Freedom Of Thought Quotes

Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech.

Liberty is meaningless where the right to utter one's thoughts and opinions has ceased to exist. That, of all rights, is the dread of tyrants. It is the right which they first of all strike down.

But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.

I had a right to my own political opinions.

I am a Southern woman, born with Revolutionary blood in my veins. Freedom of speech and of thought were my birthright, guaranteed, signed and sealed by the blood of our fathers.

Some tourists think Amsterdam is a city of sin, but in truth it is a city of freedom. And in freedom, most people find sin.

Children should be educated and instructed in the principles of freedom.

Freedom of speech and thought matters, especially when it is speech and thought with which we disagree. The moment the majority decides to destroy people for engaging in thought it dislikes, thought crime becomes a reality.

We are faced with the paradoxical fact that education has become one of the chief obstacles to intelligence and freedom of thought.

I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.

Mindfulness gives you time. Time gives you choices. Choices, skillfully made, lead to freedom. You don't have to be swept away by your feeling. You can respond with wisdom and kindness rather than habit and reactivity.

It is the function of speech to free men from the bondage of irrational fears.

If there is any principle of the Constitution that more imperatively calls for attachment than any other it is the principle of free thought, not free thought for those who agree with us but freedom for the thought that we hate.

I understand you, and I shall not attempt to make you change your mind.

I am too old to want to improve the world. I have told you what I think, and that is all. I shall remain your friend even if you act contrary to my convictions, and I shall help you even if I disagree with you.

Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us.

Self-discipline is a form of freedom.

Freedom from laziness and lethargy, freedom from the expectations and demands of others, freedom from weakness and fear-and doubt. Self-discipline allows a pitcher to feel his individuality, his inner strength, his talent. He is master of, rather than a slave to, his thoughts and emotions.

Demanding domestic security in times of war invites carelessness in preserving civil liberties and the right of privacy. Frequently the people are only too anxious for their freedoms to be sacrificed on the altar of authoritarianism thought to be necessary to remain safe and secure.

We thought the church had withdrawn from interfering in Italian politics.

.. but instead there is a terrible resurgence. These are ugly signs for freedom of expression.

Why, of course, the people don't want war.

Picture the prince, such as most of them are today: a man ignorant of the law, well-nigh an enemy to his people's advantage, while intent on his personal convenience, a dedicated voluptuary, a hater of learning, freedom and truth, without a thought for the interests of his country, and measuring everything in terms of his own profit and desires.

Freedom of thought and freedom of speech in our great institutions are absolutely necessary for the preservation of our country. The moment either is restricted, liberty begins to wither and die.

In our democratic society, the library stands for hope, for learning, for progress, for literacy, for self-improvement and for civic engagement. The library is a symbol of opportunity, citizenship, equality, freedom of speech and freedom of thought, and hence, is a symbol for democracy itself.

Freedom of speech and freedom of action are meaningless without freedom to think. And there is no freedom of thought without doubt.

This I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected.

Nothing is more seductive for a man than his freedom of conscience, but nothing is a greater cause of suffering.

There are two good things in life -- freedom of thought and freedom of action.

But now, I, August Comte, have discovered the truth.

Therefore, there is no longer any need for freedom of thought or freedom of the press. I want to rule and to organize the whole country.

We are personally responsible for our own state of consciousness.

As Soul unfolds toward total freedom, It understands total responsibility must be accepted for every thought and action.

It is vain to fight totalitarianism by adopting totalitarian methods.

Freedom can only be won by men unconditionally committed to the principles of freedom. The first requisite for a better social order is the return to unrestricted freedom of thought and speech.

It is quite unlawful to demand, defend, or to grant unconditional freedom of thought, or speech, of writing or worship, as if these were so many rights given by nature to man.

America's greatest contribution to the world is its concept of democracy, its concept of freedom, freedom of action, freedom of speech, and freedom of thought.

Those... who find delight in freedom from attachment in the renunciation of clinging, free from the inflow of thoughts, they are like shining lights, having reached final liberation in the world.

The moment you declare a set of ideas to be immune from criticism, satire, derision, or contempt, freedom of thought becomes impossible.

True freedom is where an individual's thoughts and actions are in alignment with that which is true, correct, and of honor - no matter the personal price.

The thought of a happiness that comes from outside the person, brings him sadness. But the recognition in the value of one's will and the freedom granted by its uplifting, brings great joy.