--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In order for this struggle to have…" description: "\"In order for this struggle to have meaning, the oppressed must not, in seeking to regain their humanity (which is a way to create it), become in turn o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5e/paulo-freire-1551_humanity_in-order-for-this-struggle-to-have-meani_1238518.jpg" --- # In order for this struggle to have meaning, the oppressed… ![“In order for this struggle to have meaning, the oppressed must not, in seeking to regain their humanity (which is a way to create it), become in turn oppressors of the oppressors, but rather restorers of the humanity of both” quote by Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5e/paulo-freire-1551_humanity_in-order-for-this-struggle-to-have-meani_1238518.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5e/paulo-freire-1551_humanity_in-order-for-this-struggle-to-have-meani_1238518.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5e/paulo-freire-1551_humanity_in-order-for-this-struggle-to-have-meani_1238518.jpg) > “In order for this struggle to have meaning, the oppressed must not, in seeking to regain their humanity (which is a way to create it), become in turn oppressors of the oppressors, but rather restorers of the humanity of both” [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. True liberation requires the oppressed to avoid becoming oppressors while restoring humanity for all parties. **In simple terms:** Do not become what you fight against. Key Takeaway Preserve humanity while seeking justice. Themes justice humanity power dynamics Mood reflective determined Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - social movements - community organizing - conflict resolution - policy reform Key Concepts Ethics transformative education Questions to Reflect On - How can we safeguard against replicating oppression? - What practices nurture mutual humanity? A Different Perspective Power structures can corrupt even well‑intentioned actors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Oppressed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oppressed/) [Oppression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oppression/) [Oppressors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oppressors/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) ## Related quotes > [We have a choice about how we take what happens to us in our life and whether or not we allow it to turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/we-have-a-choice-about-how-we-take-what-happens-to-us-in-our-life-and/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) > [How can the oppressed, as divided, unauthentic beings, participate in developing the pedagogy of their liberation? 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Some scholars claim they don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/muslims-scholars-or-not-are-on-the-side-of-the-oppressed-and-never-on/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [It is said that this is a man's world, and sometimes, it is. For every casket girl that was saved, countless others were not.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca/it-is-said-that-this-is-a-man-s-world-and-sometimes-it-is-for-every/) [Rebecca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca/) > [It is startling to see how the oppressed almost invariably shape themselves in the image of their hated oppressors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/it-is-startling-to-see-how-the-oppressed-almost-invariably-shape/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [The oppressed must never allow the conscience of the oppressor to slumber. Religion reminds every man that he is his brother's keeper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-oppressed-must-never-allow-the-conscience-of-the-oppressor-to/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Our task is not to liberate the oppressed, but to liberate the oppressors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/our-task-is-not-to-liberate-the-oppressed-but-to-liberate-the/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [The rights of no oppressed people have ever yet been obtained by a voluntary act of justice on the part of the oppressors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-delany/the-rights-of-no-oppressed-people-have-ever-yet-been-obtained-by-a/) [Martin Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-delany/) > [God wants to set the oppressed free from being oppressed and the oppressors free from oppressing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/god-wants-to-set-the-oppressed-free-from-being-oppressed-and-the/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) ## 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. 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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 Humanity quotes > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Half the misery of human life might be extinguished if men would alleviate the general curse they lie under by mutual offices of compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/half-the-misery-of-human-life-might-be-extinguished-if-men-would/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [“Is it necessary to recall that the earth is not infinite, and that our civilization is close to having invaded all of it? 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