With The Fourth of July just a day away, I’ve been contemplating what sort of post to offer today. I considered writing a philosophical tract on the nature of freedom. I thought about sharing a poignant story from the 4th exactly 20 years ago. I even started drafting a random write-up about a street fight involving two childhood friends.
Instead, I’m leaning hard into quotes.
I love pithy quotations. I collect them in notebooks, on my phone, in Google Docs. Chalk it up to my fascination with words — I’ve always admired people’s ability to express incredibly deep or clever or just plain funny ideas in a few terse words.
So in honor of our nation’s independence, I wanted to share with you an array of my favorite quotes about freedom in all its forms: freedom from oppression, freedom of expression, and even the existential freedom that might very well be beyond words.
But before I grace you with the wisdom of the ages, I invite you to check out this list of FREE BOOKS, only available for the month of July. The list skews towards cute romances, but there should be something on there for most fiction lovers.
May we think of freedom not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right.
— Peter Marshall
Freedom is something that dies unless it’s used.
— Hunter S. Thompson
Education is the key to unlocking the world, a passport to freedom.
— Oprah Winfrey
Responsibility is the price of freedom.
— Elbert Hubbard
I have heard their groans and sighs, and seen their tears, and I would give every drop of blood in my veins to free them.
— Harriet Tubman
Many people on earth at this moment can’t even imagine the freedom that you currently take for granted.
— Sam Harris
The secret of happiness is freedom; the secret of freedom is courage.
— Carrie Jones
There is no greater freedom than the freedom to be what you are right now.
— Alan Watts
We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.
— Malala Yousafzai
The trust shall set you free, but only after it’s had its way with you.
— David Foster Wallace
People demand freedom of speech as compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use.
— Soren Kierkegaard
Freedom is not worth having unless it includes to freedom to make mistakes.
— Mahatma Gandhi
If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.
— Katherine Hepburn
Do you have a favorite freedom quote? Drop it in the comments below! 👇
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