--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We need to teach people to refuse to…" description: "\"We need to teach people to refuse to install non-free plug-ins; we need to teach people to care more about their long-term interest of freedom than the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/richard-stallman-4048_care_we-need-to-teach-people-to-refuse-to-ins_3186077.jpg" --- # We need to teach people to refuse to install non-free… ![“We need to teach people to refuse to install non-free plug-ins; we need to teach people to care more about their long-term interest of freedom than their immediate desire to view a particular site.” quote by Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/richard-stallman-4048_care_we-need-to-teach-people-to-refuse-to-ins_3186077.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/richard-stallman-4048_care_we-need-to-teach-people-to-refuse-to-ins_3186077.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/richard-stallman-4048_care_we-need-to-teach-people-to-refuse-to-ins_3186077.jpg) > “We need to teach people to refuse to install non-free plug-ins; we need to teach people to care more about their long-term interest of freedom than their immediate desire to view a particular site.” [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates for teaching people to prioritize long‑term freedom over short‑term convenience, especially regarding non‑free software. **In simple terms:** Teach people to value freedom over immediate desire. Key Takeaway Promote digital freedom education. Themes freedom software ethics education Mood thoughtful activist Type persuasive educational When to use this quote - school curricula - public workshops - online courses - policy advocacy Key Concepts open source digital rights consumer awareness Questions to Reflect On - How can we make free alternatives as convenient as proprietary ones? - What incentives encourage long‑term thinking? A Different Perspective Changing habits is hard when convenience dominates. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Long term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-term/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [The Adobe flash plug-in is non-free software, and people should not install it, or suggest installing it, or even tell people it exists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/the-adobe-flash-plug-in-is-non-free-software-and-people-should-not/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [Writing non-free software is not an ethically legitimate activity, so if people who do this run into trouble, that's good! All businesses based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/writing-non-free-software-is-not-an-ethically-legitimate-activity-so/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [If in my lifetime the problem of non-free software is solved, I could perhaps relax and write software again. But I might instead try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/if-in-my-lifetime-the-problem-of-non-free-software-is-solved-i-could/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [“We need to teach people not about human beings but about being human.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-burnett/we-need-to-teach-people-not-about-human-beings-but-about-being-human/) Camille Burnett > [We need to teach people that the environment has a direct bearing on our own benefit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/we-need-to-teach-people-that-the-environment-has-a-direct-bearing-on/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [Life does not give you the people you want. Instead, it gives you the ones you need, to teach you, to hurt you, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-does-not-give-you-the-people-you-want-instead-it-gives-you-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The boxing game has been good, so we need to give back. We have to teach young men how to be men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-frazier/the-boxing-game-has-been-good-so-we-need-to-give-back-we-have-to/) [Joe Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-frazier/) > [I'll teach you to kick me...' You don't need to teach me--I already know how!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/i-ll-teach-you-to-kick-me-you-don-t-need-to-teach-me-i-already-know/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [As I have said many times, we need to teach our children how to think and not what to think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-robinson/as-i-have-said-many-times-we-need-to-teach-our-children-how-to-think/) [Mark Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-robinson/) > [We need to teach boys to respect girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/urvashi-rautela/we-need-to-teach-boys-to-respect-girls/) [Urvashi Rautela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/urvashi-rautela/) > [Our Home Out Wes't taught me that jokes need to either teach us something about the character or move the story along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-escola/our-home-out-wes-t-taught-me-that-jokes-need-to-either-teach-us/) [Cole Escola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cole-escola/) > [We need to teach our children history, right from the primary school level, for them to better understand the issues. In my son's school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/femi-kuti/we-need-to-teach-our-children-history-right-from-the-primary-school/) [Femi Kuti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/femi-kuti/) > [Teachers need to teach the subject rather than to teach the textbook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/teachers-need-to-teach-the-subject-rather-than-to-teach-the-textbook/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [“Among the many short cuts to science, we badly need someone to teach us the art of learning with difficulty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/among-the-many-short-cuts-to-science-we-badly-need-someone-to-teach/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [We are teaching kids to fail. We need to teach our kids to succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-catsimatidis/we-are-teaching-kids-to-fail-we-need-to-teach-our-kids-to-succeed/) [John Catsimatidis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-catsimatidis/) ## More by Richard Stallman > [All governments should be pressured to correct their abuses of human rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/all-governments-should-be-pressured-to-correct-their-abuses-of-human/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [I consider that the Golden Rule requires that if I like a program I must share it with other people who like it. Software…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/i-consider-that-the-golden-rule-requires-that-if-i-like-a-program-i/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [Think 'free speech,' not 'free beer.