--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People hardly ever make use of the…" description: "\"People hardly ever make use of the freedom they have, for example, freedom of thought; instead they demand freedom of speech as a compensation.\" — Sore..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/soren-kierkegaard-578_being-free_people-hardly-ever-make-use-of-the-freed_1994972.jpg" --- # People hardly ever make use of the freedom they have, for… ![“People hardly ever make use of the freedom they have, for example, freedom of thought; instead they demand freedom of speech as a compensation.” quote by Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/soren-kierkegaard-578_being-free_people-hardly-ever-make-use-of-the-freed_1994972.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/soren-kierkegaard-578_being-free_people-hardly-ever-make-use-of-the-freed_1994972.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/soren-kierkegaard-578_being-free_people-hardly-ever-make-use-of-the-freed_1994972.jpg) > “People hardly ever make use of the freedom they have, for example, freedom of thought; instead they demand freedom of speech as a compensation.” [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He critiques people who prioritize speech rights over the deeper liberty of thought, suggesting true freedom starts internally. **In simple terms:** People value speech over thought. Key Takeaway Cultivate inner intellectual freedom. Themes freedom thought speech Mood reflective critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - education - media consumption - personal development Key Concepts existentialism ethical philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What does true freedom mean to you? - How can we nurture freedom of thought in society? A Different Perspective External expression may be limited without internal liberty. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-free/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Demand Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demand-freedom-878095/) [Example Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/example-freedom-3386380/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom Example](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-example-368658/) [Freedom of speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-of-speech/) [Freedom of thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-of-thought/) [Freedom Speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-speech/) [Use Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use-freedom-287326/) ## Related quotes > [“People hardly ever make use of the freedom which they have, for example, freedom of thought; instead they demand freedom of speech as compensation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/people-hardly-ever-make-use-of-the-freedom-which-they-have-for/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/people-demand-freedom-of-speech-as-a-compensation-for-the-freedom-of/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [How absurd men are! They never use the liberties they have, they demand those they do not have. They have freedom of thought, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/how-absurd-men-are-they-never-use-the-liberties-they-have-they-demand/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they seldom use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/people-demand-freedom-of-speech-to-make-up-for-the-freedom-of-thought-2/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kierkegaard-research-centre/people-demand-freedom-of-speech-to-make-up-for-the-freedom-of-thought/) [Kierkegaard Research Centre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kierkegaard-research-centre/) > [Nothing is more wonderful than the art of being free, but nothing is harder to learn how to use than freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/nothing-is-more-wonderful-than-the-art-of-being-free-but-nothing-is/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [America's freedom is the example to which the world expires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/america-s-freedom-is-the-example-to-which-the-world-expires/) [George H. 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This is actually an amazing change in values in a rather short time and it's an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wolfe/the-attitude-is-we-live-and-let-live-this-is-actually-an-amazing/) [Tom Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wolfe/) > [Welcome to the world of freedom. However, make sure that you use your freedom wisely. For now only you will be accountable for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/welcome-to-the-world-of-freedom-however-make-sure-that-you-use-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Most people mostly use freedom of speech as freedom to bitch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/most-people-mostly-use-freedom-of-speech-as-freedom-to-bitch/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [What is the use of freedom of the press if the government is in possession of all the printing presses, what does freedom of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-richter/what-is-the-use-of-freedom-of-the-press-if-the-government-is-in/) [Eugen Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-richter/) ## More by Soren Kierkegaard > [Christianity does not oppose debauchery and uncontrollable passions and the like as much as it opposes... flat mediocrity, this nauseating atmosphere, this homey, civil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/christianity-does-not-oppose-debauchery-and-uncontrollable-passions/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [Christians remind me of schoolboys who want to look up the answers to their math problems in the back of the book rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/christians-remind-me-of-schoolboys-who-want-to-look-up-the-answers-to/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [People commonly travel the world over to see rivers and mountains, new stars, garish birds, freak fish, grotesque breeds of human; they fall into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/people-commonly-travel-the-world-over-to-see-rivers-and-mountains-new/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [“A strange thing happened to me in my dream. 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The important thing is to make a beginning and get under way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/a-road-well-begun-is-the-battle-half-won-the-important-thing-is-to/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [I have, I believe, the courage to doubt everything; I have, I believe, the courage to fight against everything; but I do not have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/i-have-i-believe-the-courage-to-doubt-everything-i-have-i-believe-the/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) [Explore all 462 Soren Kierkegaard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) ## More Being free quotes > [Life is too short to be lived in pain and sorrow. 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Like a hound it tracked the very scent of heresy. It kindled wars, and nursed furious hatreds and ambitions...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/christianity-persecuted-tortured-and-burned-like-a-hound-it-tracked/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [The moment you stop caring about what other people think of you is when you'll know what true freedom is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisette-alfaro/the-moment-you-stop-caring-about-what-other-people-think-of-you-is/) [Lisette Alfaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisette-alfaro/) > [True independence means being free from the domination of your own internal automatic behaviors, not doing what you feel like when the urge strikes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lore/true-independence-means-being-free-from-the-domination-of-your-own/) [Nicholas Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lore/) > [I try when I'm writing to fill my head and my ears with all sorts of stuff and then let it settle and filter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gabriel/i-try-when-i-m-writing-to-fill-my-head-and-my-ears-with-all-sorts-of/) [Peter Gabriel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gabriel/) > [Feeling free inside oneself is being free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rei-kawakubo/feeling-free-inside-oneself-is-being-free/) [Rei Kawakubo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rei-kawakubo/) > [Turn all the lights down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pob-bismark/turn-all-the-lights-down/) [POB Bismark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pob-bismark/) > [It’s about reaching that moment of pure ecstasy when a drawing just happens. 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