment. **In simple terms:** Freedom is earned, not given. Key Takeaway Actively protect and nurture liberty. Themes freedom responsibility human potential Mood determined reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - social activism - education reform - personal development Key Concepts political theory existentialism Questions to Reflect On - How do you actively safeguard your freedom? - What responsibilities accompany liberty? A Different Perspective Freedom can be compromised by complacency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conquest/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Myth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myth/) ## Related quotes > [Real freedom is not something to be acquired, it is the outcome of intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/real-freedom-is-not-something-to-be-acquired-it-is-the-outcome-of/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Freedom is not an ideal, it is not even a protection, if it means nothing more than the freedom to stagnate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adlai-e-stevenson-2/freedom-is-not-an-ideal-it-is-not-even-a-protection-if-it-means-2/) [Adlai E Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adlai-e-stevenson-2/) > [I'm super comfortable with TV, especially in my situation where I pretty much have 100% freedom. That's the ideal, and I've been fortunate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genndy-tartakovsky/i-m-super-comfortable-with-tv-especially-in-my-situation-where-i/) [Genndy Tartakovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genndy-tartakovsky/) > [Freedom is not an ideal, it is not even a protection, if it means nothing more than freedom to stagnate, to live without dreams,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/freedom-is-not-an-ideal-it-is-not-even-a-protection-if-it-means/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Welfare programs as instruments of manipulation ultimately serve the end of conquest. They act as an anesthetic, distracting the oppressed from the true causes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/welfare-programs-as-instruments-of-manipulation-ultimately-serve-the/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [With the empowerment of an advanced Teacher, and your own best efforts, you will be able to explore the mysteries of knowledge that lead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/with-the-empowerment-of-an-advanced-teacher-and-your-own-best-efforts/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Don't look for someone to complete you, complete yourself or you'll feel empty when they leave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/don-t-look-for-someone-to-complete-you-complete-yourself-or-you-ll/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [Many times we seek completion in what we should be completing...timz..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/many-times-we-seek-completion-in-what-we-should-be-completing-timz/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [I don't need someone who is perfect, because nobody is perfect. I just need someone who can complete me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/i-don-t-need-someone-who-is-perfect-because-nobody-is-perfect-i-just/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [Literally everybody talks about 56 percent completion percentage. It gets brought up in every meeting. It's something I'm trying to work on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-allen/literally-everybody-talks-about-56-percent-completion-percentage-it/) [Josh Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-allen/) > [Enclosure, upon its completion, was the record which represented the achievement of all the musical goals I had been aiming at for the previous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-frusciante/enclosure-upon-its-completion-was-the-record-which-represented-the/) [John Frusciante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-frusciante/) > [A moment of complete happiness never occurs in the creation of a work of art. The promise of it is felt in the act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucian-freud/a-moment-of-complete-happiness-never-occurs-in-the-creation-of-a-work/) [Lucian Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucian-freud/) > [Having my son, it's such a sense of completion as a woman; it's put me at peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherilyn-fenn/having-my-son-it-s-such-a-sense-of-completion-as-a-woman-it-s-put-me/) [Sherilyn Fenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherilyn-fenn/) > [“Although it may appear as though there have been many miracles in the world, a true miracle has never come to pass. A true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woo-myung/although-it-may-appear-as-though-there-have-been-many-miracles-in-the/) [Woo Myung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woo-myung/) > [I think I can recognize when a piece is at a state of completion. I always say to my wife, "Oh yeah, it's roughly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-dyer/i-think-i-can-recognize-when-a-piece-is-at-a-state-of-completion-i/) [Geoff Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-dyer/) ## More by Paulo Freire > [The teacher is of course an artist, but being an artist does not mean that he or she can make the profile, can shape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/the-teacher-is-of-course-an-artist-but-being-an-artist-does-not-mean/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [“if i am not in the world simply to adapt to it, but rather transform it, and if it is not possible to change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/if-i-am-not-in-the-world-simply-to-adapt-to-it-but-rather-transform/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [The earliest language was body language and, since this language is the language of questions, if we limit the questions, and if we only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/the-earliest-language-was-body-language-and-since-this-language-is/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [The behavior and reactions of the oppressed, which lead the oppressor to practice cultural invasion, should evoke from the revolutionary a different theory of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/the-behavior-and-reactions-of-the-oppressed-which-lead-the-oppressor/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [“The fact that certain members of the oppressor class join the oppressed in their struggle for liberation, thus moving from one pole of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/the-fact-that-certain-members-of-the-oppressor-class-join-the/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [“When a word is deprived of its dimension of action,reflection automatically suffers as well and the word is changed into idle chatter, into verbalism,into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/when-a-word-is-deprived-of-its-dimension-of-action-reflection/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [A reader does not suddenly comprehend what is being read or studied, in a snap, miraculously. Comprehension needs to be worked forged, by those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/a-reader-does-not-suddenly-comprehend-what-is-being-read-or-studied/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [“If I do not love the world, if I do not love life, if I do not love people, I cannot enter into dialogue.