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/think-free-speech-not-free-beer/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [If you can find a host for me that has a friendly parrot, I will be very very glad… DON'T buy a parrot figuring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/if-you-can-find-a-host-for-me-that-has-a-friendly-parrot-i-will-be/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [Sharing is good, and with digital technology, sharing is easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/sharing-is-good-and-with-digital-technology-sharing-is-easy/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [In the US, you even lose legal rights if you store your data in a company's machines instead of your own. The police need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/in-the-us-you-even-lose-legal-rights-if-you-store-your-data-in-a/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [EMACS could not have been reached by a process of careful design, because such processes arrive only at goals which are visible at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/emacs-could-not-have-been-reached-by-a-process-of-careful-design/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [A hacker is someone who enjoys playful cleverness—not necessarily with computers. The programmers in the old MIT free software community of the 60s and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/a-hacker-is-someone-who-enjoys-playful-cleverness-not-necessarily/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [When I launched the development of the GNU system, I explicitly said the purpose of developing this system is so we can use our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/when-i-launched-the-development-of-the-gnu-system-i-explicitly-said/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [Writing non-free software is not an ethically legitimate activity, so if people who do this run into trouble, that's good! All businesses based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/writing-non-free-software-is-not-an-ethically-legitimate-activity-so/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [In essence, Chrome OS is the GNU/Linux operating system. However, it is delivered without the usual applications, and rigged up to impede and discourage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/in-essence-chrome-os-is-the-gnu-linux-operating-system-however-it-is/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [If in my lifetime the problem of non-free software is solved, I could perhaps relax and write software again. But I might instead try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/if-in-my-lifetime-the-problem-of-non-free-software-is-solved-i-could/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [Now that corporations dominate society and write the laws, each advance or change in technology is an opening for them to further restrict or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/now-that-corporations-dominate-society-and-write-the-laws-each/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [The idea of free software is that users of computing deserve freedom. They deserve in particular to have control over their computing. And proprietary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/the-idea-of-free-software-is-that-users-of-computing-deserve-freedom/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [Android is a major step towards an ethical, user-controlled, free-software portable phone, but there is a long way to go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/android-is-a-major-step-towards-an-ethical-user-controlled-free/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) [Explore all 117 Richard Stallman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) ## More Care quotes > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [We all know what it feels like to love someone and care about them and want to protect them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiana-madeira/we-all-know-what-it-feels-like-to-love-someone-and-care-about-them/) [Kiana Madeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiana-madeira/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [I certainly do care for you Jeff Campbell less than you are always thinking and much more than you are ever knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-certainly-do-care-for-you-jeff-campbell-less-than-you-are-always/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bond/advances-in-technology-will-continue-to-reach-far-into-every-sector/) [Christopher Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bond/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [What makes you care about nature, about the planet? Is it really that you're afraid of what's going to happen if you don't take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eisenstein/what-makes-you-care-about-nature-about-the-planet-is-it-really-that/) [Charles Eisenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eisenstein/) > [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [When you're in your twenties and starting out, the problem is that you care about being cool. Being older, I can care less about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-righton/when-you-re-in-your-twenties-and-starting-out-the-problem-is-that-you/) [James Righton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-righton/) > [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) > [I don't care if you make a print on a bath mat, just as long as it is a good print.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-weston/i-don-t-care-if-you-make-a-print-on-a-bath-mat-just-as-long-as-it-is/) [Edward Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-weston/) > [The world's problems are, by and large, human problems-the unavoidable consequence of egoic sleepwalking. If we care to look, all the signs are present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/the-world-s-problems-are-by-and-large-human-problems-the-unavoidable/) [Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) [Browse all 19,019 Care quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We need to teach people to refuse to install non-free plug-ins; we need to teach people to care more about their long-term interest of freedom than their immediate desire to view a particular site.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Stallman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/we-need-to-teach-people-to-refuse-to-install-non-free-plug-ins-we/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Care" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/we-need-to-teach-people-to-refuse-to-install-non-free-plug-ins-we/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/richard-stallman-4048_care_we-need-to-teach-people-to-refuse-to-ins_3186077.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/richard-stallman-4048_care_we-need-to-teach-people-to-refuse-to-ins_3186077.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/richard-stallman-4048_care_we-need-to-teach-people-to-refuse-to-ins_3186077.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We need to teach people to refuse to install non-free plug-ins; we need to teach people to care more about…” — Richard Stallman", "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": "Richard Stallman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We need to teach people to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/we-need-to-teach-people-to-refuse-to-install-non-free-plug-ins-we/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/we-need-to-teach-people-to-refuse-to-install-non-free-plug-ins-we/#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 } } ] } ```