--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To enjoy freedom we have to control…" description: "\"To enjoy freedom we have to control ourselves.\" — Virginia Woolf" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d16/virginia-woolf-49_control_to-enjoy-freedom-we-have-to-control-ours_2273166.jpg" --- # To enjoy freedom we have to control ourselves. ![“To enjoy freedom we have to control ourselves.” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d16/virginia-woolf-49_control_to-enjoy-freedom-we-have-to-control-ours_2273166.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d16/virginia-woolf-49_control_to-enjoy-freedom-we-have-to-control-ours_2273166.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d16/virginia-woolf-49_control_to-enjoy-freedom-we-have-to-control-ours_2273166.jpg) > “To enjoy freedom we have to control ourselves.” [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom requires self‑discipline; without inner control, external liberty is meaningless. **In simple terms:** Freedom needs self‑control. Key Takeaway Cultivate self‑discipline. Themes freedom self‑control responsibility Mood reflective serious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal growth - leadership - political activism Key Concepts philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance personal freedom with self‑discipline? - What habits strengthen self‑control? A Different Perspective Self‑control can be hard to maintain under pressure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) ## Related quotes > [I'm not a big-company guy. I need freedom and control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-williams/i-m-not-a-big-company-guy-i-need-freedom-and-control/) [Evan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-williams/) > [Every medium has its own kind of freedom. I don't want to just cross from one to the next. I want to enjoy the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takashi-miike/every-medium-has-its-own-kind-of-freedom-i-don-t-want-to-just-cross/) [Takashi Miike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takashi-miike/) > [To enjoy freedom ... we have of course to control ourselves. We must not squander our powers, helplessly and ignorantly, squirting half the house…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/to-enjoy-freedom-we-have-of-course-to-control-ourselves-we-must-not/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Freedom is control in your own life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/freedom-is-control-in-your-own-life/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [In all honesty, the reason we did The Pirate Bay was to bring freedom and take back control from a centralized system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sunde/in-all-honesty-the-reason-we-did-the-pirate-bay-was-to-bring-freedom/) [Peter Sunde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sunde/) > [We all have to stand up and fight alongside American women to make sure that they have the freedom to control their own futures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-goldwyn/we-all-have-to-stand-up-and-fight-alongside-american-women-to-make/) [Tony Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-goldwyn/) > [But restraint is the only one sort of control, and absence of restraint isn't freedom. It's not control that's lacking when one feels 'free',…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-restraint-is-the-only-one-sort-of-control-and-absence-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Freedom is control in your own life. I have more control now than in the past, and I'm learning the value of saying no.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/freedom-is-control-in-your-own-life-i-have-more-control-now-than-in/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [The freedom of being in control of the way you feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/the-freedom-of-being-in-control-of-the-way-you-feel/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [“I don't like definitions, but if there is a definition of freedom, it would be when you have control over your reality to transform…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-knopfler/i-don-t-like-definitions-but-if-there-is-a-definition-of-freedom-it/) [Mark Knopfler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-knopfler/) > [“can you believe there’s freedom in being so out of control”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-sax/can-you-believe-there-s-freedom-in-being-so-out-of-control/) [Sam Sax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-sax/) > [“To the RKO motion picture camera at her 100th birthday party: “I pray for the day when working men and women are able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-ash/to-the-rko-motion-picture-camera-at-her-100th-birthday-party-i-pray/) [Jerry Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-ash/) > [I made a comfortable living for several years. I invested, and I protected myself, so I enjoy that freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-haden-church/i-made-a-comfortable-living-for-several-years-i-invested-and-i/) [Thomas Haden Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-haden-church/) > [“Enjoy your freedom today, leave the regret for tomorrow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/enjoy-your-freedom-today-leave-the-regret-for-tomorrow/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [“just as America was the first modern land where people could practice freedom of religion, perhaps someday America will be a place where we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/just-as-america-was-the-first-modern-land-where-people-could-practice/) [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) ## More by Virginia Woolf > [Fatigue is the safest sleeping draught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/fatigue-is-the-safest-sleeping-draught/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“The train slows and lengthens, as we approach London, the centre, and my heart draws out too, in fear, in exaltation. I am about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-train-slows-and-lengthens-as-we-approach-london-the-centre-and-my/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Across the broad continent of a woman's life falls the shadow of a sword. On one side all is correct, definite, orderly; the paths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/across-the-broad-continent-of-a-woman-s-life-falls-the-shadow-of-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Other worshipful objects were content with worship; men, women, God, all let one kneel prostrate; but this form, were it only the shape of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/other-worshipful-objects-were-content-with-worship-men-women-god-all/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Why does Samuel Butler say, 'Wise men never say what they think of women'? Wise men never say anything else apparently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/why-does-samuel-butler-say-wise-men-never-say-what-they-think-of/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Sometimes he woke with a brain like lead; at others it was as if a thousand wax tapers were alight and people were throwing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/sometimes-he-woke-with-a-brain-like-lead-at-others-it-was-as-if-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [The extraordinary woman depends on the ordinary woman. It is only when we know what were the conditions of the average woman's life -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-extraordinary-woman-depends-on-the-ordinary-woman-it-is-only-when/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [A veil of insanity everywhere: Oh why I was born in this age? It is a terrible age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/a-veil-of-insanity-everywhere-oh-why-i-was-born-in-this-age-it-is-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Love ought to stop on both sides, don’t you think, simultaneously?’ He spoke without any stress on the words, so as not to wake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/love-ought-to-stop-on-both-sides-don-t-you-think-simultaneously-he/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“It is so vast an alleviation to be able to point for another to look at. And then not to talk. To follow the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/it-is-so-vast-an-alleviation-to-be-able-to-point-for-another-to-look/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“What a vast fertility of pleasure books hold for me! (...) I think I could happily live here & read forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/what-a-vast-fertility-of-pleasure-books-hold-for-me-i-think-i-could/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“what a luxury to be alone once more,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/what-a-luxury-to-be-alone-once-more/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“...a woman writing thinks back through her mothers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/a-woman-writing-thinks-back-through-her-mothers/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“For one's children so often gave one's own perceptions a little thrust forwards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/for-one-s-children-so-often-gave-one-s-own-perceptions-a-little/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“She would not say of anyone in the world now that they were this or were that. She felt very young; at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/she-would-not-say-of-anyone-in-the-world-now-that-they-were-this-or/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) [Explore all 1,872 Virginia Woolf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## More Control quotes > [We have to get control of our borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-coffman/we-have-to-get-control-of-our-borders/) [Mike Coffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-coffman/) > [Grit and self-control are related, but they're not the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/grit-and-self-control-are-related-but-they-re-not-the-same-thing/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“You can't control who loves you...you can't let someone love you anymore than you can make someone love you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/you-can-t-control-who-loves-you-you-can-t-let-someone-love-you/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) > [I thought I fought a really good Orlando Salido. I never let him get into his fight. I knew what I needed to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikey-garcia/i-thought-i-fought-a-really-good-orlando-salido-i-never-let-him-get/) [Mikey Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikey-garcia/) > [Don't think you can...know you can! You human body is the most impressive tool you'll ever own. Even if you can't control everything, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hardy/don-t-think-you-can-know-you-can-you-human-body-is-the-most/) [Jeff Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hardy/) > [If you have everything under control, you're not moving fast enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-andretti/if-you-have-everything-under-control-you-re-not-moving-fast-enough/) [Mario Andretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-andretti/) > [“Without time management, you lose control of your life and do what other people tell you to do. You lose control and become a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-miller/without-time-management-you-lose-control-of-your-life-and-do-what/) Thomas Miller > [I started off as a model maker, so the first part of my career was a model maker and then a motion control camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/i-started-off-as-a-model-maker-so-the-first-part-of-my-career-was-a/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [Many of us rely on our own illusion of control. But when God makes it known to you that you're not the one steering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/many-of-us-rely-on-our-own-illusion-of-control-but-when-god-makes-it/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [In Congress, Florida Republicans worked with the Trump administration to secure funding for coastal restoration projects following the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Irma and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/in-congress-florida-republicans-worked-with-the-trump-administration/) [Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/) > [“He who can destroy a thing has the real control of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/he-who-can-destroy-a-thing-has-the-real-control-of-it/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying or getting overly angry or to maintain control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/sometimes-you-have-to-laugh-to-keep-from-crying-or-getting-overly/) [Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/) > [My sister-in-law works for a group that supports orphanages in Cairo. She and her colleagues take care of children left behind by circumstances beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/my-sister-in-law-works-for-a-group-that-supports-orphanages-in-cairo/) [Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/) > [Some nights I'm funny with the between-song commentary, some nights I'm not. I have no control over this. I pace the stage a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berman/some-nights-i-m-funny-with-the-between-song-commentary-some-nights-i/) [David Berman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berman/) > [“Control never be a means to any practical end. It can never be a means to anything but more control… Like punk.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/control-never-be-a-means-to-any-practical-end-it-can-never-be-a-means/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) [Browse all 6,032 Control quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To enjoy freedom we have to control ourselves.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Virginia Woolf" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/to-enjoy-freedom-we-have-to-control-ourselves/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Control" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/to-enjoy-freedom-we-have-to-control-ourselves/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d16/virginia-woolf-49_control_to-enjoy-freedom-we-have-to-control-ours_2273166.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d16/virginia-woolf-49_control_to-enjoy-freedom-we-have-to-control-ours_2273166.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d16/virginia-woolf-49_control_to-enjoy-freedom-we-have-to-control-ours_2273166.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To enjoy freedom we have to control ourselves.” — Virginia Woolf", "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": "Virginia Woolf", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To enjoy freedom we have to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/to-enjoy-freedom-we-have-to-control-ourselves/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/to-enjoy-freedom-we-have-to-control-ourselves/#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 } } ] } ```