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/if-i-do-not-love-the-world-if-i-do-not-love-life-if-i-do-not-love/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [ \[Humans'\] capacity to intervene, to compare, to judge, to decide, to choose, to desist makes them capable of acts of greatness, of dignity, and,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/humans-capacity-to-intervene-to-compare-to-judge-to-decide-to-choose/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [If I am a pure product of genetic, cultural, or class determination, I have no responsibility for my action in the world and, therefore,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/if-i-am-a-pure-product-of-genetic-cultural-or-class-determination-i/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [“To begin always anew, to make, to reconstruct, and to not spoil, to refuse to bureaucratize the mind, to understand and to live life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/to-begin-always-anew-to-make-to-reconstruct-and-to-not-spoil-to/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [“The man or woman who proclaims devotion to the cause of liberation yet is unable to enter into communion with the people, whom he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/the-man-or-woman-who-proclaims-devotion-to-the-cause-of-liberation/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [One cannot expect positive results from an educational or political action program which fails to respect the particular view of the world held by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/one-cannot-expect-positive-results-from-an-educational-or-political/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [Any situation in which some men prevent others from engaging in the process of inquiry is one of violence;… to alienate humans from their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/any-situation-in-which-some-men-prevent-others-from-engaging-in-the/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [Educators need to know what happens in the world of the children with whom they work. They need to know the universe of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/educators-need-to-know-what-happens-in-the-world-of-the-children-with/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) [Explore all 223 Paulo Freire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) ## More Completion quotes > [I think I can recognize when a piece is at a state of completion. I always say to my wife, "Oh yeah, it's roughly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-dyer/i-think-i-can-recognize-when-a-piece-is-at-a-state-of-completion-i/) [Geoff Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-dyer/) > [“Although it may appear as though there have been many miracles in the world, a true miracle has never come to pass. A true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woo-myung/although-it-may-appear-as-though-there-have-been-many-miracles-in-the/) [Woo Myung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woo-myung/) > [Having my son, it's such a sense of completion as a woman; it's put me at peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherilyn-fenn/having-my-son-it-s-such-a-sense-of-completion-as-a-woman-it-s-put-me/) [Sherilyn Fenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherilyn-fenn/) > [A moment of complete happiness never occurs in the creation of a work of art. The promise of it is felt in the act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucian-freud/a-moment-of-complete-happiness-never-occurs-in-the-creation-of-a-work/) [Lucian Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucian-freud/) > [Enclosure, upon its completion, was the record which represented the achievement of all the musical goals I had been aiming at for the previous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-frusciante/enclosure-upon-its-completion-was-the-record-which-represented-the/) [John Frusciante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-frusciante/) > [Literally everybody talks about 56 percent completion percentage. It gets brought up in every meeting. It's something I'm trying to work on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-allen/literally-everybody-talks-about-56-percent-completion-percentage-it/) [Josh Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-allen/) > [I don't need someone who is perfect, because nobody is perfect. I just need someone who can complete me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/i-don-t-need-someone-who-is-perfect-because-nobody-is-perfect-i-just/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [Many times we seek completion in what we should be completing...timz..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/many-times-we-seek-completion-in-what-we-should-be-completing-timz/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [Don't look for someone to complete you, complete yourself or you'll feel empty when they leave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/don-t-look-for-someone-to-complete-you-complete-yourself-or-you-ll/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [With the empowerment of an advanced Teacher, and your own best efforts, you will be able to explore the mysteries of knowledge that lead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/with-the-empowerment-of-an-advanced-teacher-and-your-own-best-efforts/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Earlier this week ... scientists announced the completion of a task that once seemed unimaginable; and that is, the deciphering of the entire DNA…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-kennedy/earlier-this-week-scientists-announced-the-completion-of-a-task-that/) [Edward Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-kennedy/) > [“You have done well," Grandfather said. "We thank you." "We were afraid sometimes," Jetsam replied. "Good." Grandfather's eyes smiled. "That means you had the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-moon/you-have-done-well-grandfather-said-we-thank-you-we-were-afraid/) [Sheila Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-moon/) > [When we descend all the way down to the bottom of loss, and dwell patiently, with an open heart, in the darkness and pain,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/when-we-descend-all-the-way-down-to-the-bottom-of-loss-and-dwell/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [Building a successful life is much like building anything else: it should be thoroughly thought about in advance and then carried through to completion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-w-sill/building-a-successful-life-is-much-like-building-anything-else-it/) [Sterling W Sill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-w-sill/) > [Between complete socialism and communism there is no difference whatever in my mind.Communism is in fact the completion of socialism; when that ceases to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/between-complete-socialism-and-communism-there-is-no-difference/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) Browse all 332 Completion quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Freedom is acquired by conquest, not by gift. 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