--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is only the oppressed who, by freeing…" description: "\"It is only the oppressed who, by freeing themselves, can free their oppressors.\" — Paulo Freire" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2e/paulo-freire-1551_freedom_it-is-only-the-oppressed-who-by-freeing_178558.jpg" --- # It is only the oppressed who, by freeing themselves, can… ![“It is only the oppressed who, by freeing themselves, can free their oppressors.” quote by Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2e/paulo-freire-1551_freedom_it-is-only-the-oppressed-who-by-freeing_178558.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2e/paulo-freire-1551_freedom_it-is-only-the-oppressed-who-by-freeing_178558.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2e/paulo-freire-1551_freedom_it-is-only-the-oppressed-who-by-freeing_178558.jpg) > “It is only the oppressed who, by freeing themselves, can free their oppressors.” [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 occurs when the oppressed free themselves, enabling them to also liberate their oppressors. **In simple terms:** Freedom of the oppressed can free everyone. Key Takeaway Empower the oppressed to act. Themes justice freedom solidarity Mood hopeful determined Type political philosophical When to use this quote - activism - education - community building Key Concepts social change power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What steps can empower the oppressed? - How does mutual liberation reshape society? A Different Perspective May the oppressed lack resources to free themselves. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Oppressed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oppressed/) [Oppressors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oppressors/) ## Related quotes > [Transformation is only valid if it is carried out with the people, not for them. Liberation is like a childbirth, and a painful one.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/transformation-is-only-valid-if-it-is-carried-out-with-the-people-not/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [“″Don't be afraid of becoming your highest light and deepest love. Trust and follow. In freeing yourself, you will free the others.″”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nils-klippstein/don-t-be-afraid-of-becoming-your-highest-light-and-deepest-love-trust/) Nils Klippstein > [In order for this struggle to have meaning, the oppressed must not, in seeking to regain their humanity (which is a way to create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/in-order-for-this-struggle-to-have-meaning-the-oppressed-must-not-in/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [How can the oppressed, as divided, unauthentic beings, participate in developing the pedagogy of their liberation? Only as they discover themselves to be 'hosts'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/how-can-the-oppressed-as-divided-unauthentic-beings-participate-in/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [“For the oppressors..to 'be' is to have and to be the class of the "haves".”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/for-the-oppressors-to-be-is-to-have-and-to-be-the-class-of-the-haves/) [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [Muslims, scholars or not, are on the side of the oppressed and never on the side of the oppressors. 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/) > [REVOLUTIONARY: An oppressed person waiting for the opportunity to become an oppressor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-bayan/revolutionary-an-oppressed-person-waiting-for-the-opportunity-to/) [Rick Bayan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-bayan/) > [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/) > [It was during those long and lonely years that my hunger for the freedom of our own people became a hunger for the freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/it-was-during-those-long-and-lonely-years-that-my-hunger-for-the/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [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. 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 Freedom quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [We live in the greatest country in the world because of the veterans who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and the security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-husted/we-live-in-the-greatest-country-in-the-world-because-of-the-veterans/) [Jon Husted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-husted/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [“No one was more surprised than I to realize that my newfound freedom had been purchased by giving up on eternity and settling for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-jessop/no-one-was-more-surprised-than-i-to-realize-that-my-newfound-freedom/) [Carolyn Jessop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-jessop/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“In any case, white people, who had robbed black people of their liberty and who profited by this theft every hour that they lived,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/in-any-case-white-people-who-had-robbed-black-people-of-their-liberty/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“I have to blame myself for not finding any way of reaching him, but I can't feel that either Ruth or I had anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-have-to-blame-myself-for-not-finding-any-way-of-reaching-him-but-i/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [“It breaks my heart. 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